The crock of gold

Previous Next

I have bemoaning for some time the lack of good quality simple text adventures at a budget price - the sort of thing Geoff Larsen used to turn out before matrimoney and parenthood took their toll.

Well, in Rainbow's End we have an example of exactly the kind of adventure I have been looking for. That adventure-writing utility The Quill has been used to good effect.

The game starts with a pleasantly designed loading screen - and a joke which is fairly typical of the kind of humour to be found throughout the adventure.

There are about fifty main locations plus intermediate ones, so Rainbow's End is reasonably compact - but far better than many Scott Adams products used to be.

It starts off in exactly the way I prefer: You can roam - almost - at will for a long time before having to think seriously about problems and their solutions. The text descriptions are good at conveying atmosphere and they are literate - no grammatical errors or spelling mistakes.

I'll give one or two hints as usual - particularly as some of the puzzles are quite tricky - though it might be more accurate to think of the game as one long chaining puzzle. It's very important to use the search command at frequent intervals, for this is the best way of discovering useful items. Don't be afraid to repeat it in the same location either.

It's also important not to be put off by minor mishaps: What's the risk of a sneeze or two between friends if it provides an opportunity for reflection? And - as the man in the parable said - Friend, come up higher can be useful advice as well sometimes.

The monkey is a slippery character, and you won't get his banana easily, so don't be afraid to take a weapon to him. It is important to realise that roseate aquatic denizens can have a reptilian appearance: Proper fed up I was, when I realised.

Don't be afraid to make use of the save facility regularly - it couldn't be quicker or easier - or you might end up regretting it. They say a garden is a lovesome thing but not always: Roses are red, violets are blue, I was a sucker - what about you.

There are many and varied ways of getting yourself killed or otherwise unceremoniously dumped out of the game, and while a restart facility is naturally offered, it gets a bit tedious starting from scratch every time.

At least you are warned when danger looms - some of the time, anyway - and I'll add one of my own: Glass can be shattered in more than one way, and the consequences can be dire.

For a quilled adventure, I rate it very highly indeed. You won't get better value for money anywhere. This is just what you need for your Christmas stocking.

Mad Hatter