Zork I

Baf's Guide

The first Zork to be published commercially, this game essentially consists of a large chunk of dungeon carved from the central area of the original Zork. A decent dungeon crawl, and many adventurers' first experience with IF. The Hugo port is of questionable legality, but considering that Activision made the entire Zork Trilogy available for free download a few years ago, I wouldn't be too worried.

-- Carl Muckenhoupt

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Most Helpful Member Reviews

A canonical puzzle-fest, January 9, 2008
Some modern reviewers have said Zork I is dated, and to some extent it is, although not in the usual way that computer games become dated, which is to say technologically. The technology of IF has improved over the years, certainly, but only incrementally; Zork I is, after all, written on basically the same Z-Machine that a lot of authors are still using today. Sure, parsers have gained a few niceties over the years, but the fact is that even the most sophisticated current parser is still an unnatural computer interface that you have to learn to use; Zork's parser is maybe 10% harder to learn than the current standards. Try digging out a video game from last year, let alone one from Zork's era, and see if they hold up as well.

The thing that makes Zork I look dated isn't the technology; it's the genre. Zork is a story-less treasure hunt in a big cave full of wacky incongruities and anachronisms; it's an unapologetic puzzle-fest; it's a slightly unfair, one-sided contest between a smirking author and a frustrated player. This sort of game went of out style years ago (among IF enthusiasts, I mean - the whole of IF went out of style even earlier among the broader gaming population). Some IFers look at it and say, good riddance: this sort of thing went out of style because it was inferior to what IF has evolved into. I tend to disagree; I think this sort of game actually went out of style because it was done to death, in large part by imitators of this very game. Zork I isn't inferior to modern IF; it's just different from modern IF.

The appeal of Zork I is that of a crossword, or of one of those evil little entangled-wire-loop puzzles. And the thing is, Zork has a ton of that kind of appeal. Once you get into the game, it's really good at doling out just enough positive feedback to keep you going, while keeping the challenges numerous and difficult. Maybe you have to have the right personality type, but if you do, it can become an obsession to beat the thing, to get that last lousy point. The game is unfair, but just a little; its designers had a good feel for just how far they could push their luck before players would feel cheated. It's the kind of game you really want to solve on your own, without looking at hints or walkthroughs, because it always feels like the answers are just within reach.

If you're still convinced that modern IF is just objectively superior to the likes of Zork I, here's something to consider. Modern IF dogma ranks immersiveness as one of the great virtues a work can have. Some look at Zork I's sparse room descriptions and irrational map and scoff. But Zork suggests that there's more to immersion than pretty descriptions. For many IFers, Zork I and its ilk have created some of the most intense subjective feelings of immersion they've had from any sort of game, just because they spent so much time walking back and forth and back and forth across the map. The obsessive play, I think, makes up for the thin text, and then some.

A fine, exquisite wine, September 29, 2008
Yep, Zork is just like a fine, exquisite, aged wine. It's a bit of an acquired taste for some, not readily accesible for everyone, and believe it or not there are some people who *hate* it and who'll still drink it in and smile just because it's got a tremendous reputation and they don't want to be known as the idiot who can't appreciate good vintages.

I won't bother thinking about the game in terms of when it came out, because my whole point is that it can still be enjoyed today. Maybe it takes a conoisseur, but it can still be done. There's still a chance to have fun.

The game hinges on cave-exploration and treasure-collecting. Yes, that's all there is to this game. But unlike other games since, the exploration doesn't just mean mapping rooms. The amazing thing about Zork, the thing that gets me back again and again, is how vivid the GUE is, by virtue of the map's layout and the rooms' descriptions. Time and again I've tried to understand *why* this game is so much better at it than other games (and I felt this difference the very first time I played it, back when I was nine or so).

Arguably, this would be because of the famous limits issue that arises in all forms of art or entertainment eventually. Back then, they had severe limits. There could only be so many rooms, so many objects, so much text (which, incidently, is why so much scenery of the game is unimplemented to the point where if you "x canyon" at the Great Canyon you get "I don't know the word 'canyon'"). So it had to be juggled a bit, and descriptions had to be kept effective but still vivid.

