Enchanter and Sorcerer

Matt Hillman

ENCHANTER and SORCERER
INFOCOM, Inc.
55 Wheeler Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
32K Disk $49.95

It must be the warlock Krill. The odd disappearances, the mysterious dissolution of regions sacred to the Circle, the lessening of the Powers -- these could only be his handiwork. The Circle gathers, and the leader, the esteemed Belboz, reveals to them an ancient document which portends evil days much like our own.

"Krill's evil must be unmade," he begins, "but to send a powerful Enchanter is ill-omened. It would be ruinous to reveal oversoon our full powers." A ripple of concern spreads over the face of each Enchanter. Belboz pauses and collects his resolve. "Have hope! This has been written by a hand far wiser than mine!"

He recites a short spell, and you appear. Belboz approaches, transfixing you with his gaze, and hands you the document. The other Enchanters await his decree. "These words, written ages ago, can have only one meaning. You, a novice Enchanter with but a few, simple spells in your Book, must seek out Krill, explore the Castle he has overthrown and learn his secrets. Only then may his vast evil be lessened or, with good fortune, destroyed." The Circle rises to intone a richly-woven spell whose textures imbue the small, darkened chamber with warmth and hope. There is a surge of power; you are Sent.

Thus begins Enchanter, the first adventure in a new three-part saga from Infocom. The games are set in a magical world on the shore of a great sea -- across which lies the Great Underground Empire of Zork.

For those adventurers who have made their way through Zork, Enchanter is like an old friend. While it is not really a sequel to the Zork trilogy, there are some scenes and characters that are familiar. If you haven't played Zork, you won't lose much; you just won't see a few jokes that only Zork players would recognize.

As you explore the world of Enchanter, the methods of conquering Krill slowly become evident, and, eventually, you gain enough knowledge to assault Krill and win the game.

Many adventures, like Enchanter, have good plots. However, Enchanter is a notch or two above most of the competition. There are a number of factors that make this, like most of Infocom's games, one of the best adventures around.

What makes it good.

The first thing one notices about Enchanter is the superb documentation. It comes with a Guild Directory, which humorously explains the rules and gives playing hints. And there's a genuine, sealed "ancient document," the one that Belboz refers to in the introduction. The documentation is interesting and funny, and adds some realism to the game.

The program itself is also a work of art. It can understand full sentences and over 600 nouns, verbs, adjectives, articles -- and even some prepositions. With this huge vocabulary, it still can usually respond in a couple of seconds, accessing the disk only occasionally.

There are also numerous "extras" included here that many adventures don't have. You can print out a transcript of your quest (assuming, of course, that you've got a printer), allowing you to review your progress or peruse the transcript at a later time, possibly finding clues that were missed during the playing of the game. The major problem with this is that it uses lots of paper; however, you can turn the printer on or off at will, so you need only print the parts you want.

There are also commands to save a game and then recall it. You can save four game positions on a blank disk. It is often smart to save a game just before attempting something dangerous, or just to give yourself (and the computer) a rest.

More than technology is needed in a good adventure; the setting and characters of the game must be as developed as the program. Enchanter does this very well, making you feel as if you really are wandering through a world of strange creatures, magical spells and hostile forces.

Each location is described in detail. As you travel through the deserted village, you can sense the desolation...and, in Krill's castle, you can feel the evil. The locations even change over time; as Krill's power increases, the darkness and evil in the land grow more powerful.

Enchanter is filled with excellent puzzles, most of which involve magical spells. You begin with only four but can find more during the game. Some spells can only be used once, while others are reusable. In most puzzles, you must manipulate the spells in certain ways -- and the correct way usually isn't obvious at first. Some spells can be used to solve more than one puzzle, which poses a problem if they can only be used once! You may get near the end of the game, only to find out that, to win, you need a spell you used up at the beginning. Most puzzles are complicated and difficult, but not to the point of frustration. Through creativity, logic and the use of imbedded clues, the puzzles can be overcome.

The world of Enchanter has more in it than the puzzles leading to its solution. Some adventures will accept the correct commands and respond, "You can't do that," for everything else; Enchanter does not. For example, the spells can be used in a variety of ways. One spell, Blorb, seals whatever you cast it on in a strongbox. You can cast it on anything you want, including yourself (not too healthy). There are also random events that are inconsequential to solving the puzzles but add realism to the game, making it more interesting.

Enchanter has some problems, though none really detracts from the game. At one point, a seemingly-simple action becomes complicated because of the way you have to word it; the synonym recognition of the program could be better here. Also, sometimes when you try to cast a spell on something (such as Blorbing a turtle), the computer doesn't respond with anything. It should at least say, "Nothing happens." One other problem is that you have to eat and drink; while this adds to the realism of the game, eventually it just becomes a pain in the neck.

When the warlock Krill is finally conquered -- and you become a hero -- you are ready for the next challenge. This is Enchanter's sequel, Sorcerer.

Onward to Sorcerer.

In Sorcerer, Belboz has been kidnapped. It is up to you to rescue him. You'll have to explore the Guild Hall, an ancient fort and castle, and an underground amusement park -- finally gaining the ability to defeat the demon Jeearr, who holds Belboz prisoner.

Unlike many sequels, Sorcerer does live up to the precedent set for it by Enchanter and, in many respects, surpasses it. The documentation consists of an issue of Popular Enchanting Magazine (or rule book) and a rotating cardboard Infotater, which gives information about the many creatures of the land, like Brogmoids and Dorns.

Game play is essentially the same as Enchanter's. Sorcerer has all the special commands and features of its predecessor, with a much larger vocabulary (consisting of over 1000 words). There seems to be a drawback, however, in that -- occasionally -- the computer will spend a long time interpreting your sentence (possibly because it's searching through its vocabulary).

One small improvement is in the routine after the player's death. In previous Infocom games, in order to use a saved game after a death, you had to restart the game (which takes a little while) and then restore your old game. In Sorcerer, you have the option to restore a game right after your death. This can save a lot of time if you are in a place where you are continually dying.

The best improvement is in the game world itself, its setting and puzzles. Sorcerer's very well developed. As you play the game, the history and geography of the land becomes evident. There is even an encyclopedia which contains entries about the history and culture of Sorcerer's world. The scenario is realistic, not only because of its detailed description, but also because of its depth; there's more to this game than puzzles. Even after the game has been solved, there are many interesting things that can be done.

The puzzles are still the heart of the game, and Sorcerer's are excellent. In general, they're not too difficult (Enchanter's are harder) but are very interesting and, in a few cases, very complicated. Some puzzles, especially one quite complex puzzle toward the end, seem difficult at first but never reach the point of impossibility. There's always something else to try.

Like Enchanter, most Sorcerer puzzles are dependent on magical spells. Some are new, while others were used in the previous game. There are also potions, which affect the drinker in various ways. Magic works much the same way it did in Enchanter.

The problems in Sorcerer are few. One could complain that it is too easy, but that's really dependent on the player's tastes and abilities. The program seems to take a long time between commands, as mentioned earlier. The problem of food and water is taken care of early; in Sorcerer you don't have to carry it around with you. All in all, Sorcerer is one of the best adventures to be found.

Once Sorcerer is solved, aspiring Enchanters will have to wait until later this year to continue questing. Sorcerer drops a few hints about its sequel, but the plot remains a mystery. One can only wait.

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