Okay, first a disclaimer: this is my first review and I'm not really sure how what I've written works in terms of structure, length, subject matter or... well, anything really. Any reviews of my review, or just general tips would be greatly appriciated.
Now, on with the show!
Legends of Zork is the newest addition in a long line of Zork games, beginning all the way back in 1977 with Zork I, the now-legendary interactive fiction text adventure. However, this is a radical departure from the old franchise and if you come in expecting the in-depth story-telling of Zork, you'll be sorely disappointed. But if you're coming to this game without preconceived notions of what it should be, you'll be a lot more open to the good of this game rather than focusing on the bad.
"What's a Zork?"
For those of you new to the mystical lore of gaming, "Zork" is an old gaming that dates back to the times when games didn't have graphics, sound or... well, anything apart from words on a screen. Imagine if DOS talked back, telling you stories about trolls and occasionally insulted your mother. That's Zork, and that's what everyone expected this game to be. Legends of Zork is not this game, though. It's a browser-based MMO which can be played from any browser that supports javascript, and it's free, which is always a nice bonus.
Well, mostly free. It's freemium, as the business model has become known. You can play for free, with some limitations and if you want to be able to get ahead of everyone else then you'll need to fork out some cash.
Graphics
In a game like this, the graphics are the most obvious place to start, given that any kind of imagry was the one thing that the original Zork lacked. Although the graphics are largely just still images, the artwork used in Legends of Zork is simply perfect for the cartoony, whacky world which it describes. The monsters are all equally tinged with danger and cheeky charm (the smile of the grue being the perfect example), while the locations are bursting with life and colour. Every time you look at the larger art on the location pages you seem to spot something new peeking at you from the background.
Gameplay
The gameplay however, is a very mixed bag and whether you'll love or loath it all comes down to what exactly you want from this game. The combat system all comes down to a simple roll of the dice (although whether or not that's less engaging than typing "kill troll with sword" and having the troll fall over is a debatable topic) and it lacks any kind of interactive feel. However, it does streamline combat down to a single click of a button, which makes endless grinding a whole lot easier, so if you're someone to whom the idea of working and working and building up your character piece by piece appeals, then this is a godsend.
If grinding isn't you thing, then you may be a little more wary of it, as you can't really get away from grinding in this game. You fight to get experience and money ("zorkmids", as they're known in this world), and then having got some experience and money, you fight some more (the money you will almost certainly spend on weapons to help you fight better, which earns you more money, which buys you more weapons and- yeah, you get the idea). If you want to break up the monotony a little you can fight in the "Arena" against other players, but again it's a simple matter of comparing stats and rolling a dice, which still lacks a certain personality. Personally I like to see someone squirm when I stick them with my sacrificial kriss, or at least let them feel like it was personal, but in Legends of Zork you don't even know you've been attacked until you get an in game message saying that you have been defeated by (or defeated) player X.
However, if you're not quite as sadistic a player as I am, there is a lot to recommend this game. Your character is very customisable with all manner of weapons, armour, spells and even playing cards which will boost your stats and help you in those all-important dice rolls. You have different sets of skill trees which you can invest points in and you can even get a choice of different side-kicks, who accompany you on your adventures and help you out.
One of the big issues with this game is that it's under constant development. Many complain about the basic need for a more "zorky" story aspect, which has since been injected into the game with the addition of Quests, which let you grind to a storyline and can really break up the monotony of exploration, as well as fitting perfectly in the tradition of Zorkish humour. Clans have also been added, which gives the game a real sense of community spirit, as have chat features which allow you to actually talk in real time to people (and perhaps scream insults at whoever has just beaten you in the arena).
Story
It's an MMO, and suffers from the same debilitating disease as most MMOs seem to, in that any story which applies to one person must apply to all, so most of the plot is very general stuff. The Great Underground Empire has fallen, you're unemployed, and if you want to keep eating you should probably get out there, start adventuring and steal some treasure. There are a series of quests that are constantly being expanded on which give the game a more narrative feel and a real boost in fun humour even if they're still mostly based on the same combat and don't add much other than a polish to it.
Conclusion
All in all, this is a game which you can love or hate. The action points limit (action points being what you spend as you explore) means that this is a game designed for the casual player, and if you just want to play it for five minutes during your lunch break, then there's a lot to recommend it. If you really want to work at developing your character, then you'll have to splash out some cash and buy more action points. If you're looking for really engaging combat, this isn't the game for you, but if you're open to all the extras that are built around it and curious to see what other features Legends of Zork can pull out of its hat, then check it out. After all, it is free to play, so other than five minutes of your life what have you got to lose?
