C&VG


Clues-o

Author: Keith Campbell
Publisher: Imperial Software
Machine: Spectrum 48K/128K

 
Published in Computer & Video Games #45

Clues-o

Here is another detective adventure, with an awful pun as the title! You play the part of a French detective, but that is not to say you have to bungle things!

You are outside "Chez Fawcett", about to investigate the death of Major Fawcett. Lying around the house are various clues and using these you must put two and two together to solve the mystery of whodunnit.

There are various characters around who may be questioned, including the gardener, who gets very upset if you try to dig up his prize lawn!

Clues'o'

The adventure is quite well written, with graphics at many locations. Unfortunately, the presentation is very ordinary - the text display is only passable, for instance, "you also see:-" remains on the screen even if there is nothing following it - and the graphics are rather mundane, although instant.

Of course, it is all very well joking about Sherlock and its bugs - perhaps one does that because one expects so much from it. However, Sherlock very much puts a game like Clues-O in the shade, for the characters seem lifeless and wooden in comparison with Basil, Watson and co. In fact, I mistook Mrs Fawcett, who I discovered in the cellar, to be a corpse! No "Good morning, Clueso" or "That's brilliant, Clueso", from her! In fact, she let me kick her and prod her at will without any sign of protestation! She uttered one cryptic sentence when I questioned her, and promptly left the cellar!

There is some humour in the game, especially over the French doors, where the computer thinks you are getting English and French mixed up!

Clues-O is from Imperial Software, for the 48K Spectrum, priced £8.95. I think it is overpriced.

Keith Campbell

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