Reviews by Sorrel
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Badly-written and painfully easy, February 25, 2010This is perhaps the worst IF game I've ever played. Dancing Even Him? lacks any real plot and contains a series of the simplest one-move puzzles I've ever seen. Going through the game, I felt like I was in some warped, five-minute version of an Indiana Jones movie. The puzzles (if they can even be called that) consisted almost exclusively of climbing and pulling levers. There is some atrocious grammar in the descriptions and it's obvious that the author didn't proof-read the text more than once (if at all).
The only good thing I can say about the game is that I rather liked the revelation about the title in the end. It made me chuckle slightly (in that depressed way people chuckle when they realize they just wasted three minutes of their lives). If the title interests you at all, you should devote five minutes to Dancing Even Him? to discover its meaning. Otherwise, don't bother with this game.
Bland and easy, but with some potential , February 17, 2010Terminal is short, way too easy, and has very little artistic merit. The premise of the game shows potential, but the storyline is never fully developed. Basically, you play a computer-based entity who must build himself a body to escape his present situation.
The descriptions are short and contain grammatical errors. Descriptions of certain items could have been embellished a little more to give the game a better flow. Much of the scenery cannot be interacted with, nor examined. That leaves the player with the ability to examine only the objects necessary to completing the game.
There are two ways the player can win the game and both are very well-clued; too well clued, in my opinion. The puzzle becomes way too easy with all the hints that the player receives throughout the game.
However, despite all its drawbacks, there is some potential in Terminal. Perhaps the author's second game will fare better.
Quirky and endearing, February 16, 2010Party Foul is not so much about solving the puzzles, as it is about keeping them solved. As you try to accomplish the three main tasks in order to leave the cocktail party of doom, you will be constantly swarted by the hostess. You must time your actions accordingly with those of the hostess, so as not to have her undoing everything you've accomplished. That aspect of the game infuriated me to no end, until I realized how to hold off the annoying woman: (Spoiler - click to show)Make a mess that will keep her occupied for a few turns. Once I got around that issue, I found the game to be rather enjoyable.
The conversation system wasn't too extensive, but it got the job done. What I found most endearing in Party Foul were the responses of the hostess to the PC's blunders and attempts at carrying sharp objects. The responses varied and got more exasperated and humorous as the offending actions were repeated.
The puzzles are well-clued and not too difficult. All in all, Party Foul is a polished, but rather mundane game. I would have given it three stars if it wasn't for the well-characterized NPCs. They each have their own personal quirks and witty responses. The tidbits of information the player learns about them brighten up the experience and in some cases (Spoiler - click to show)-Frank's drinking problem, for one-add a refreshing dose of realism. Party Foul is no masterpiece, but it’s a good way to spend twenty minutes.
Engaging, surreal, and relatively easy, February 10, 2010Dual Transform isn't a hard game. I don't think it was meant to be hard. It doesn't take too long to figure out how the game works and from there, it's just a matter of using logic to complete the next puzzle. Once you become immersed in the game, logic is replaced by a kind of instinct where you understand what to do next even before you comprehend why it has to be done. The puzzle system creates an environment that is unlike anything I've seen previously. Your surroundings are ever-changing and you must find a way to manipulate them to get to the next "room".
After playing the game for a few minutes, I felt drawn into its beautiful world. Each "room" represents a physical property and the more time you spend in the environment, the more immersed you become in the sensation of said property. The back-story of the PC is never fully explained, but
I didn’t feel a need for more information. The PC is a researcher, trying to design a three-dimensional, sensory workspace. The story behind the puzzle is intriguing, but simple enough so that the player doesn’t get lost in an overwhelming amount of data.
The "one object only" concept was implemented well and simplified the game at some points, while making it harder at others. The descriptions were well-written and used plenty of sensory information to create a realistic atmosphere. The ending puzzle brought the game to a beautiful, surreal, and somewhat surprising close. Hopefully, the author will follow up with a sequel like the ending implies.
Whimsical and pleasantly evil , February 6, 2010The Devil Made Me Do It places you in the role of the devil, who tries to tempt two little kids into going into a forbidden yard. It's refreshing to play an evil character once in a while and coming up with a plan to corrupt the children is quite interesting.
The writing is error-free and the descriptions are short and to the point. The puzzle itself depends a lot on timing, which is its only downfall. In order to understand how to time your actions, you really have to get into the devil's head and that can be a little hard at first.
