IFReviewed by
Tom Zuchowski on 2006-04-29 01:52
MAIN PGM Version: 4
Extra Commands: OPEN, READ, UNLOCK, DRINK
Deleted Commands: None
Special Features: None
Playing Time: 1 hour
Reviewer Rating: 6.0
Average Rating: 6.5/2
Description: "You have watched your friends get sick and shake with the fever, some dying while you were helpless to help. It seems like there is nothing you can do, but you feel that you must try. So you journey to the royal palace to seek the aid of the king.
"The king summons you to his chamber. He has received a ransom note of sorts. The note is from an infamous mad doctor. The doctor has found a cure for the plague that now enshrouds the land. The cure of course will be expensive. The doctor wants one billion gold pieces for the cure. If he does not get it, he will allow the entire kingdom to die.
"The king says there is no way he can raise that much gold. The kingdom has less than half a million. The king is willing to pay a fair price for the serum, but could never pay that much! You decide you must seek the serum, in spite of the fact that you have heard that the mad doctor's castle is very well defended."
Comment: Like all of John's Eamons, this one makes full use of the standard Eamon commands and features, and the extra stuff works in very much the same manner. The puzzles are mostly of the "locked door" variety, easily solved once you find the needed key or note.
Just about everyone you encounter is a bad guy, though you will pick up a couple of companions. The combat is pretty routine Eamon stuff as you run into a gaggle of guards and other ordinary foes. There are a few bad things such as various poisonings that can happen that will eventually kill you if you don't find the remedy in time.
The difficulty factor is abut (6), I guess. It can be quite a lot easier if you happen to avoid the poisons, or find the remedies in time. I had no trouble finding the puzzle solutions. This may be a good choice for younger Eamonauts.
I enjoyed the adventure quite a bit. Though I downrated it slightly for simplicity, this is a pleasant foray into a relatively easy dungeon.
Used with Matthew Clark's kind permition.
Original review available at Eamon Adventurer's Guild Online website.