The Colonel's Bequest

The Good
Anyone who grew up playing computer games in the Eighties may have played the first four KQ games, and may have fond memories of playing them. Roberta Williams, the series' creator, said that she likes mysteries, and this should have been more apparent when she released Mystery House, Sierra's first game for the Apple II. So, just before she started work on the fifth KQ title, she released The Colonel's Bequest but she wanted her detective game to be huge.

The game is set in the Twenties, and we are introduced to Laura Bow, a student studying at Tulane University, right in the heart of New Orleans. Laura's friend Lillian comes and invites her to a family reunion at the old plantation house by the bayou. There, she gets to attend the family reunion and to hear what Lillian's friend, the Colonel, is doing with his will. She is also given the chance to meet the other guests staying at the house.

The game is, in some ways, similar to Mystery House, in that the game opens up by introducing each character, who are murdered one by one during the course of the game. But there's a lot more involved. You get to see characters interact with one another and eavesdrop on their conversations, as well as looking at objects up-close with a magnifying glass. All these things are important because the game gives you a rating on how well you performed, and you will see that rating when you completed it. The game is split into eight acts that last for one hour, and certain events only occur in that act.

I admired the game's copy protection, which kicks in at the start of the game. You see, it requires you to identify a fingerprint belonging to one of the game's characters instead of looking up a word on a certain page. Unlike most copy protection methods, this one is slightly difficult since all the fingerprints are too similar to one another. However, I found that the easiest way is focus on the center of the fingerprint, and see what figures you can make out. A bird can be seen in Clarence Sparrow's print, for instance.

You spend most of the game exploring the plantation house, noticing anything unusual like objects being transported from one location to another. Graphically, the plantation house is laid out nicely, with the different rooms on the ground floor, and the bedrooms on the floor above them. You have to do some tasks outside, which is a gloomy environment complete with dark clouds and lightning. To add to the dark atmosphere, wind, thunder, and insect noises can be heard in the background.

As I said, The Colonel's Bequest rates how good of a detective you were, and you can read notes based on the conversations you listened into, objects being transported from one location to another, whether or not a character has a crush on somebody, etc. Anything you have missed will how up as an incomplete list. but the game doesn't tell you what you missed. The game can be replayed by anyone who just wants to find everything.

There are a few moments that I like, including watching the fight between Rudy and Clarence near the end of the game. I also like the way there are two endings to the game, so if you viewed one ending already you can watch the other one by loading the game to a point before them.

The Bad
One thing that annoyed me was trying to unlock something with the only key you find in the game. You have to be very specific at what you type in the parser if you want Laura to unlock it, otherwise the game would complain that it's the wrong key when it is not.


The Bottom Line
In conclusion, The Colonel's Bequest is a well-done murder mystery, from the creator of the King's Quest series. It has everything a good detective game should have, such as investigating crime scenes, eavesdropping on other people's conversations, and looking at objects up close.

The game is split up into eight acts, with certain events only occurring in specific acts. Each act gets more intense as you discover more and more dead bodies. Nearly all the guests are murdered, which makes you keep thinking that you are next.

The gloomy atmosphere blends in with the detective nature of the game, and the copy protection is superior to the other methods Sierra used in the past. The points system is replaced by what I call the 'performance monitor', in which your actions are recorded and written down in a notebook that you can view at the end of the game. It provides you with hints on what you missed, so if you feel up to it you can replay the game to achieve a good detective rating.

The Good
Unlike other reviewers, I have a lasting affection for this game. "The Colonel's Bequest" is built around the kitschy, mid-1920s atmosphere of an Agatha Christie novel. The unusual structure and limited locations place emphasis on plotline rather than discovery, and this seems to be one of the things that annoys people about it. As things progress, though, as the guests at the mansion start dropping, as the rooms become deserted and you're wandering around with an ever-decreasing circle of suspects, the game comes into its own. The (surviving) flaky characters become more real, and the dark, windblown island becomes an eerie wasteland.

The Bad
Take away the atmosphere and structure and you're left with typical Roberta Williams; lightly drawn cliches for characters, bad jokes, and moments of frustration as the difficulty level periodically soars. The take-it-or-leave it Sierra mentality also shows through, with several highly logical actions being made impossible.

The Bottom Line
The Colonel's Bequest doesn't have the near-universal appeal of, say, Hero's Quest 1. People who are even slightly irritated by Sierra humor or Roberta Williams will probably dislike this game intensely. Having said that, if you accept the game's faults and compromises, if, in other words, you achieve the necessary suspension of disbelief, you may find great enjoyment in an old, Southern murder tale.

The Good
Back when this game came out there just wasn’t that many serious adventure type games out there. Most games were either simulations or SimAdventures. Part sim part adventure game. (I.E. Police Quest) This game was very unique. The main role was played by a Woman, and was based on mystery.