The story itself is original and whimsical, making for a fun gaming experience. There are some fun "hidden" commands that will make you chuckle if you discover them. For a SpeedIF, this game is definitely a good one.
A Good Way to Spend Ten Minutes , January 7, 2010Gleaming the Verb is not one of those deep, immersive IFs that will take your breath away. It is however, a very interesting way to spend ten minutes. The game is set in a bare room. You are naked and carrying absolutely nothing, your only companion in the room is a cube. And so, the puzzle begins. There is only one puzzle and it’s rather short. Once I understood the mechanics behind it, I was able to solve it relatively quickly.
I wouldn’t call Gleaming the Verb a full-fledged IF. It’s more like a brain teaser set in interactive fiction format. The idea behind the puzzle is quite clever and you will definitely feel a pang of satisfaction at completing it. I would love to see more games of this kind from the author in the future.
Atmospheric and dark, but not challenging , December 8, 2009The Lighthouse has a moody, dark atmosphere, with a few plot surprises that might make you shiver a little if you've been reading carefully. You start of as a tourist, heading to see the famous lighthouse in the midst of a heavy rain, with a broken arm, and a hill to climb. The plot itself isn't very original. The scenario of tourists stumbling onto dark secrets in creepy buildings has been done before. However, the author does put a new spin on it. There are some poignantly scary seems that have been written well.
Unfortunately, the puzzles (if you could call them that) are quite easy. There are no codes to crack, no mazes to explore, no and no hidden doors to find. The procedure is routine and the only interesting thing about the "puzzles" is manipulating your actions to find an undiscovered ending. There are multiple endings you can reach, but (from what I've seen) only one can be considered moderately happy.
I wasn't quite sure whether to give this 3 or 4 stars. In the end, I settled for 3. The writing is good, but then again, if I only wanted good writing I could have read a book. I want some challenge out of my IF games and I didn't get it here. (Of course, I might be missing some important piece of information that prevented me from reaching another step of the game, but I doubt it.)
So, if you're looking for a short, atmospheric game that will put you in a dark, slightly paranoid mood, then play The Lighthouse. However, if you're looking for challenging puzzle games, move on.
The Djinni Chronicles is unique and immersive , November 29, 2009The Djinni Chronicles creates an other-worldly atmosphere in which you must think and act like a djinni. The plot is original and implemented very well. The game makes you feel as if you’re playing out a small episode in a large world filled with magical djinni lore.
The puzzles are logical and well-clued. After completing certain puzzles I felt a pang of satisfaction that encouraged me to continue with the game. The puzzles serve to immerse the player deeper in the djinni’s world. Most, if not all puzzles, use certain concepts that are unique to this game. For example: common actions like “take an apple” are replaced with channeling the apple’s essence into your own. That essence is known as Purpose throughout the game. Purpose is an interesting concept that you will have to grasp in order to fully immerse yourself in the djinni’s world. Fortunately, the concept is well introduced and indirectly explained (as are other new concepts in the game).
The game is very well written, with the descriptions being neither too long nor too short. The characters of the three djinni are painted well with just a few sentences.
The author did a superb job with this game. It’s unique, well written, player-friendly, and contains puzzles that are just the right level of difficulty. I will definitely be replaying this game in the future.
Beautiful and surreal, a must-play , November 4, 2009 I lost track of time as I played Snowquet and that’s not something that happens to me often. The writing flows effortlessly, drawing the player in right away. The descriptions are beautifully written, without being unnecessarily long. I found the dream sequence wonderfully surreal, to the point that I no longer felt like I was typing away on a computer.
The puzzles were well-clued and didn’t keep me guessing for too long. When I did have to resort to using the built-in hints, I found them to be well-paced, giving me the perfect nudge in the right direction.
A big part of Snowquest is exploration of the environment. There are times in the game when only very close examination of your surroundings will reveal what must be done next.
The plot seems rather straightforward at first, but there are definitely twists up ahead. At the first of those twists, I found myself staring at my computer screen for a few seconds, trying to take in the new development. The most interesting thing about Snowquest is how well the storyline comes together in the end. Even all the minor details that seemed out of place before fit it nicely in the last few scenes.
Snowquest is a must-play for everyone, whether you’re just discovering IF or have been playing it for a long time.
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