Vel
12-28-2003, 08:40 AM
Introduction. One of the best, but underrated sierra games is undoubtfully Gold Rush. It is my personal favourite AGI game,and in this review I will try to describe why.
Plot. 1848. The Gold Rush to California attracts millions of people worldwide. The main character, Jerrod, is currently living in Brooklyn. One day, he receives a letter from his brother Jake, who he has not seen in years, to come to him in California. So your goal is 1) to get there 2) to find Jake. The plot of Gold Rush is incredibly enjoyable and interesting. It keeps you playing till the end.
Graphics and audio. Well, Gold Rush is an AGI game, which means EGA 160*100. You just cant make the best graphics using this engine, but they are also the best for this configuration. The animation is immense and smooth. Overall, even today the graphics do not look bad. As for sound, it uses your PC speaker.
Gameplay. The most innovative part of Gold Rush is without a doubt its gameplay. For example, there are three ways to get to California(Ever wondered where that three-path idea in FoA came from?), and each is completely different. The puzzles are the best in an AGI game - they are neither too easy nor too hard; another point for the puzzles is that many of them are optional and have alternative solutions. Throughout the game, you get to dig and pan for gold, choose when the coach to California to head west, considering the weather changes throughout seasons, climb ledges... I think that this proves that the puzzles are varied. I also may assure you that they are very enjoyable and satisfying. As for the interface, it is the standard AGI parser one.
Conclusion. Gold Rush is my favourite AGI game. The only reason that it did not become a classic is that it was released in 1988 - and it also was one of the very last AGI games(maybe even the last). A year later, King's Quest IV was released - it used the new SCI0 engine, supporting 320*200 and MIDI music. Nevertheless, Gold Rush has everything needed for a timeless game - interesting and involving plot, a great atmosphere and intriguing puzzles. It is a pity that it is not as widely known as Early King's Quest and Space Quest game, and thus, was left the only one of its series.
Plot. 1848. The Gold Rush to California attracts millions of people worldwide. The main character, Jerrod, is currently living in Brooklyn. One day, he receives a letter from his brother Jake, who he has not seen in years, to come to him in California. So your goal is 1) to get there 2) to find Jake. The plot of Gold Rush is incredibly enjoyable and interesting. It keeps you playing till the end.
Graphics and audio. Well, Gold Rush is an AGI game, which means EGA 160*100. You just cant make the best graphics using this engine, but they are also the best for this configuration. The animation is immense and smooth. Overall, even today the graphics do not look bad. As for sound, it uses your PC speaker.
Gameplay. The most innovative part of Gold Rush is without a doubt its gameplay. For example, there are three ways to get to California(Ever wondered where that three-path idea in FoA came from?), and each is completely different. The puzzles are the best in an AGI game - they are neither too easy nor too hard; another point for the puzzles is that many of them are optional and have alternative solutions. Throughout the game, you get to dig and pan for gold, choose when the coach to California to head west, considering the weather changes throughout seasons, climb ledges... I think that this proves that the puzzles are varied. I also may assure you that they are very enjoyable and satisfying. As for the interface, it is the standard AGI parser one.
Conclusion. Gold Rush is my favourite AGI game. The only reason that it did not become a classic is that it was released in 1988 - and it also was one of the very last AGI games(maybe even the last). A year later, King's Quest IV was released - it used the new SCI0 engine, supporting 320*200 and MIDI music. Nevertheless, Gold Rush has everything needed for a timeless game - interesting and involving plot, a great atmosphere and intriguing puzzles. It is a pity that it is not as widely known as Early King's Quest and Space Quest game, and thus, was left the only one of its series.