A very interesting DOS game was released by Scott Thoman in the year 1989. The game was called The Usurper: The Mines of Qyntarr. You can now play it online.
The company Sir-Tech has made a name for himself on the RPG series Wizardry. Good series, forever left a trace in the history of the industry. In their sphere they were truly professionals, well versed in the genre - because they made in USA trilogy Arkania, Jagged Alliance and some other decent games. At the time of The Usurper: The Mines of Qyntarr - in 1989 - the financial business was good, and apparently, bosses decided to expand the thematic range of production and considered economically viable to produce a text adventure. Yes, that's the game. Yes, in 1989 to sell classic text adventure. Yes, they could not be familiar with Zork Zero: The Revenge of Megaboz, released the year before and already began to significantly depart from the canons, as required by the time. Yes, they took the risk. Moreover, even the planned trilogy. So if this courageous act, as it may seem?
The game takes place in a world that can not cause Association with the already mentioned (and which will be referred to) series Zork. Rather to say that the game is similar to the first three Zork. Fantasy world, captured by the evil Usurper, in need of immediate salvation, because all its inhabitants are subjected to terrible oppression. This world is hidden in the specified in the title game mines, whose name I dare not utter even to himself. The main character finds out about this mess from the note found on the body met in the forest exhausted the wounded man, where he learns about all the prevailing injustices and sent this very injustice to eradicate. Flat? As the Egyptian mirror.
But this is only the beginning of the game. The process will take place primarily in the designated dungeon, which will have to overcome opponents, puzzles and the research element. Yes, research the item will need to win. The fact that the game was made with an eye on Zork, so developers need to find competitive advantages, and the choice fell on three aspects: a good parser (put plus), not inferior to the amount of text (would a plus, if not the next item), and a larger world (put a very big disadvantage). What happened in the end? With the parser did well to get the desired character quickly and easily. Text too much, but there is a caveat associated with the size of the world. The fact that virtual rooms there is an incredible number. Confused is not difficult, not only because of its size, but also due to the fact that the descriptions of all the rooms is very brief and similar to each other. And given the fact that no further definition of their coordinates is not provided, the nerves begin to suffer not worse oppressed by the Usurper of the population.
The Usurper: The Mines of Qyntarr was the last published commercial game in the genre of classic Interactive Fiction without any graphic elements. She does not pull on the Swan song subgenre, secondary and boring. But she was, and you can get to know her yourself.
Wish to enjoy your afternoon playing some classic videogames? Play The Usurper: The Mines of Qyntarr online for free here.
Source: Archive.org, Mobygames.com
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