You know, effective. Like, not *verbose* like my reviews tend to get. I cry foul at my own inaptness, and wish I had the art of brevity and sucintess these guys showed in their games.

The funny thing is, I could quote room descriptions here until I was blue in the face and it still wouldn't show how great Zork is in that department, because taken by themselves, out of context, they look like nothing much. It's by virtue of actually exploring the Great Underground Empire, and keeping track of the geography of the place, that you'll create those images.

The puzzles range from medium to hard, and not all have aged well - it is recommended to play the Solid Gold version of this game, which has built-in hints. Do persevere, but if it gets too tough don't worry about getting the hints. There's stuff there which is simply too underclued. The scepter puzzle, for instance (aha!, didn't even know there WAS a scepter puzzle, did you? That's kinda my point), requires a bit of a leap of logic, and experimentation-just-for-the-sake-of-doing-something just to find the clue. And of course the granite wall puzzle is just plain impossible to figure out - but that one's an optional puzzle, so no trouble.

But most puzzles are still fun, and will have you thinking in concrete, world-altering ways. Fiddle with the dam - what happens as a result? How do you use the mining equipment all around you to get past a combination of mine gas (no naked flames or BOOM!) and a tiqht squeeze no lightsource can go through?

The maze, the lamp's limited life and the thief are the biggest pains of the game, but there's a way to bypass them, which I shall shortly post in this page. It includes solving quite a few puzzles, so there's definite spoilers, but I hope it will make the game a more pleasant experience for the newer generation of IFers. Because, newer generation, this game is what it is for a reason, and the reason is still there.

This game is FUN, and it will reward your efforts.

Then again, if you really do prefer other type of IF entirely, if you just can't get your head around a relatively minimalist (but still complex) cave crawl, feel free to give it a miss. It's silly to say "You HAVE to play this game because it STARTED IT ALL!". I encourage you to take a look, sure, but if you don't like it, you can turn away - there are other games you'll enjoy, no use in sticking to an oldie.

But you look like a brave explorer at heart, and I do believe that once you get down that trapdoor and survive your fight with the troll, you'll want to see the Great Underground Empire with your very own eyes...

addicting and fun, even for the young generation of IF players., June 26, 2010
I enjoyed Zork very much, I thought it was brilliant. It is important to me to emphasize that Zork isn't only good for the sense of nostalgia.

When Zork was at its glory commercial days I was still in diapers, so I cannot be blamed for having special feelings for the game. I have played it on a modern laptop using gargoyle, and have never seen it on flickering green commodore screen. Still, I enjoyed it very much.

after I got the point, the game-play was addicting. Zork has no story, but none is needed. The game has a huge world full of puzzles, that are very interesting and lots of fun. Thats all there is to it. The game can be played for a long time. I still haven't gotten all the points available. ((Spoiler - click to show) weird egg that keeps on breaking.)

Of course, it took me awhile to get used to some strange things that I had not encountered in more "modern IF" such as a limit in inventory, a limited light source, mazes and a thief. The vocabulary was not as good as I had usually seen in polished games, and the descriptions were minimal. But, after I got used to the thief and the limits these seemed strong points to me, that added to the depth of the game-play.Also, I didn't feel like anything was missing from the descriptions.

I must also say some parts of the game can be frustrating since it is easy to make the game un-winnable, and you'll probably have to play it a few times through ( (Spoiler - click to show) once for example, the thief stole my matches and i couldn't find them in any room, so I couldn't banish the demons or complete the puzzle with the gas room ).

Even though it has flaws, and needs getting used to (to players of more modern IF). After a short while it's flaws are barely noticeable, and the game flows. It has addicting gameplay and fun puzzles. A definite must-play In my humble opinion... even if you are from the younger generation of If players, like me.

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