Going Underground

Zork Grand Inquisitor Is a Humorous Journey Through Adventure Gaming's Past

Scorpia

Zork Grand Inquisitor is the latest revival in the Zork series from Activision. Once again, we visit the Great Underground Empire (or what's left of it), including nostalgic stops at Flood Control Dam #3 and the legendary White House. This isn't just a trip down memory lane, of course; there is also a nefarious plot to foil.

The Inquisitor (of the title) is behind it all. His goal is to completely eradicate magic, while at the same time ensure that the population bows in total, mind-numbing obedience to his orders. He is, obviously, not a nice guy.

While the game begins in Port Foozle, you quickly end up in the G.U.E., where most of the action takes place. It's here that you find the last bit of magical power and use it, plus your wits, to stop the Inquisitor before his plans come to fruition.

You must bring magic back into the world by retrieving three potent artifacts: the fabled Coconut of Quendor, the Cube of Foundation, and the Skull of Yoruck (not to be found in just any old hamlet). In other words, it's the usual hero's quest stuff.

HELL TO PAY

You don't go this one alone; there are companions of sorts to help you along. One is the spirit of the last Dungeon Master, who currently resides in the famous brass lantern. Three other spirits trapped in totems (a form of punishment) also provide assistance, along with Antharia Jack, a grand TV hero.

Over the course of the game, you pay a visit to Hades, meet a two-headed Cerberus (even Hell is downsizing these days), traipse through time tunnels, ride the G.U.E. subway, spend some time in a dragon's mouth, and perform a daring jail break, among other feats.

The mood here is definitely light, and while the underlying threat is, of course, serious, Zork Grand Inquisitor is played for laughs. There are send-ups and takeoffs on standard adventure fare, and other things as well. If Antharia Jack seems somehow suspiciously familiar, that's deliberate. He may not have raided any arks or found any grails, but your probably know him.

In tandem with the humor, the puzzles are fairly easy to solve. Where the previous game, Zork Nemesis, had a lot of tough nuts to crack, ZGI's posers often have obvious answers. While there were some tricky parts, I was a bit surprised at how quickly the game was finished, even though there is much for you to do.

As with most adventure games these days, the interface is simple. When you move the cursor over an interactive object -- a lever to pull, a button to push, or a door to open -- you click the mouse to perform the appropriate action. When the cursor is over an item you can take, the arrow becomes a hand; and you pick up the item by clicking. You can then try using it on something else, or you can put it into your inventory bag. You access the bag in one of two ways. Use a hot key (F5), which displays everything you're carrying, or move the cursor to the top left of the screen, which opens a sliding bar displaying the first 16 items you have in the bag.

Spells are handled the same way: You an open the spellbook from inside the inventory bag or move the cursor to the top right to open a slide bar with symbols representing the spells in your book. Clicking a symbol readies the spell for casting. The spells you learn, by the way, are automatically written in the book as you find them.

Movement is similar to that in Zork Nemesis: while you can rotate 360 degrees or look up and down (sometimes), you can move only in certain pre-determined directions.

The game contains no automap, the closest thing to one is a magical map that works with the teleport machines scattered around the G.U.E. Once you have visited a main location (such as the Dungeon Master's Lair or G.U.E. Tech), it appears on the map. Insert the map in a teleporter and choose a destination, and you're taken there instantly. That's more than sufficient. Although the main areas usually have several rooms each, the locations are small and you can't become lost or confused. The G.U.E. is a rather compact place.

YOUR TURN?

ZGI is presented in a letterbox style, and when it comes to graphics, the game is quite good. The middle portion of the screen is the main display; the top (controls and scroll bars) and bottom (text display) portions are black.

Speaking of text, the game has complete subtitles. You can play with sound or sound and text. That includes the FMVs that run from time to time during the game -- a thoughtful touch. It's good to see that Zork hasn't forgotten its roots.

Interestingly, ZGI supports multiplay for two people via LAN, Internet, or modem connections. The play is, of course, cooperative, since Grand Inquisitor isn't exactly a shooter. Sorry to say, I didn't have the chance to try this feature, so I can't tell you how well it works (although my editors tell me that it's less than stellar). Also, the multiplayer software that comes with the game is labeled as a beta version, so you may want to stop by Activision's Web site (www.activision.com) to check for updates before trying this yourself.

The game itself, though, ran beautifully throughout, with no crashes, freezes, lockups, or other oddities. It all went very smoothly, including the FMVs. You do need DirectX 5.0, and it's included (along with a number of updated sound and video drivers) on the CD. The installation of DirectX and the new drivers for my cards proved to be quick and trouble-free.

The acting and voice-overs are very good. Dirk Benedict (as Antharia Jack) is a standout; he's amazing as an ersatz Indiana Jones. The advantage of doing a humorous game is that actors can ham it up, and you can be sure that everyone takes advantage of the opportunity here. While the use of live actors in games often comes off poorly, in this case, it works out well.

YOU HAVE DIED

The downsides to the game are that it goes too quickly and the puzzles are just a little too simple most of the time. I suppose this is a reaction to complaints that Nemesis was overly difficult. In correcting for that, however, Activision went a bit too far in the other direction.

Overall, Zork Grand Inquisitor is a lighthearted romp, full of humor and wicked little jabs at adventuring. While it's a little too short and a little too easy, the game is nonetheless fun for both veterans and novices alike.

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