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DELRON
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Where Is Richard? Reviews
Author: Rich Dersheimer
Date: 2001
ADRIFT 3.9
Reviewed by Duncan Bowsman
Not altogether unwelcome or unpleasant, 'Where is Richard?' struck me as a quick
play that's just... bland. There is still some satisfaction in overcoming it, at
least, and it is logically done.
I can't think of exactly what thematic content the thing explores, if any. One's
friend disappears in a Tardis and so you chase him down, but don't really learn
anything along the way. We hardly interact with the missing man, but we do get
to raid his whole house and learn a bit about him from that. Still, Richard
feels more or less like a cardboard cut-out token standing in place for a close
friend.
From all the healing items and weapons one gets early on, it seems to me like
'Where is Richard?' was supposed to have a more thoroughly implemented combat
system, but as it is there's only one fight and it's treated basically like any
other puzzle. It's a fight against a creative monster, but it's so sudden
without being surprising and the solution is so simple, it's hard to say that
scene amounts to much.
Descriptions are mostly functional, but this means they often serve to disrupt
the establishment of mood in any given scene. Finding Richard's house empty and
trying to search him down could make us feel something, but then all the
descriptions of household objects are written as though they come from a catalog
rather than, say, a suspense thriller. Later on, many rooms are just lists of
exits, and are more like level padding that the game could have done without.
The game does contain several ADRIFTisms that are likely to be thought of as
downright brokenness by any unfamiliar with the language. For example, typing
anything other than >LOOK AT PICK AX when carrying it gives the response, "You
are already carrying the miner's pick." There's the usual situation where >PRESS
BUTTON works, but not >PUSH BUTTON. At one point, a room description mentions an
unimplemented handle that still must be pulled. These things are misleading and
problematic.
The final puzzle, at least, has multiple solutions, though it turns out the one
I felt was most heavily suggested by the game is actually just a red herring.
Figuring out some puzzle solutions at least felt more like a challenge than a
frustration, since (despite running in desperation to others for hints after a
few turns, there being none in the game to help) I was able to solve them all on
my own, before I heard back from others.
Overall, it's a pretty quick game, not especially imaginative, but beatable. You
could do worse in a choice of a game, but it wouldn't be too hard to do better,
either. Play it if you love instant oatmeal and want a game to match.
Reviews should be considered copyrighted by their respective authors.
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