<!--
	Title: (MARKETALK: Reviews) The Witness
	Author: Margot Comstock Tommervik
	Source: Softalk, v3(11)
	Date: July 1983
	Transcription by Steve Derby
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**The Witness**. By Steve Galley. *The heavy perfumed smoke from the great
man's pipe enfolded Watson the moment he cracked open the door, and the
sweet strains of violin music doubled in volume and pathos.*

*"Holmes," Watson ventured, "I hate to interrupt you, but. ..."*

*"Then don't, sir," came the deep response, although no sign of awareness
of the good doctor showed in Holmes's lank, languid form. He went
right on drawing bow across strings of the instrument he loved to caress.*

*"But Holmes," Watson protested, "it's such a fascinating case. Not
many suspects, you know, but quite difficult. You see, all the evidence points
to one fellow, and I'm convinced the poor chap didn't do it. But, gads.
Holmes, I can't find the proper evidence to figure out who did, and—"*

*"My good fellow" — Holmes said, finishing a melody and raising his
chin tentatively from the violin — "we've just finished a wearing case: tell me
no more and send these people elsewhere. I need time. "He drew deeply on
his pipe and began to fall back into his playing position.*

*"No, no. Holmes," said Watson, warming to his task. "This isn't people,
at least not real ones. It's the new Interlogic Mystery from Infocom I'm
talking about, called* The Witness. *As the player, we actually witness a
murder and must solve the mystery. It all takes place in the pulp-style world
of Los Angeles in the year 1938."*

*"Well, why didn't you say so, man?" Holmes whisked his violin into its
case and changed to his mystery-solving pipe. "You know how I loved*
Deadline.*"*

*Yes, but, well . . . I never did understand exactly how you knew the
butler. ..."*

*"Elementary. Watson." Holmes remarked as he hurried Watson to the
computer room. "Los Angeles, eh? In 1938. Leave it to Infocom to be the
first to bring us a science-fiction mystery."*

Everything about *The Witness* reflects the style of the pulp detective
magazines of the late thirties and early forties — history, rather than science
fiction, from our perspective. And all the era-relevant details of the
game and the package have been carefully researched for accuracy.

The package itself is lots of fun. Cliche after cliche from those popular
pulps jumps off the outside folder in thirties-traditional multiple typefaces.
Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, move over; here
comes Infocom. The dossier contains a bunch of clues, including a pack
of matches from the Brass Lantern restaurant (could our friend Zork resemble
Alfred Hitchcock?); a thirties-style telegram actually set up and
authenticated by Western Union; a page from the *Santa Ana Register* of
February 1, 1938, doctored only to include the story relevant to the
game; and a copy of *Nat'l Detective Gazette*, complete with authentic ads
from the *National Sheriff* 1938 and filled with stories that supply the
documentation for the game.

*The Witness* is fun to play, but the mystery adventure form is still in
its infancy. Although the interaction is terrific, it's kind of like terrific
caviar; it makes you hunger for the main course. You'll think of a hundred
questions you know you can't ask, and it's not totally consoling
knowing that if you can't ask them you don't need them. Still, if this first
step weren't so good, it wouldn't make you think of how much more
you'd like.

The mystery, when all is said and done, is fairly simple; *Deadline* was
more complex. But the atmosphere and sense of reality make up for it.
*The Witness* is another plum for mystery buffs. And, like the pulps it
emulates, the entire package is apt to become a collector's item some
day.

<p class="smaller"><em>The Witness</em>, by Steve Galley, Infocom (55 Wheeler Street, Cambridge, MA
02138; 617492-1031). $49.95.</p>