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Hildyby J. Michael2024 Zorkian Fantasy Inform 7
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(based on 1 rating)
1 review — 2 members have played this game. It's on 2 wishlists.
You are Hildy, a twenty-year-old apprentice enchantress who is seriously considering a change of vocation. And who can blame you? The Guild Masters don't understand you, the other apprentices think you're a kripping weirdo and to top it off, you're currently covered in exploded cave troll.
It's been a rough semester.
But just as you're about to call it quits, a chance encounter with a spectral canine leads you to a harrowing adventure in what was once the most popular attraction in The Great Underground Empire.
So take a bath, grab your whip and swing into a new adventure in the fabulous world of Zork, where you'll encounter mysterious machines, creepy ghouls, green slime, garlic pizza, and more. And who knows? You just might rid the world of a horrifying, megalomaniacal evil while you're at it.
**Hildy** by J. Michael
Whew! This was a long game! I used hints a lot but I tried to do as much as I can on my own; I think I solved around 40% of the puzzles without assistance.
This is a Zorkian game, both in style and in setting; many characters from the Zork universe appear and you use its magic system.
The game has a long, linear opening that sets the stage followed by a long open puzzle segment and concluding with an endgame and epilogue.
Storywise, you are essentially a young college student named Hildegard (or, Hildy) who is on the rocks with the superiors. After unwinding, your advisor suggests you go out and clear your head, but that leads you to a long-deserted location where many mysteries await.
The author has made some solid games in the past (Diddlebucker, For the Moon Never Beams), but I think this is the best yet. The early segment is fair and the vast majority of puzzles feel well-clued and logical.
The difficulty is pretty high, though. It's like Infocom games where sometimes the struggle is knowing that a certain verb or action is even possible. You also have to pay close attention to detail; things can get mentioned early on and then never mentioned again.
Twice I was stymied by not noticing exits, including once very early on ([spoiler]I didn't realize my bedroom extended to the north[/spoiler]).
There are some 'old chestnut' puzzles, mainly a logic puzzle involving squares. I didn't mind it, but I could see others doing so.
I used a walkthrough for much of the game, and I have always done that with large parser games; it's one reason I've completed so many. Without a walkthrough, this game could last many hours, maybe being good for playing over a week or two. Without any hints at all, some things would be very hard to guess, so that would make play take even longer.
So I'd recommend this to two groups of people: those who enjoy the Zorkian setting (who could use a walkthrough or not), and those who want a polished, longer parser game (where I'd recommend not using it).
Very much enjoyed this game.