The Temple
Author: Johan Berntsson
Language: z-code
Genre: Surreal
Score: 9
As a fan of H. P. Lovecraft, the Lovecraftian-style IF really appeals to
me, as this game did. It's nowhere near on the scale of Anchorhead or
even Theatre. Still, as an IF comp game its size and length are a good
fit, and I didn't feel that "The Temple" overall suffered because of it.
The author really does a fine job of capturing Lovecraft's literary style
and use of grim imagery. Mind you, Lovecraft is not simply about
horror, and most of this game doesn't really fit into that
category. He has a wealth of stories about dreams and alien landscapes,
and this game feels like a mix of the two styles. However, this means
that if you don't like Lovecraft, you may not care for this game. The NPC
you encounter eventually is a reasonable implementation. Its artificial
intelligence is not stellar, but certainly not bad. And the puzzles you
encounter don't feel all that out of place, considering Lovecraft's
penchant for the bizarre. The game as a whole, I found, was a great
experience that I thoroughly enjoyed.
(View this game on Baf's Guide to IF or The IF Ratings Site)
|
