Risorgimento Represso

Baf's Guide

The premise is a silly and familiar one: through inexplicable magic, you, an ordinary person from our world, are drawn into a fantasy universe.

But this one plays out with an unusual degree of charm and humor, and an assortment of tough puzzles. Some of these seemed underclued in the competition version, but may be better supported in the subsequent release. Most are solid and well-designed, however.

Implementation is quite strong throughout, and there are several well-written NPCs.

-- Emily Short

>VERBOSE -- Paul O'Brian's Interactive Fiction Page

From what I saw of this game, I thought it was outstanding, worthy of a 9.5 or above. But I just cannot bring myself to give it that score, if for no other reason than because I don't want games that shouldn't be in the comp to do well, since all that will do is encourage more of them. On the other hand, can I really justify giving a low score to such an obviously high-quality product, especially when I've already given Scavenger, another too-big game, a high score? Well, the difference between this and Scavenger is that with Scavenger, I felt like I'd seen the majority of the game, that the major puzzles were solved or almost-solved, and that most of what remained was denouement. With RR, though, I felt like I'd eaten the appetizer but had to leave before the entree. My compromise is this. I'll make it clear in my review that this is a great game, worthy of any IF devotee's attention. Play it sometime when you can really enjoy it, linger over its many pleasures, and let the puzzles percolate in your head. Play it without a time limit. Savor it like I couldn't today. Don't let my low score fool you -- it's eminently worth playing, but I saw a third of it, and so I'm giving it a third of the score it probably would have gotten from me had it been the right size for the comp.
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A personal favorite of the New Era, February 27, 2008
'Risorgimento Represso' placed second behind 'Slouching Towards Bedlam' in the 2003 IF Comp, and, if you ask me, Mr. Coyne deserved the top spot.

You start this game in a boring college classroom. Then, you discover an interdimensional vortex under the seats. Why is it there? Because it is.

The lack of finesse in this opening is almost comical. What seems at first like bad writing instead ends up being a signal that this is an "old school" game. You go through the vortex for the same reason you break into the white house in 'Zork' -- because it's your gateway to the quest that awaits. How else were you going to get there?

With this opening, 'Risorgimento Represso' proudly proclaims that it is a classic text adventure, through and through. If you don't like those, you can't say you weren't warned. If you do like them, you're in for a treat.

This game emulates the archetypal Infocom aesthetic: a blend of witty writing, solid puzzles, and fun (if stereotypical) NPCs. It eschews the modern "cruelty vs. kindness" debate and reminds you why the save and restore commands were implemented in the first place.

What most impressed me about this game was the way that it managed to retain its own voice while being so obviously inspired by the best of what came before. Sure, it has magic. It has monsters. It has heroes and villains. But it also has great flair for memorable moments -- like your grudge match with a very determined bird and your introduction to tyromancy. If the fantasy adventure genre is a choir, 'Risorgimento Represso' clearly adds its own notes instead of simply following along with the tune.

My congratulations to Mr. Coyne for introducing us to a compelling new universe. I understand he's working on a sequel, and I can't wait to play it.

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