The 7th Guest

The Good
'The 7the Guest' is an interesting history lesson, and a fascinating glimpse into what seemed to be the future, 1994-style. Coming out at a time when the fast-moving polygons of 'Alone in the Dark' were a novelty for the PC, '7th' used breathtaking, fully-rendered backdrops which your viewpoint swept between, as you navigated a haunted house. At the time, it seemed magical, and the fact that the 'game' is essentially a series of complex logical puzzles strung together took a while to filter through. After an ecstatic critical reception, the game fell so far in people's eyes that the sequel (the '11th Guest') was virtually booed off the stage. Of the 'Interactive CDROM game' genre it spawned, 'Myst' and 'Riven' became huge freak hits, but that was about it. Nowadays it's quite nostalgic, but not actually much fun. In its favour, it's still quite atmospheric.

The Bad
Bad things? Once you accept its nature, it's technically competent, although the acting is diabolical.

The Bottom Line
Odd early history lesson, and primary cause of 'Interactive CDROM' mania.