For anyone curious, the game can be found here [http://legendsofzork.com]
Now, on with the show!
Legends of Zork is the newest addition in a long line of Zork games, beginning all the way back in 1977 with Zork I, the now-legendary interactive fiction text adventure. However, this is a radical departure from the old franchise and if you come in expecting the in-depth story-telling of Zork, you'll be sorely disappointed. But if you're coming to this game without preconceived notions of what it should be, you'll be a lot more open to the good of this game rather than focusing on the bad.
"What's a Zork?"
For those of you new to the mystical lore of gaming, "Zork" is an old gaming that dates back to the times when games didn't have graphics, sound or... well, anything apart from words on a screen. Imagine if DOS talked back, telling you stories about trolls and occasionally insulted your mother. That's Zork, and that's what everyone expected this game to be. Legends of Zork is not this game, though. It's a browser-based MMO which can be played from any browser that supports javascript, and it's free, which is always a nice bonus.
Well, mostly free. It's freemium, as the business model has become known. You can play for free, with some limitations and if you want to be able to get ahead of everyone else then you'll need to fork out some cash.
Graphics
In a game like this, the graphics are the most obvious place to start, given that any kind of imagry was the one thing that the original Zork lacked. Although the graphics are largely just still images, the artwork used in Legends of Zork is simply perfect for the cartoony, whacky world which it describes. The monsters are all equally tinged with danger and cheeky charm (the smile of the grue being the perfect example), while the locations are bursting with life and colour. Every time you look at the larger art on the location pages you seem to spot something new peeking at you from the background.
Gameplay
The gameplay however, is a very mixed bag and whether you'll love or loath it all comes down to what exactly you want from this game. The combat system all comes down to a simple roll of the dice (although whether or not that's less engaging than typing "kill troll with sword" and having the troll fall over is a debatable topic) and it lacks any kind of interactive feel. However, it does streamline combat down to a single click of a button, which makes endless grinding a whole lot easier, so if you're someone to whom the idea of working and working and building up your character piece by piece appeals, then this is a godsend.
If grinding isn't you thing, then you may be a little more wary of it, as you can't really get away from grinding in this game. You fight to get experience and money ("zorkmids", as they're known in this world), and then having got some experience and money, you fight some more (the money you will almost certainly spend on weapons to help you fight better, which earns you more money, which buys you more weapons and- yeah, you get the idea). If you want to break up the monotony a little you can fight in the "Arena" against other players, but again it's a simple matter of comparing stats and rolling a dice, which still lacks a certain personality. Personally I like to see someone squirm when I stick them with my sacrificial kriss, or at least let them feel like it was personal, but in Legends of Zork you don't even know you've been attacked until you get an in game message saying that you have been defeated by (or defeated) player X.
However, if you're not quite as sadistic a player as I am, there is a lot to recommend this game. Your character is very customisable with all manner of weapons, armour, spells and even playing cards which will boost your stats and help you in those all-important dice rolls. You have different sets of skill trees which you can invest points in and you can even get a choice of different side-kicks, who accompany you on your adventures and help you out.
One of the big issues with this game is that it's under constant development. Many complain about the basic need for a more "zorky" story aspect, which has since been injected into the game with the addition of Quests, which let you grind to a storyline and can really break up the monotony of exploration, as well as fitting perfectly in the tradition of Zorkish humour. Clans have also been added, which gives the game a real sense of community spirit, as have chat features which allow you to actually talk in real time to people (and perhaps scream insults at whoever has just beaten you in the arena).
Story
It's an MMO, and suffers from the same debilitating disease as most MMOs seem to, in that any story which applies to one person must apply to all, so most of the plot is very general stuff. The Great Underground Empire has fallen, you're unemployed, and if you want to keep eating you should probably get out there, start adventuring and steal some treasure. There are a series of quests that are constantly being expanded on which give the game a more narrative feel and a real boost in fun humour even if they're still mostly based on the same combat and don't add much other than a polish to it.
Conclusion
All in all, this is a game which you can love or hate. The action points limit (action points being what you spend as you explore) means that this is a game designed for the casual player, and if you just want to play it for five minutes during your lunch break, then there's a lot to recommend it. If you really want to work at developing your character, then you'll have to splash out some cash and buy more action points. If you're looking for really engaging combat, this isn't the game for you, but if you're open to all the extras that are built around it and curious to see what other features Legends of Zork can pull out of its hat, then check it out. After all, it is free to play, so other than five minutes of your life what have you got to lose?
For anyone curious, the game can be found here [http://legendsofzork.com]