Enlightenment

[Afgncaap5]

I'm going to review one of the non-canon Zork games, since they're probably less well known. Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to put forth a game called Enlightenment.

Enlightenment is a game set in the Zork universe and stands as an example of how a game can be simple and short while at the same time being good and challenging. It also stands as a good example of interactive fiction and what can be accomplished in a non-graphical medium.

In Enlightenment, you play a standard adventurer at the very end of a vast, amazing adventure. (Just for fun, ask the game what your full score is by typing FULL. The implied game that you're showing up for the end of must have been quite a treat.) Loaded down with treasures and handy adventuring gear, the gate going back into the dungeon closes forever behind you, but the bridge leading out of the dungeon has a nasty troll standing in your way, a troll that is clearly tougher than anything you can safely handle. The game suggests that the only reasonable strategy within your power to execute would be to turn off your light sources to summon a grue to destroy the troll for you.

Sadly, in your zeal to be the best adventurer possible, you are laden with an astonishing assortment of light sources, many of which seem to be permanent. Your brass lantern's battery is no where near running out, and you bought the model with no light switch. Your sword won't stop glowing as long as there's danger (such as a troll) nearby. Even your backpack seems to be blessed with a friendly, ambient light when you begin the game. There's just never a grue around when you need one, I guess.

The entire game takes place in a single room, so it's definitely small and simple. The deceptively plain environment interacts well with your inventory, so while many of the puzzles are challenging and even infuriating at times, the solutions all make sense once you finally put the pieces together.

There are some very minor complaints to be had, I'm afraid. For the sake of realism, it's possible for the game to become unwinnable once or twice, which is a pet peeve of mine even though I acknowledge it as a necessary evil. My other complaint is that the troll in this game is very different from the previous troll encounter way back in Zork 1. This troll appears to be bigger, stronger and dumber than the axe-wielding sparring partner you had in the first game. Given Enlightenment's masterful use of footnotes, I'd normally expect a hand-waved explanation about this being a different type of troll.

Either way, these are very minor complaints. I'd give Enlightenment a solid A+ and recommend it for anyone who can play games written in Inform.

[Garius_Lupus]

Sounds good. I'll try it. Haven't played an IF game in a long time - other than a particular beta.

[Afgncaap5]

I'm kinda surprised to learn that you've not played it yet, GL. It's been one of my favorites for years. Glad I reviewed it, then. :-)

And as for the beta, well...you'll be playing a different beta soon...

[Garius_Lupus]

Okay, I played it. Very good game. Some of the puzzles were challenging, but not too bad. I forgot to look at the footnotes the first time through (forgot that you could read them by typing "footnote"). Quickly went through the game again and only got 3 footnotes. I thought there were more the first time, so they must come up in the exploring and examining.

I thought the writing was very good, and everything reasonable that I thought to do was implemented, along with many of the unreasonable things I thought to do. There was even a joke in one of the unreasonable things: for fun, I tried "xyzzy", "plugh" and "plover". All of these gave results, but "plover" yielded the result "don't you mean quail?", then when you type "quail", it describes you cowering at the thought of a grue. Nice pun on the word "quail".

Glad you reviewed the game, Affy - it was fun.

[Afgncaap5]

Yeah, the quail joke is one of my favorite parts of the game. It pulls you along a fairly deductive line of reasoning and sets you up to walk right into the punchline.

Regarding footnotes: I found the footnotes to be one of the most enjoyable parts of the game, though they can be a bit tough to really locate. If memory serves, footnotes need to be unlocked as you play and will be given the number that you discover it in. (In other words, Footnote Six might be Footnote Seven the next time you play if you do things in a different order.) It's a nice bit of attention to detail that most other games would leave out.

[Garius_Lupus]

Wow! Spam!

And such an appropriate product for Zork geeks - a 1950's wedding dress. I'm sure we'll all be rushing over to that web site to buy one.

[Afgncaap5]

Maybe they're expecting someone to cosplay and act out the wedding between Lucy Flathead and Antharia Jack.

[DataAngel]

lol. spam removed.

[Lialync]

Wow! Spam!And such an appropriate product for Zork geeks - a 1950's wedding dress. I'm sure we'll all be rushing over to that web site to buy one.

[KM3K]

Wow! Spam!And such an appropriate product for Zork geeks - a 1950's wedding dress. I'm sure we'll all be rushing over to that web site to buy one.

Oh, the irony! I think I'll let this one slide.