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Severn Software are well known for their Mystery Of Munroe Manor and King Soloman's Mines. There is something peculiarly frustrating about Severn's games and, in playing Nuclear War Games, I think I have got to the bottom of it.

Here, as in the other games, the graphics are very effective and extremely speedy. Sound, too, is used effectively. The problem is the problems!

By that, I mean the player is given no leads, for instance which words are not recognised, nor allowed to carry out actions which would seem logical unless they are part of the one true route to success. Couple with this a slightly "off-track" logic and one soon gives up.

This is a pity, for I think Nuclear War Games has some very good points. The presentation I have already mentioned. The plot, too, is interesting. You have to stop a Norad computer from initiating a nuclear war - and it has already taken over control and started the countdown!

Let me give an example of the difficulties I encountered. On a highway running north/south, I am blocked at one end since that leads to Munroe Manor (a nice touch to explain an invalid exit on an open highway!) and, after a few moves south, I am blocked by security gates at Norad. There is a garage en route which yields various tools and an unmanned army truck further up the road.

After deciding, possibly mistakenly, that I couldn't get through or over the security gate and fence, my own logic suggested that if I drove the truck, the gate might be opened to met me through with no more than a cursory check. In any event, the truck was there for some purpose, so I investigated.

Despite LOOK TRUCK saying "You can't see a driver". I could not ENTER, CLIMB, GO TRUCK or CAB, nor could I DRIVE, START, MEND, REPAIR... you name it!

Nuclear War Games is for the Commodore 64 from Severn Software.