Mingsheng
Author: Deane Saunders (Rexx Magnus)
Language: z-code
Original score: 9
Revised score: 8
The PC in this brief eastern adventure is searching for the mystical
roots of Tai Chi, so that the he might better meld the physical and the
spiritual into a unifying whole. This is a good story with some solid
writing and puzzles.
The initial room suffers from a bit of adjective excess, but otherwise
I felt that the prose in the game was decent. It offers some fine
visuals, even if it is somewhat halting in places. The puzzles were
fair and fit the setting, except that I had to resort to the walkthrough
on how to open the box.
The only quibble I have with the game is that some prominent scenery
items were not implemented (namely the tracks in the start room and the
characters on the shrine). Everything else functioned as expected and I
didn't run into any bugs that I can remember.
I have to admit, I was really getting into this game. After playing
three other comp entries that I did not find terribly impressive,
Mingsheng really helped lift my spirits. After playing, I scored it a
9, though in retrospect, I think a high 8 would be more appropriate.
Though I consider it a pretty solid game, it's a little small and
doesn't really break any new ground.
Solving the first Qilin puzzle. It was well-cued and, while not
terribly difficult, was satisfying to finish.
Having the box and vine tied, knowing they belong together, but not
being sure what to do with them after that.
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