The Act of Misdirection

by Callico Harrison

Fantasy, Historical, Horror
2004

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Number of Ratings: 68
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- shilmista, May 10, 2012

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
A Diamond in the Rough, March 21, 2012
by Jim Kaplan (Jim Kaplan has a room called the location. The location of Jim Kaplan is variable.)
Related reviews: callico harrison, fantasy

Play this game if: you like your IF short and simple, or you want to play through one of the more memorable set-pieces in the genre.

Don't play this game if: you're easily put off by linear and nearly puzzle-free gameplay.

The Act of Misdirection opens with a wonderful scene in which the player must perform a magic act without knowing the choreography beforehand. Fortunately, the protagonist does know, which puts the player in the interesting position of being one step ahead of the audience (as the narrative voice provides clues to the tricks) and one step behind the protagonist. The writing is very strong here, and the game effectively builds the player's sense of entertainment and anticipation as the player does the same thing to the in-game audience. It's thrilling stuff, the kind of set-piece which would make for an excellent Inform tutorial.

The rest of the game pales a little in comparison. This is not to denigrate Harrison's achievements: from a purely technical standpoint there's still a fair amount to appreciate, such as some solid NPC interactions and a setting that has the population density of character and detail just right. But the writing and atmosphere just don't harmonize with these aspects of the game the way they do in the first act (no wordplay intended?).

Beyond the opening scene, the writing is probably the chief attraction. Harrison isn't afraid to use some flowery prose, but more importantly establishes a good couple of narrative voices. (Spoiler - click to show)The contrast between the narrator's voice for the magic act and the rest of the game is a good touch, with the dramatic and confident narration in the beginning emphasizing Meldellevo's power and skill, and the following imagined diatribes from Sally highlighting how insecure a character Sarah really is. This adds somewhat to the Faustian conflict at play. The settings are easy to picture as a result of the good descriptive text, rendering progress that much more comfortable, and some tense moments have genuine punch. (Spoiler - click to show)Consider the excellent use of the single-sentence paragraph at the climax of the magic routine, as well as the "normal" ending's final sentence. There are, however, some rough patches - syntax and word usage errors not due to technical issues. They aren't really numerous enough to destroy your enjoyment of the game or anything, but together with a sense that a premise this creative could have supported a bigger story, they add to the feeling of the whole package as a little unpolished.

This is also one of the more linear stories I've encountered in IF - as the author notes, it's impossible to put the game into an unwinnable state. However, the alternate ending - and yes, there is one - relies on a sufficiently unfair puzzle that getting it is more of an exercise for a second playthrough than a genuine opportunity for the first-time player. It also means that the nearly puzzle-less environment consists largely of "guess the verb" mini-games, though these aren't particularly unfair.

Overall, this is a story with strong promise - and even as a diamond in the rough (emphasizing the "diamond"), it's worth your time. Were Ms Harrison to expand this into a larger narrative - which I would argue, is a worthwhile pursuit - I'd suggest maintaining (where possible) the information asymmetry between player and protagonist, as well as getting one (or maybe one more) friendly eye to proofread and test-play.

Good job!

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- Savaric (Sweden), August 31, 2011

- RichCheng (Warwickshire, UK), July 20, 2011

- Felix Pleșoianu (Bucharest, Romania), April 24, 2011

- Simon Christiansen (Denmark), January 11, 2011

- The Year Is Yesterday (California), December 12, 2010

- Telvayne (Tennessee, USA), August 18, 2010

- Sorrel, July 25, 2010

- Azazel, April 8, 2010

- Benjamin Wochinski (Milwaukee, WI), November 28, 2009

- JonathanCR, September 21, 2009

- Shchekotiki, August 3, 2009

- MyTheory (Missouri), June 14, 2009

- Cheryl L (Australia), May 4, 2009

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
Revising my opinion, May 7, 2008

The first scene of this game is a favorite of mine: the player is called on to do a magic trick in front of an audience, though (of course) as player he does not know how the trick is done. But there's more to the scene than simply getting the trick right and solving the puzzle: on a replay, it's possible to turn the scene into a real performance, by hamming things up, tantalizing the audience, and making the most out of each stage. This allows for expressive play -- getting into the character of the PC and making the most of it -- to a degree I have seen in few other games.

When I first played, I found the pacing broke down a bit in the later scenes, and the writing became more overwrought. Replaying later, I found the later pieces of the game much more successful. I'm not sure whether this is because I was playing a later version of the game (these notes are based on version 6) or whether I was just luckier with my subsequent play-through. But on review, this piece impressed me quite a bit more than it did the first time around.

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- Nusco (Bologna, Italy), October 31, 2007

3 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
Evocative but Linear, October 23, 2007
by AmberShards (The Gothic South)
Related reviews: non-interactive, victorian, horror

One of the effects interactive fiction generates a strong feeling of "being there", due to the description of your environs and your interaction with them. The Act of Misdirection features stunningly evocative prose; you never doubt that you are in turn-of-the-century London, seen through the veil of Victorian horror. The game also features a flashback, which is a rarity in IF. However, there are no choices in this game. It is more like you fumble around where interaction is required until you discover "the" answer, which allows the plot to continue. The ending is satisfying in a cathartic way, but still feels hollow. It's like someone is reading you an engrossing story where you have to guess what comes next at certain junctures. Fiction it is; interactive, it is not.

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