 When I started playing this game I became totally hooked.  My heart would beat a little faster when the clock advanced or I saw that another guest had been murdered.  I actually began to fear for Laura's safety!   I was in total love with the excellent graphics and music that this title had.  (Note: it was released in 1989)  When the game ended I felt that I had experienced something special.  If I had to rate games on just that emotion alone then this game would be in my top 3 games of all time!  I played this game over and over again just to try to recapture that feeling.

I have lots of fond memories of this game. I am sure that many others do too.


The Bad
...Well, when I read the other review of this game I felt that he had a point. When you look at this game from the point of view of today, then it looks very different. I imagine that it would be hard for a person to pick up this title and play it today. The graphics are over 12 years old, some of the action is predictable, and generally it would feel old. But that is what it is. I doubt that new gamers of today would find this title as enjoyable as I did 11 years ago, but that is the way of things.

The Bottom Line
Give this game a shot, but remember it's 12 years old. Don't expect it to be fresh and original.

The Good
I loved this game from the first 10 minutes after installing and playing it. The game was very different from the usual Roberta Williams designs. The game is set up like a drama play that you are actually participating in except that the choices you make during the game effect the outcome of it all. It was probably one of the first of it's kind. The atmosphere of the plantation is downright errie, scenes ranging from a creepy "Chucky-Like" doll house, an abandoned chapel, mucky swamps and of course the main attraction, the huge mansion! All around you and throughout the game, there are people conspiring and plotting with and against each other trying to rub each other out for the Colonel's inheritance. As you move through the game (or through acts), you must take notes, interrogate people, spy on people, eavesdrop on conversations and solve puzzles to find out who-dunnit. There are some pretty creepy scenes you sometimes stumble on to which adds to the suspense. Another great thing about this amazing game is that there are multiple endings! and a meter guide to tell you how well you did as a detective... this game is a one of a kind. Roberta Williams did it again!

The Bad
The copy protection was terrible. It was annoying having to distinguish between those blotchy finger prints.

Sometimes it was hard to know what to do to trigger the next event, sometimes leaving you aimlessly wandering for awhile.

The Bottom Line
A great one of a kind mystery adventure game that was the first of many detective adventure games that were soon to follow. A must play for all adventure game lovers..

The Good
The music was some of the most spooky music in a PC video game at the time. The graphics really helped set the mood. The addition of time to the game (time only passes when you trigger a certain event) adds a new dynamic, even though it's only a cosmetic aspect of the game.

The Bad
The classic Sierra problem of "you can't continue until you do X" problem might leave you totally stuck in the game. At back when this game came out 15 years ago, there was no Internet/AIM/IRC to turn to for help, you would HAVE to call for paid help or buy the hint book.

The Bottom Line
A classic for it's time, and it seems to have aged fairly well. Playing this game brings back memories.

The Good
| Mystery |
The game starts casually but immediately pulls you into the web of intrigues, danger, and suspense. You play Laura Bow, a young girl whose friend calls her to come at a spooky old mansion to keep her company with all the oldtimers that will be on the gathering. She doesn't know why they were all summited, but she convinces you it just might be more interesting than studying for biology exam. And indeed it does become, the moment you sit on the table with the rest of 'family', and plot starts ticking while suspects and 'victims of accidents' are piling.

| Meet Laura Bow, the Noise Detective |
The whole game starts kinda late, I believe it was 8pm or so, and consists of about eight acts. Each act lasts one full hour in the game, and is triggered as you witness specific elements. However, that is only to make the game easier. But if you wanna be a full-time detective, you must try to gather all the clues and to connect the strings eventually, since once you finish the game, you get to see a nice set of what all you did discover, and what all you missed. So don't play to end, like I did, but play to understand. However, being an outsider of the family ring, people will not run to your aid or likeness, so you'll basically have to do everything on your own. Just to be greeted by surprising twist in the plot, highly unexpected and well fitted, for whichever ending you choose, and there are more than just right one.

| Parse This You Sonovagun |
This was the first game to add to my collection that had something else than just mouse user-friendly interface. It has text-parsing, and I enjoyed using that even more than just clicking with a mouse up on a certain object of a person. And parsing was fairly well done, and overall entertaining. Not too hard even for newcommers like me (hey, don't blaim me for being too young in the time of text adventures). Combining your own wit with your sight is what makes a real detective out of you, and gives you all the answers.

The Bad
| I Wanna Play |
Well, one thing does make a trembling annoyance in the distance. You can collect clues, proofs, ideas, and what all not, but you cannot share them. I mean, you can, but it's just as talking into the wind. You can easily die in the game, yet you cannot try and stop any murder in particular. You cannot do any action that might even the odds.

The Bottom Line
| Technicality |
'Tis an outstanding mystery game with lots of adventuring on a rather small ground. I always found fascinating topics in "whodunnit" style, and this game really made a miracle out of it. It has great graphic, especially due to fact it uses 16 colors only. Uses either mouse or keyboard for character movement and interaction with objects and NPCs, and has neat sound effects and music samples whenever they appear. Plus, it offers intriguing story that will keep you guessing and probably second-guessing until the very end. Whatever more can you expect from a decade old game (duh, rethorical).