<!--
	Title: (Panak strikes!) Moonmist
	Author: Steve Panak
	Source: Analog Computing, #53
	Date: April 1987
	Transcription by Steve Derby
-->

**<span class="larger">Moonmist</span><br>
by Stu Galley and Jim Lawrence<br>
INFOCOM<br>
125 CambridgePark Drive<br>
Cambridge, MA 02140<br>
48K Disk $34.95**

**Moonmist** is the newest volume in the mystery wing of the Infocom Public Library.
This introductory-level game is also the perfect work for patrons interested in
checking out a good mystery. Co-authored by Jim Lawrence, a contributor to the popular
Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series, this piece might also be the perfect entry
point for younger adventurers.

In the story, you find yourself portraying a famous American detective. An old
friend of yours, Tamara, has become engaged to a British lord. However, her storybook
life at Tresyllian Castle, a popular tourist attraction owned by the lord, has
been turned into a nightmare by the appearance of a white, ghostly woman. According
to Tamara's letters, this specter is rumored to be the ghost of Dierdre, a jilted
lover of Tamara's fiancee, Lord Jack. It seems she drowned just after Jack broke
off their romance, although the body was never found. Could it be that she never
drowned at all? Perhaps, but the mystery of the ghost is only one puzzle which will
challenge you in **Moonmist**.

<figure class="float-left">
	<img src="/public/img/articles/analog-moonmist-review/moonmist-cover.png" alt="Moonmist cover">
	<figcaption class="center" style="font-weight: bold;">Gothic mystery aplenty in <em>Moonmist</em>.</figcaption>
</figure>

Hidden somewhere in the castle is a valuable treasure, and you're not the only
one aware of this fact. Clues, in the form of riddles, are known by yourself and by
most of the other colorful characters living in the castle. Part of the adventure is
a treasure hunt through its halls, in search of the booty. Clues range from a simple
skeleton image in a Chinese mandarin costume to complex riddles, such as "Forbidden
fruit tempted the very first lass; 'Twas once in a garden, but now in a glass."

As if this isn't tough enough, you'll also have to keep an eye on each of the cunning
characters in this game -- and remember, as in reality, given the possibility of
great financial gain, people occasionally act a little differently than they might want
you to think they would. This is one of my favorite aspects of interactive mysteries --
the development of and interaction with memorable characters. And, though **Moonmist**
is full of them, I found the butler especially noteworthy... and, like all butlers,
suspicious.

Included in the vast, superb docwnentation are: a manual, two letters from Tamara,
a brochure containing a map of the castle, and an iron-on Moonmist decal for
your soon-to-be favorite shirt. The manual includes a book borrowed from the Festeron
Town Library, entitled The Legendary Ghosts of Cornwall. This contains enough
stories to horrify even the strongest ghostbuster. You'll want to read through them
to get yourself in the mood. The remainder of the manual completely explains operation
of the program. Although the shirt decal was my favorite accessory, the map and
brochure were quite helpful. However, like the tourist brochure it imitates, this pamphlet
doesn't disclose the numerous private portions of the castle. Of course, as you
might expect in any self-respecting castle, there are plenty of secret passages for you
to explore.

The program operates much like other Infocom titles. The only modification to
the standard Infocom parser is the ability to use *X* as an abbreviation for "Examine."
This was a relief to me, as I'm curious and tend to examine everything I can get my
hands on -- and some things that I can't. **Moonmist** derives your gender from your
name, to correspondingly modify the game parameters: what you wear, and how the
other characters treat you. This, along with the Gothic setting, should appeal to many
women. Finally, any of four versions can be played, each with different riddles,
clues and treasures. The version you play is dependent on what you choose as your
favorite color at the start. And even this variable influences the story: choose red
and you drive up in a red car, while a red bedroom awaits you.

On the down side, I don't have to tell you that each new response requires a time-costly
disk access. Fortunately, "Superbrief mode" speeds you through fanliliar territory.
Also, while the four variations offer different puzzles, they occur in a déjà-vu-like
pattern framework. While the variations extend the playing time of the game,
they're a poor substitute for the next new Infocom product.

I would recommend **Moonmist** for all Infocom newcomers, especially those who
like a good mystery. Veterans -- who may find the introductory level too facile for
their powerful minds -- probably ought to wait for Infocom to bring forth their next
offering. But this very aspect makes **Moonmist** the perfect entry for new adventurers.
For them, **Moonmist** is a must.
