Adventure Gamers - Forums

I’m the Temple of the Virgins part now

The door bells was pretty funny

And if you save it just asks if you are a lawyer

Finished Eric the Unready and I can see why it’s so well regarded and possibly a classic.

- The player is Eric (that is very similar to Roger Wilco), an unlucky low rank knight that in a middle of a conspiracy has to step up and save the princess.
- It’s divided in chapters and it’s linear with no dead-ends. There is a timer for each chapter but the game is generous to the player. Each action only takes a minute, so lots of experimentation is possible with no need for restoring.
- Puzzles of average difficulty and enjoyable, easier than Spellcasting or Timequest, I would say same level as Gateway. Possible to get stuck but most solutions are straightforward (except for 2 puzzles in the Temple of the Gods…)
- Very solid comedy, better than Spellcasting for me, I was constantly smiling through out the game with some big laughs here and there, tons of pop culture references and 4th wall breaking. Dialogue tree finally but mostly for absurdist jokes, they don’t really advance the story. Also reminded me of some Monty Python sometimes.
- Art is not very good, characters have some weird faces most of the time and not very well drawn. Funny that the game acknowledges that and makes actually fun of itself sometimes. Music can get a bit annoying.

It’s simpler than the previous games but it was very enjoyable ride, very recommended. Too bad there was no sequel for this one.

Back to scifi now (Gateway 2).

wilco - 26 September 2015 07:38 AM

- It’s divided in chapters and it’s linear with no dead-ends.

I recall vaguely that it’s possible to miss fixing the getaway duck-thingy which leads to a bad ending since you can’t escape the temple in the end. Am I mis-remembering or is that self-contained in a chapter?

Antrax - 26 September 2015 09:55 AM

wilco - 26 September 2015 07:38 AM

- It’s divided in chapters and it’s linear with no dead-ends.

I recall vaguely that it’s possible to miss fixing the getaway duck-thingy which leads to a bad ending since you can’t escape the temple in the end. Am I mis-remembering or is that self-contained in a chapter?

I don’t think it’s possible to miss it. To call the escaping duck you use the whistle that the princess has and I think she always has it. I closest I could see to a dead-end is that at the beginning of the last chapter you have to grab the bomb that you need at end, if you don’t get at the point you need to restart the chapter since you can’t backtrack. But that it’s not really a big deal at all since it’s obvious you need it.

@Karlok

No Gateway for me this weekend, will only be starting it next week

Karlok - 26 September 2015 09:35 AM

I just might replay the first part of Gateway 2… I have such good memories of the walkie-talkie sequence.

Started Gateway 2 and played through that first part, it’s really good. Starts with the player just hanging around the apartment and suddenly there is a massive manhunt until the space launch. Obviously some deaths but not that hard and there’s a sense of urgency in every action. Hearing all the terrorist conversations in the radios also added up to the constant fear. Game it’s starts in a very high note!

I remember having fun with Eric the Unready.
Kind of.. stops having puzzles after a while, though. (At least according to my memory)

Karlok - 03 October 2015 04:39 AM

BTW, did you do any of the 152 (!) fun things recommended for Eric the Unready in the manual?

Didn’t went back to the game to do them, but reading through them now I see I did a lot of them like listen to all bard jokes, eating the beans, reading fine prints, ringing all bells, etc. since the game rewards experimenting all kinds of stuff. (but I did not try to kiss Scotty, mmm )

Finished Gateway 2 - Homeworld for the last of the text adventures and that was really ending on a very high note, I think the game strikes the perfect balance.

The story follows the same character and events after the first game. It’s a pretty big and satisfying game. All the stuff from the first game concerning the Gateway ahd the Heechee is explained and with room for meeting other interesting species like the Kord people. Too bad we’ll never get Gateway 3, it’s easy to see where would it go.

It’s also interesting that Mass Effect has a lot the Pohl’s Gateway influences and similarities in the story.

Very good puzzles, harder than Eric and more fun than the first Gateway and not frustrating at all. It has some timed sequences but they are extremely well designed and just add to the tension. The whole pacing is very good with lots of exploring scenes alternating with these faster bits. One minute your running from terrorists, next exploring a lost spaceship, next learning the patterns of a completely different species, next being part of a conspiracy in a futuristic city. All pretty epic!

Only negative things is that music continues to be unmemorable and the weird dialogues. I don’t get why our character has to give so many zany answers. It fitted Eric the Unready but here it just feels strange to insult alien species…

In the end this might have been my favorite of the text adventures. Ranking would go something like:

Gateway 2 - Timequest - Gateway - Eric - S101 - S201 - S301

So, started Companions of Xanth, don’t know anything about it, anyone played it? Does the choice of the companion has much influence in the game?

wilco - 15 October 2015 07:47 PM

Does the choice of the companion has much influence in the game?

I’m unsure how much of this would be considered a spoiler, though it’s not too detailed. So
When I chose the “wrong” one at the beginning, I failed the first challenge and the game made me choose again. I think the same would happen with the other “wrong” ones.

crabapple - 15 October 2015 08:46 PM

wilco - 15 October 2015 07:47 PM

Does the choice of the companion has much influence in the game?

I’m unsure how much of this would be considered a spoiler, though it’s not too detailed. So
When I chose the “wrong” one at the beginning, I failed the first challenge and the game made me choose again. I think the same would happen with the other “wrong” ones.

That was disappointing, seems I was just lucky and just picked the right companion from the start. Tried going back and none of the others lets you leave the first room.

Game uses FMV, was not expecting that.

Despite having played the game 3-4 times, I never figured out how you’re supposed to know which companion is the right one. Is it in the manual or something?

Antrax - 16 October 2015 01:38 PM

Despite having played the game 3-4 times, I never figured out how you’re supposed to know which companion is the right one. Is it in the manual or something?

I’ve looked and no nothing there but the Naga woman is in the cover of the game so that is a clue. (But I think I picked her first because she’s the one with the more interesting description from the little guy).