C&VG


The Beast
By Marlin Games
Spectrum 128K

 
Published in Computer & Video Games #88

The Beast

Sitting at your junior reporter's desk in the local newspaper office, you are fed up with the constant round of WI meetings, gay vicars, Scout group news, and jumble sales. You yearn to get on to a big story. Opening the envelope in front of you, you discover a letter from Rose Myrtle, of Myrtle Cottage in nearly Puddlecombe. Seems there's been rumours of a strange black beast up on the moors. Yesterday, one of Farmer Lamb's sheep was found mauled, and not by a fox nor a dog, nor Gary Williams either.

This could be your big chance, as the senior reporter is away. Sure enough, your editor tells you to get out after the story, generously thrusting £5 [How much? - Eugene] petty cash in your hand. Soon you arrive at Puddlecombe, where the mysterious sightings have been made, and the investigation begins.

This is a text only adventure, and, being a 128K game, there's plenty of it. The events and conversations are described in detail, and the location text is often amusing: "Outside your office the traffic speeds past at a crawl, and your lungs fill with fresh carbon monoxide fumes..." Whilst the main challenge of the game is in getting to the bottom of the mystery, even at the outset you have to be methodical in thought and action, in order to be able to reach the scene of the action.

If you like a good old fashioned mystery-thriller with plenty of detail, this biggish adventure by Linda Wright should be just up your street.

Keith Campbell

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