Sinclair User


Frankenstein

Author: Graham Taylor
Publisher: CRL
Machine: Spectrum 48K/128K

 
Published in Sinclair User #67

Frankenstein

Well not exactly X-rated - actually it got a 15 certificate according to the sticker on the box so I don't want any of you sub-fifteens taking a sneak look, OK?

It's an adventure of course - the follow-up to Dracula. And it's a big program, held on twin cassettes.

In Part 1 you play Frankenstein - (Victor to his friends) setting out to find the monster you created four years previously. The journey may take you to a far mountain range, first of all, however, you need to get out of your front door.

Frankenstein

In Part 2, the adventure moves from a cottage in the woods and a frightened couple through to a derelict chateau where you come face to face with da da da dahhh ... him.

And in Part 3 you are it. As the monster you have to find out what makes you a killer (I blame the hi-rises and today's uncaring society myself).

As an adventure Frankenstein is intelligent if not actually world shattering. It doesn't have the 'put the third pixie in your pocket next to the number you just thought of' complex sentence analyser stuff like The Pawn but it does seem to have a tolerably large vocabulary and doesn't respond stupidly.

Frankenstein

So where does the X-ratedness come in? Not in the text that's for sure. If anywhere it comes in the few graphic illustrations there are scattered around the game. These are moderately gory and astoundingly detailed.

The game puzzles begin early - if you don't do the right thing at the kick off you'll die in about three moves. It doesn't get any easier - useful objects are well hidden and the descriptive text doesn't give much away.

Adventures don't seem to sell all that well these days but there is so much in this one it deserves to do well. Ignore all the X-rated aspects. If you want an intelligent, gigantic text adventure with a few magnificent illustrations, Frankenstein's your man.

Overall Summary

Gigantic, predominantly text adventure with a few excellent illustrations and many inventive touches.

Graham Taylor

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