IFReviewed by
Andrew Plotkin on 2006-06-25 08:55
One guess what the motif is. However, the fairy-tale schtick didn't satisfy me for some reason. The sequence of in-jokes was funny, but it wasn't... revelatory. I don't know. The ending schtick didn't satisfy me either. (I won't spoil it here, but it's not a myth I ever subscribed to, and it doesn't do much for me.)
I also spent a lot of the game frustrated, because the puzzles are mostly obscure. This is one of those games where you absolutely have to examine, look under, and search absolutely everything; and the Unnkulia flashback is out of sorts with the for-children style. I spent a lot of time in the hints, discovering the things I should have looked at.
I prefer a game to be more forthcoming about focus -- the art of directing my attention to where you want it. Hm. I should write an essay about this.
Also, the puzzle implementation was ragged enough to be annoying. Some things don't work until the author wants them to work.
On the other hand (so, did I improve this review by saving the good comments for last?) the writing is rich and well-suited to the mood; the author has put in plenty of effort to make a responsive environment. Not just game objects, either. The parser often delegates one of the NPCs in the vicinity to make comments to you, which I thought was great. And so on.
