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Pettigrew's Diary is an adventure game with a difference. The whole game is in three separate chapters - each an adventure in its own right - and each chapter must be completed before the next can be loaded.

Chapter one begins with you in the hallway of a farmhouse in which a fire has just started. Your position (initially in the hallway) is marked by a blue cross. The arrow keys control your movement.

The aim of this game is to find Pettigrew's Diary and pick up other items in order to progress to the second chapter. The man himself is lying on the floor of the room in which the fire started. If you approach him he will tell you the whereabouts of his notes, then you have to rush off to find them.

A floor-plan of the farmhouse is drawn out on the screen in hi-res graphics. There is a text section at the bottom which tells you what you are examining and what (if anything) is inside it. You have to examine things like cabinets, the wall safe and bins before you can open them and take what's inside.

As the fire spreads, its progress is marked by small red circles and a crackling sound.

You can move upstairs to take a quick look about, but the fire spreads quickly. It's a good idea to find the fire extinguisher at the start of the game and to use it as sparingly as possible, since if it runs out and you're in the middle of the inferno, you're fried to a crisp and have to restart.

Having found the clues, taken the right items and escaped, you are given a codeword to allow you access to Chapter 2.

This is a normal adventure using the familiar GO NORTH etc. You are based in London, and must travel around the city, collecting information rather than objects. There are several red herrings and pitfalls in this chapter. Eventually you'll gather what is necessary (a notepad is useful) and be given the code for the final chapter.

The final chapter is sub-divided into eight tasks and again each must be completed before the next can be started. You move around Europe this time, and the emphasis is more on graphics than text.

As you complete each task, you are told a codeword which allows you to restart the adventure at a later date.

The end was a little disappointing. I felt that having struggled through so much I wasn't really rewarded. Still, it's the best adventure game for the Dragon on the market that I've seen.