Previous Next

BT have already dipped their feet into the budget adventure market with Subsunk, a pleasant little Quilled ditty that represented very good value at £1.99. Now they've come up with a sequel, Seabase Delta, at the same pocket-money price.

Well, you don't expect much for £1.99, so the Wiz is pleased to report that he was quite taken with this package. The game has some above average graphics and the scenario, though not startlingly original, contains some novel puzzles and is generally consistent and logical in its construction.

Your mission is to penetrate an underwater enemy vase, find out what's going on, and then escape. The game drops you in at the deep-end, having you standing over a dead body in hostile territory, but in fact things are made pretty easy for you since a quick examination of items close by will tell you almost all you need to know about your objective.

The base is constructed around a series of subways through which you travel on a small, card-operated transit vehicle. Given that the game was "Quilled", the whole process has been quite well-programmed, though moving from one subway station to another is a rather repetitive process involving much fastening and unfastening of seat-belts which irritated me slightly.

The graphics are really excellent for a game in this price range. The puzzles are many and for the most part very logical. If you enjoyed Subsunk, then I think you'll agree with me that Seabase Delta is even better. When I think of companies like 8th Day Software who have entered the budget market in the last year or two, all I can say is that at £1.99 Seabase Delta makes most of the budget competition look chronically overpriced.

Having said that, though, there is just one point the Wiz would like to make about budget adventure software. The fact is that once you've cracked a game there is very little enjoyment left in it, unlike an arcade-based game where you can continue to try and improve your performance. If budget in price means budget in size (and I suppose it doesn't have to), then I'm not sure just how worthwhile budget adventures are. Personally I would prefer to save up my pennies and get something that was going to keep me occupied for longer. However, if you can accept the idea of a simpler game that won't take you months to solve, then this particular example definitely belongs in your collection - it's neatly presented, neatly programmed, and although it doesn't offer a massive number of locations, it's lots of fun.