Windows 3.x

The Legend of Kyrandia: Malcolm's Revenge

The creative team at Westwood have succeeded in producing a thoroughly entertaining game, easily the best of the trilogy so far, with a good balance of typical adventuring fare and elements thrown in for pure fun. This is one game where it really does pay to try everything, everywhere, on everyone, not because of the frustration of not knowing what else to do but just to see what reaction you get. It's also the only way to score points - meanness points, bitter points, baby sitter points, etc. Though this won't help you to keep track of your progress through the game in the usual sense, it does encourage you to try quirky actions.

This third book in The Legend of Kyrandia series seems to have been a rushed production. The dialogue is much worse than in the previous titles, and the poor acting compounds on this letdown. While there is an ambitious structure to the puzzles, the frequently arbitrary actions and the several long tedious solutions make The Legend of Kyrandia, Book 3: Malcolm’s Revenge more of an ordeal than an adventure.

It's a pity that the game design is so shoddy. Playing the bad guy is a refreshing change, and it's good to see the game making fun of its own clichéd plot. I really want to like the game, but due to the nature of its gameplay (for the third time, but it can't be said often enough: tedious), it's close to impossible. Pity.