The Elysium Enigma

The Elysium Enigma was a good reintroduction to IF for me, with consistently good writing and an engaging if simple mystery to unravel throughout. This game is plot-based, but not quite as exposition heavy as other such stories.

Interacting with the handful of NPCs is a simple affair, which is good considering the amount of information they have to give. The game uses a 'Topics' command which informs the player exactly how they can interact with characters, which is arguably no less immersive than the average conversation menu.

Puzzles in this game consist mainly of careful reading of room and item descriptions, and examining everything possible for potential clues. Other puzzles are of the 'use x on y' type, but offer multiple solutions to keep the frustration level low. To my knowledge you cannot set the game unwinnable (at least not until the very end) and you can only be killed once in the entire game (which is extremely easy to avoid).

There were a few disappointing aspects to this game; a terrible past secret is hinted at, several times, but ultimately disregarded by the story. A nifty tricorder-ish gadget that ain't. The ending(s) are rather underwhelming. Also, compared to the other two characters the shuttle pilot comes across as redundant, mainly acting as a sounding board for the PC.

Overall, very enjoyable, highly recommended to those looking for a good 'soft' sci-fi adventure that's not too difficult to handle.