Zork II: The Wizard of Frobozz

The Good
This is my first text adventure (I'm going back to play Zork 1) the world is so descriptive and huge and there's so much to interact with!

The Bad
I get lost so much. idk what i would have done without save scumming

The Bottom Line
Zork is amazing. Zork is life.

The Good
Excellent game world, good use of spells, fun (and frustrating) interaction with the Wizard character, outstanding parser, and (as always) a great collection of puzzles ranging from "flash of insight" level to "there must be a bug in the software because I've tried all the commands" level.

The Bad
Every so often, the wizard would show up and cast a perfectly inopportune spell at a perfectly inopportune time that would end up either killing you or making the game unwinnable. For example, there is one sequence of the game where you need to fly around in a hot-air balloon. I remember once the wizard levitated me right out of the balloon -- the balloon sailed away, and I fell to my death when the spell wore off.

The Bottom Line
Helpful to play Zork 1 first (just to get the hang of the Zork environment), but not a necessity. The game adds to the rich world set forth in the first game, but it is isolated enough to stand on its own. Give it a shot, and don't give up!

The Good
Where Zork 1 is a rambling collection of seventies mainframe puzzles, Zork 2 has focus and coherence. Navigating a beautifully described series of underground gardens, passages, and mazes, you are constantly annoyed by the Wizard himself while having your mind blended by the steroid-level Infocom problems. While being considerably harder than either of its partners in the trilogy, Zork 2 has the enjoyable quality of rewarding persistence: you are unlikely to be completely stuck for very long. And there's always that Frobozz guy to liven things up...

The Bad
If anything, the initial stages of the game are too wide open. You are very quickly presented with about ten different puzzles, and while the way through is to concentrate on them individually, the temptation to flit around without getting anywhere is strong. One puzzle in particular (you'll know it) really is too hard, even by Infocom standards. Finally, the ending isn't quite as good as that of Zork 1 and 3, though still extremely satisfying.

The Bottom Line
Zork 2 is a very worthy challenge for anyone who has cut their teeth on a few text adventures. It's most attractive quality is perhaps the Wizard himself - his random appearances make the game less static than other Infocom titles, and contribute to the uniquely sculpted atmosphere that the game presents. A large, tough, excellent sequel.