Return to Zork

When you've found your way inside the Underground, then the magic really starts, and witches, forest sprites and wizards regularly appear. However, the puzzles are insanely difficult, and if you miss out on something earlier on then you have to replay from a much earlier stage. (Clue: Be sure to take photos of everyone you meet and record any interesting sounds, such as a dog barking.) My advice is to save multiple games to avoid this hazard. However, the game is laced with humour and unexpected fun, so you won't mind too much if you have to go back over certain scenes. Another reason to save often is that death comes as unexceptedly and often as the fun does. You've been warned, adventurer! Have fun and stay alive!

RTZ is about five years old now and it's a sad fact that this kind of game using real actors and snippets of full motion video seems to age more quickly than the cartoon graphic variety. Don't let this put you off. It is worthwhile. Also, if you have played Zork Nemesis be warned that this game is not the same. It's a very different experience, but equally as good as far as I'm concerned though I know that Zork Nemesis has its fans who might not agree with this reckoning. Try it anyway, it's much nearer in 'feel' to the very latest Zork episode, Zork Grand Inquisitor, though not as humorous or as technically advanced, and it doesn't capture that 'Zork' atmosphere to the same degree. In its favour, however, it is a longer game with lots of very good puzzles to ensure a good few days (or longer) of entertaining gameplay.

Tyvärr tvingas jag ändå ge "Return to Zork" ett ganska högt betyg - yngre och mindre surmagade äventyrare än jag, som inte är uppfostrade med textäventyr, säkert kommer att ha mycket roligt åt det. Själv anser jag att det inte borde gjorts. Det GÅR inte att göra en fortsättning på Zork, lika lite som att det går att skriva en uppföljare till Bibeln.

Ta gra jest wyjątkowa. Nie dość, ze wyprodukowała ją legendarna firma "Infocom" (pamiętacie choćby "Hitchhikers gulde to the galaxy"?), nie dość, że posiada niezłą grafikę i rewelacyjną muzykę, to jeszcze jest chyba pierwszą przygodówką w której wszystkie dialogi słychać wyłącznie przez Sound Blastera (na głośniczku lepiej nie próbować, choć można). Poza tym obsługuje się ją w rewelacyjny, absolutnie nowatorski sposób (jajogłowi powiedzieliby: obiektowo - zorientowany).

Return to Zork is the first game in the Zork series to be set entirely in a graphical world. As such the question that springs immediately to mind is whether or not the essence of the puzzles, dialogues, and humor that is characteristically Zorkian can survive the transfer to a graphical medium. Return to Zork succeeds as well as it can be expected from such a first attempt. While the game is not perfect and has weakness, it remains as a very good game and is a definite must for all Zork and adventure game fans.

Halbe Sachen haben die Spezialisten der Infocom Adventure-Schmiede schon immer verschmäht. Dashalb wurde nach der Disketten-Version von Return to Zork auch keine kreative Pause eingelegt, sondern munter an der CD-ROM-Fassung des Multimedia-Ereignisses gebastelt. Hauptverbesserung sind die 25 Audio-Tracks, die während des Abenteuers ertönen. Da die Disketten-Version die Ohren nicht so recht überzeugen konnte, wird erst durch den CD-Einsatz erkennbar, daß hier namhafte Profis am Soundtrack beteiligt waren. Indessen wurden die Mängel der MIDI- und Effektabteilung leider nicht behoben. So klingen die zahlreichen digitalisierten Sounds immer noch sehr primitiv.

Aus der Traum! Wer hoffte, daß Return to Zork auch nur im entferntesten den Zauber der legendären Lieblings-Textadventure-Vorlage rüberbringt, sollte sich umgehend im Underground-Empire einmauern lassen und bitterlich um die Flathead-Dynastie weinen. Esprit und Humor der genialen Vorlagen wurden durch spießige Rätsel mit Lachbart (Marke: wir saufen den Dorftrottel unter den Tisch) ersetzt.

I've heard that Zork Nemesis and Zork Grand Inquisitor are well worth playing. I do still look forward to playing them. But now I understand why Return to Zork should be permanently placed in the El Obscuro File.