PC Magazine, v1(8)

~4 minute read

Dec 1982

From Fantasy To Video Game Reality

Zork I

Richard Cook

This article may include low-quality writing or editing by the original author or publisher. It is the policy of InvisiClues.org to reproduce articles as they were originally published, including any typographical, editorial, or factual errors. You are forewarned.

Zork is a clever, complex program recommended for teenagers or adults, though some children may outperform older Zork I players.

Zork I pits the individual against the terrors of "The Great Underground Empire." Although Zork I is usually played by one person, sideline players often become involved, offering useful advice.

Zork I is basically a treasure hunt. The player must thoroughly explore a vast underground world, eons old and inhabited by mysterious forces, to locate the treasures and secure them in a safe place. Various objects, including deadly weapons, must also be located by the player to aid in the quest. Becoming a Zork master is no easy task: Zork I requires real brain power to overcome obstacles and gather all 20 treasures.

Ease of Use

The Zork I program gives descriptions of places and things and asks for instructions. The player types in directions and suggests answers. There's no clock to race, so the player can thoroughly consider each move. The interaction between user and computer is more personal than in video arcade-type games that leave the player with damp armpits and bleeding hands. Zork I is a combination of Lord of the Rings and a grand master chess tournament — lots of action, mystery, adventure, and a constant intellectual challenge.

The places and and creatures in Zork I are right out of your dreams and nightmares.

Zork I is fun to come back to again and again. The best strategy is to play until completely baffled, and then retire for a few minutes, hours, or days. This strategy allows fresh ideas and solutions to germinate.

A player who is unable lo solve certain problems may want to buy Invisiclues, produced by the Zork Users Group, Invisiclues is a booklet of questions about getting somewhere or overcoming obstacles while exploring Zork land. The answers are written in invisible ink and are made to apptear by being rubbed with a special felt-tip pen. (The pen is included with the booklet.) The idea is to give only as much help as is needed. Each answer is more revealing than the previous one. The complet answer is given last.

Invisiclues is almost as much fun as Zork, but a player should refrain from reaching for an invisiclue until help is desperately needed — the fun in Zork lies in using one's own powers of logic and reason to solve problems. Invisiclues is sold at computer stores or can be ordered by sending $9.95 plus $2 postage and handling to Zork Users Group, Dept. Z0. P.O. Box 20923, Milwaukee, WI 53220-0923 (Wisconsin residents add 5 percent sales tax).

Software and documentation for Zork I are sold in a sealed packet that contains an instruction booklet, disk. IBM PC Interlogic Reference card, and warranty card. Read the Zork I manual before playing. It is short and easy to understand and includes instructions for using the programs that are not revealed during play. The instructions include numerous examples, suggestions, troubleshooting tips, and a list of commands and abbreviations. The game is a genuine challenge and is played exactly as explained in the manual.

Use of Graphics

The pictures inside the players head are what's important in Zork I. The designers have wisely refrained from including any graphics, leaving each player free to imagine horrible adversaries and appealing rewards.

The program responds as it should, but not always the way one would prefer. Zork I has the advantage of allowing multiple commands per turn to be entered with periods or the word then between individual instructions.

Error Handling

Whenever Zork I doesn't understand or can't use an instruction in a specific context, it lets the player know in a variety of ways. The instruction booklet lists many of these responses, but not for bizarre commands such as "Walk through the wall" or "Eat the door." Sometimes a weird command will produce an unexpected, helpful result. If not, Zork I's reply is usually good for a laugh.

Warranty Support

The warranty is very limited. The disk is the only item covered, and replacement is guaranteed to only the original owner and disk, only if the warranty card was sent in, only after Infocom, Inc. determines the disk was not tampered with or misused, and only for 90 days from the date of purchase. Program errors are not covered. The warranty states, "The entire risk as to the quality and performance of the computer software program is assumed by the user."

General Appeal

Zork I is appealing on many levels. It is imaginative — the places and creatures in Zork I are right out of your favorite dreams or worst nightmares. It is addicting — Zork I grabs your attention and runs away with it. And it is challenging — tougher than the New York Times crossword puzzle and more baffling than Rubik's Cube.

Perhaps Zork's greatest appeal is the excitement of exploring the unknown and the thrill of discovery, particularly for people who grew up reading science fiction, fantasy, and adventure stories.

As one of the new genre of "Sword and Sorcery" computer games, Zork I is a must for anyone's software collection. It is surprising, impressive, and entertaining. If you divide the purchase price by the number of hours spent enjoying iti it is also a great value.

Richard Cook is a free-lance writer based in San Francisco.

This article appeared in
PC Magazine
Dec 1982

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