~3 minute readPanak strikes!
Moonmist
Moonmist
by Stu Galley and Jim Lawrence
INFOCOM
125 CambridgePark Drive
Cambridge, MA 02140
48K Disk $34.95
Moonmist is the newest volume in the mystery wing of the Infocom Public Library. This introductory-level game is also the perfect work for patrons interested in checking out a good mystery. Co-authored by Jim Lawrence, a contributor to the popular Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series, this piece might also be the perfect entry point for younger adventurers.
In the story, you find yourself portraying a famous American detective. An old friend of yours, Tamara, has become engaged to a British lord. However, her storybook life at Tresyllian Castle, a popular tourist attraction owned by the lord, has been turned into a nightmare by the appearance of a white, ghostly woman. According to Tamara's letters, this specter is rumored to be the ghost of Dierdre, a jilted lover of Tamara's fiancee, Lord Jack. It seems she drowned just after Jack broke off their romance, although the body was never found. Could it be that she never drowned at all? Perhaps, but the mystery of the ghost is only one puzzle which will challenge you in Moonmist.
Hidden somewhere in the castle is a valuable treasure, and you're not the only one aware of this fact. Clues, in the form of riddles, are known by yourself and by most of the other colorful characters living in the castle. Part of the adventure is a treasure hunt through its halls, in search of the booty. Clues range from a simple skeleton image in a Chinese mandarin costume to complex riddles, such as "Forbidden fruit tempted the very first lass; 'Twas once in a garden, but now in a glass."
As if this isn't tough enough, you'll also have to keep an eye on each of the cunning characters in this game -- and remember, as in reality, given the possibility of great financial gain, people occasionally act a little differently than they might want you to think they would. This is one of my favorite aspects of interactive mysteries -- the development of and interaction with memorable characters. And, though Moonmist is full of them, I found the butler especially noteworthy... and, like all butlers, suspicious.
Included in the vast, superb docwnentation are: a manual, two letters from Tamara, a brochure containing a map of the castle, and an iron-on Moonmist decal for your soon-to-be favorite shirt. The manual includes a book borrowed from the Festeron Town Library, entitled The Legendary Ghosts of Cornwall. This contains enough stories to horrify even the strongest ghostbuster. You'll want to read through them to get yourself in the mood. The remainder of the manual completely explains operation of the program. Although the shirt decal was my favorite accessory, the map and brochure were quite helpful. However, like the tourist brochure it imitates, this pamphlet doesn't disclose the numerous private portions of the castle. Of course, as you might expect in any self-respecting castle, there are plenty of secret passages for you to explore.
The program operates much like other Infocom titles. The only modification to the standard Infocom parser is the ability to use X as an abbreviation for "Examine." This was a relief to me, as I'm curious and tend to examine everything I can get my hands on -- and some things that I can't. Moonmist derives your gender from your name, to correspondingly modify the game parameters: what you wear, and how the other characters treat you. This, along with the Gothic setting, should appeal to many women. Finally, any of four versions can be played, each with different riddles, clues and treasures. The version you play is dependent on what you choose as your favorite color at the start. And even this variable influences the story: choose red and you drive up in a red car, while a red bedroom awaits you.
On the down side, I don't have to tell you that each new response requires a time-costly disk access. Fortunately, "Superbrief mode" speeds you through fanliliar territory. Also, while the four variations offer different puzzles, they occur in a dÊjà -vu-like pattern framework. While the variations extend the playing time of the game, they're a poor substitute for the next new Infocom product.
I would recommend Moonmist for all Infocom newcomers, especially those who like a good mystery. Veterans -- who may find the introductory level too facile for their powerful minds -- probably ought to wait for Infocom to bring forth their next offering. But this very aspect makes Moonmist the perfect entry for new adventurers. For them, Moonmist is a must.
This article appeared in
Analog Computing
Apr 1987
These historical, out-of-print articles and literary works have been GNUSTOed onto InvisiClues.org for academic and research purposes.
