Reviews by gruelove
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I think I abused it., August 14, 2011This was so much fun. It's basically a question and answer session that aspires to be poetic, and I must say I think it succeeds very well. I definately abused the poor thing though and turned it into a pornographic vignette. It actually handled my sordid little answers very well, much better than I was expecting. I think this is the first time I've been impressed by an Adrift game(if game is the word).
Still, I couldn't in all honesty give it full marks because even though it was novel and very interesting in its own way and made me laugh(which is always good in this world), I really wanted it to go somewhere. What I mean is, I would very much like to have seen this little game extended into an actual game, with the entire game that I played being fleshed out with a story and a full game-world. The poetic nature of it made a great impression on me too and just added to my enjoyment. I may even steal some of the ideas that have been demonstrated here if I ever get my own WIP off the ground.
Overall, very impressive. I really enjoyed it and am off to play it again.
Am I missing something?, July 12, 2009OK. Having read the only member review for this game, and having a soft spot for humorous IF, I was looking forward to this one, but I think I must be missing something. I just keep getting a 'you are lost in the woods' message, or words to that effect. I did manage on one occasion to get a humorous little description about a dozen words long, but only after wandering seemingly at random around the woods for what seemed like an eternity but was probably only a few minutes. I'm afraid if i'm being a little hasty in giving this one a bad review then i'm more than happy for somebody else to point out what i'm doing wrong and give me a gentle shove in the right direction. But until that happens continuously stating that 'you are lost in the woods' at every turn(literally!) just doesn't cut it for me. I had initially thought that I really was simply missing something obvious, so tried 'help' and 'hints' and even 'about' in a vain attempt to find out where I was going wrong, but no, no luck since they aren't implemented.
I hope somebody tells me what an idiot i'm being in missing the obvious and points me in the right direction, because the single, short description I did get showed signs of promise.
Anyway, i'll give it two stars for the moment, but am hoping to increase that if and when i'm able.
A poetic detour., April 30, 2009Well this is interesting. As a little experiment, I think it works relatively well really. It opens with a blank screen and a single prompt. Hit enter and you're rewarded with a line of a short poem. You are then able to send the poem off in different directions by typing one of the words you see in the line.
It's a little sparing with instructions and you can exhaust the store of possible poems it can generate in very little time, but after taking a peek at the source I shouldn't think it would be too difficult to keep extending it's storehouse of words/phrases.
All in all, I think this was an entertaining little experiment and worth taking a look at. Just keep in mind that this was probably intended as an experimental piece and as such may be quite limited in both it's appeal and scope(although I could certainly see the latter changing quite swiftly).
Entertaining!
The way forward?, April 26, 2009Blue Lacuna is one of those pieces of IF that will take it's rightful place in the history of the art. My own experience of any IF is one of lesser or greater interaction with the fictional setting. Upon walking down the street, I don't for one moment think, ah! a tree, 'x tree'. I simply think 'tree', and there with all the glory of my senses, I see the beauty of the tree. This is the methodology of Blue Lacuna, and it is one which I believe will become more and more prevalent in the future. It may seem like a minor detour from the traditional and accepted 'x tree' to Blue Lacuna's 'tree', but it does undoubtedly make a very significant difference in the way the interactive experience plays out.
The world of the title is large and expansive, allowing interaction with much of what you see around you to the extent that you are able to taste the berries growing on bushes and smell the flowers etc.
In many ways Blue Lacuna is one of the few pieces of IF that could be described as a novel in the truest sense of the word. That's not to say it's the perfect example of IF of course; I'm not a great lover of the idea that we might choose the sex of our character for example. It reminds me too much of the old RPGs, and I think that it sometimes leads to a dilution of the character that invariably adds little or nothing to the work as a whole or the experience of the reader, no matter what sex they themselves may be.
My overall opinion of this work is one of great hope for the medium of IF in coming years, particularly since so many notables are investing so much of their time to push the boundaries of what is at present a wonderful and exciting area of fiction, and hints at so much more in the relatively near future.
And a very impressive and expressive future it may prove to be if Blue Lacuna is anything to go by.
Fun and frustration in equal measure., April 25, 2009An entertaining little piece which left me a little dis-satisfied. I tend to get tired quite quickly of IF that leaves me high and dry. I personally didn't find the hints offered much that I hadn't already thought to try anyway(to no avail). Being more of a story oriented player than a lover of puzzles it may be that I am being a little harsh.
All things being as they are, this is an amusing piece of IF that I will no doubt do battle with from time to time. Would have given it 4 stars if not for the lack of 'useful' hints.
Enjoyable.
Not a great deal to say about this one really; because there's nothing to it. You enter a maze and find that everything about it is randomized, from directions, to dead ends, even your own death is a random event.
I can only think that the author was conducting an experiment to see how many suckers he could get to play it, and then proceeded to laugh up his sleeve at us.
Anyway. Don't bother with this. AT ALL!
A delicious little treat., April 25, 2009I'm always a little doubtful about just how enjoyable a speedIF game could be, and therefore have invariably overlooked them in the past. If this little gem is anything to go by, I've clearly been missing out. It's a sweet little scenario involving an imminent date and the banana and rocket pants of the title. I have a weakness for comical situations in fiction and this piece of IF doesn't disappoint. In fact, if I find myself disappointed that I have reached an end, I can be quite secure in my high opinion of the work.
Only one little point of note(which stopped me giving it full marks) was the use of CAPITALS in seemingly random places. They almost gave an indication of something more to be discovered but were, I assume, meant simply as emphasis. This aside, I very much enjoyed this piece of IF and played it over and over again.
An excellent example of what can be achieved with a short piece.
Yet another amusing distraction., April 24, 2009Emily Short seems to have a knack for producing quality IF no matter what the genre or circumstances. This is another of her speedIF entries. Short and very easy to complete, it's no less enjoyable for that. The humour is natural and unforced and the piece is highly amusing from beginning to end.
Very well worth while playing.
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