Ratings and Reviews by IFonthebrain
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Science versus magic illustrated here, June 9, 2016I think Jon Ingold did a fantastic job writing this game, and filling it with puzzles--again following the puzzle-in-every-room formula, which kept me occupied. But what prompted me to give only 3 stars to this work was how the game seemed to repudiate or disavow the story in The Mulldoon Legacy, of which MM is a sequel or epilogue. If you have played TML, I would invite you to play this game, much of the territory is the same, and there is little here to surprise or confuse you--for example, you know what the sundial and mosaic were for in TML. Call me sentimental, but there is no teleportation, no time travel or any kind of magic in this game(until the end), which may disappoint TML vets. However, I do think that the author was clever about how he dealt with the differences between the two games, and those who have played TML will notice this as they play this game.
A beginner in IF may find this game hard to swallow, not having familiarity with TML, and there are some allusions to chemistry that might confuse the average player(I had to consult Wikipedia on a few things). Thus, I would feel awkward recommending it to a beginner. However, all of the puzzles are clever and engaging. Also, the game is comparatively short--if you are looking to immerse yourself in a long game over a couple of weeks' vacation from work, this game would not be it--it took me 4 days to complete(without a walkthrough)--I'd send you to The Mulldoon Legacy, though you'd probably still be on TML long after the vacation was over. This game is great as an epilogue, and I think it should be played as such, just don't expect much of a mystical or magical theme--remember, here, you are a cynical private eye, not an adventurer looking for magic, treasure and wonder. But then again, science and chemistry are full of wonders, and they are well represented here, even if implemented rather awkwardly.
Not for the beginner..., June 9, 2016I am a seasoned veteran, having played most of the old Infocom games during my teenage and into my 20s(I am now 46). So, I went into this game thinking that it would be an easy one, thinking that I would 'whip' it in only a matter of days. It took me almost 3 weeks. The game is incredibly intricate, covers a lot of territory. I would not recommend it to a beginner, the Zork series is difficult enough--in Zork, you have only ONE wand(which is not even yours), in Curses!, there are more than TEN! This game also has teleportation, time travel to various places, the obligatory maze, plenty of NPCs. There were a couple of places where I had to start over, because I had missed an object irrevocably---I was in the kind of space that most IFers dread, where you flounder about, wondering what to do next and get this strange feeling that you had missed something, then finally give in and consult the walkthrough, only to find out that you were really to supposed to take X or do Y while you were in Z location and time(in addition to doing what you DID do), when you thought you were done with that area(and, of course, there's no way of going back). Yes, there were a couple of places in this game where I thought it wasn't being 'fair' in its description of the place or clear as to what was to be accomplished in this or that area, and if you are not accustomed to examining EVERY object, or searching EVERY possible place, and mapping EVERY accessible passage and room, you might get stuck. There were a few objects that were hidden in places that were not prominently or directly referred to in the room descriptions. Also, I think something must be said about the sequence in which the various areas(and there are many) in this game are played and solved--some must be solved before others and there is at least one that must be completed during your first--and only--visit. With all that said, I had fun with this game. I am a veteran, so while I was a little frustrated with the inconveniences mentioned, I must admit that they are par for the course in games like this and the author, if asked about them, would probably just say, 'That's life! It's part of the challenge!' I had fun with the hint system built into the game(and the reader will understand what I mean when s/he encounters it). In fact, I would advise any player, new or experienced, to save the game very often, at every new discovery, and use the hint system to 'the max', by saving his/her position near where the hints are being offered(which is easily worked out). Again, this is a big game, with many fronts, puzzles at every turn, especially at the house. A tour-de-force for the experienced IFer.
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