Review scoopings 3/5 · Nov 8, 2021
Decent Would Be The Word For It
Play: 7/10 I pushed through the frustrations and mediocrity of it, but can't claim to have enjoyed this one as much as Adventureland or Pirate Adventure. It was a very small map, not big into the execution of it, like, finding the saboteur and other stuff (this was especially true when playing the unwinnable zcode version). The limited number of …
Play: 7/10 I pushed through the frustrations and mediocrity of it, but can't claim to have enjoyed this one as much as Adventureland or Pirate Adventure. It was a very small map, not big into the execution of it, like, finding the saboteur and other stuff (this was especially true when playing the unwinnable zcode version). The limited number of turns was super annoying when playing the bugged zcode version, but was much more reasonable and added a fun layer of urgency in the proper working versions. The puzzles were just not as fun, clever, or enjoyable as the other adventure games so far. Like breaking the window with the recorder--meh. I do like the color aspects, the color coding to the buttons/doors/rooms/etc. It was petty that I could "Take Cutters" but not "Get Wirecutters" (it said not in my power to do that). Note: The zcode version seems bugged where its unwinnable cuz the saboteur doesn't die fast enough for the turns limit. The TRS-80 text-only and c64 graphic versions worked, and I assume the other non-zcode versions work.
Feel: 7/10 Can't claim this is very ahead of its time anymore now that it's been a couple years of text adventures in my chronological journey. Since I had to play both the graphic c64 version and text-only version, I gotta say I prefer the original text-only version for its descriptions of the rooms and, for instance, saying that the dead saboteur is in the room, instead of having to guess (in the graphic version, it tries to render the objects in a room visible. but it outright didn't even have the dead saboteur visible so I had to just say "get saboteur" in both the grey room and is it yellow room right? I think those are the two possible spots for the dead saboteur. Maybe my file is just bugged, though...) Anyway, sad that there's no 100% treasure aspect to this, like I mentioned in the other Adams Adventures I love that it reports when you got 100/100. It's ironic because I sorta complained that all text adventures seemed to follow the Colossal Cave collect treasure and drop it in a special room for score formula, but now that one experimented with it--you are instead defusing a bomb--I didn't find it that fun. I guess I just have been getting used to and enjoying the formula more and more, so it wasn't the right time to have a change. I did really enjoy the color coding, and the game was still enjoyable and decent overall. I suppose I should mention it was cool to have the projector part/something entirely optional that I still felt compelled to do for my completionism.
Attachment: 7/10 If I return to early text adventures, this likely wont be it. Decent game, but too many on my backlog to plan to return. Play this if you really enjoy Adams Adventures and want something a little different from the usual formula.