Blade of Blackpoole (The)

The characters in this text adventure game are very demanding and remarkably helpless. They all want something and it's as if you are there solely to serve them. You're the one elected to locate and schlep back the things they need. And it isn't as if you can simply drive to your local 7-11 and pick up something as simple as a Super Slurpee or a frozen enchilada. These guys want things that not even Harrod's carries- the Jewel of Selmarn and the magical sword called Myraglym to name just two of the many treasures.

The game is The Blade of Blackpoole and you are an intrepid adventurer who finds yourself transported back to the days of King Arthur. By entering a series of commands, you explore the unfamiliar terrain and try to locate the magical sword which, it is said, lies in a secret chamber somewhere in the country.

Aside from the usual commands such as "East," "West" and so on, you are also able to carry on conversations with several of the characters in the scenario: The carnivorous plant which bars your passage asks for something he gets in the spring. You first have to solve this riddle (hint: Spring refers to the season, not a babbling brook), then locate the object and carry it laboriously back to him; A recluse who hides behind a tree demands the Jewel of Selmarn before he'll give you any clues to Myraglym's whereabouts, and in the tavern you can ask the bartender and merry-making gentlemen questions, but their answers are terribly unenlightening. You can also purchase beer and other necessities for travel in the wilderness.

Several paths lead only to dead ends and others are tricky. While there seems to be no way out, there is. Take, for example, the quicksand pits. After a lot of experimentation with command verbs (jump, walk, fly, etc.) we discovered that you can get through the quicksand and emerge unharmed at the other side. How? We'll leave that up to you. This opened up many new acres to exploration and, in fact, led us to that which the carnivorous plant had such a yearning for.

In all, the game has a remarkably broad vocabulary and understands a good deal more than many other adventure games we've played. In addition, the graphics are beautiful and really give you the feeling of having travelled back in time to the days of old when you were bold.

As you can only carry a certain number of objects at any one time, be judicious in what you pick up. Not everything that looks as if it will be useful turns out to be needed.

Never drink the white potion. No matter how thirsty you are, resist the temptation.

The Blade o f Blackpoole is a Hi-Res adventure set in the rivers, lakes, and countryside of a non-specific, medieval magical fantasyland. The object is to find the Sword of Myraglym and return it to its rightful place. Standing between you and success are talking plants and idols, several riddles, a booze-happy monster, a tough-hided lizard, and a variety of ways for you to come to a premature end. A secondary object is to gain the maximum of 500 points for solving the puzzles; it is distressingly easy to receive the final accolade of having your name proclaimed throughout the land only to find that you have but 499 points. While most points come in clumps of about 40 at a crack, the anticlimactic challenge is to find which object is worth that extra point.
The two-sided game requires only one flip during the boot-up cycle, with the entire game then played (and saved) on the second side. The Assembly Language program is pleasingly fast in its response and color-fill time, even though there is a degree of disk interaction. The game involves 60 locations, including a six room maze. The puzzles are not particularly logical in their solution, but are interactive and so fun nevertheless. The vocabulary and synonym recognition are good, but differentiation between unknown and inapplicable words leaves much to be desired. The command parser permits the use of multiple words, and the save-game implementation permits ten scenarios to be quickly saved or called up at any time. Should you get stuck, the friendly "Help" command may occasionally come through, either with a blatantly obvious or oblique hint.
The principle challenge of the game is inventory management: only 6 of the 23 total objects can be carried at any one time. Several traditional objects (vital in other adventure games) are present, but are not essential in this one. Most have a specific application, while several objects have multiple uses, including one which must be left in a general area in anticipation of its use later in the game. As the game involves two distinct play areas, and returning from the second isn't overly practical, the sequence of property management thus becomes an interesting blend of logic, trial, and error.
While there is nothing novel or innovative in The Blade o f Blackpoole, and its storyline and graphics are only so-so, it is imaginatively done and fun to play. The overall difficulty level is slightly on the tough side; it is ideal for average adventurers, not too difficult for novices, and yet presents experienced adventurers with an interesting and enjoyable diversion. All in all, The Blade o f Blackpoole is Sirius's best adventure to date.

Overall rating :	B	Difficulty:	B-	Originality:	C
Puzzle quality :	B	Ease of use:	B	Documentation:	C
Text quality:	C	Vocabulary:	B	Holds interest ?:	B
Graphics quality :	C+	Save/restore:	A	Value for money:	B