<!--
	Title: Enchanter and Sorcerer
	Author: Matt Hillman
	Source: Analog Computing, #26
	Date: January 1985
	Transcription by Steve Derby
-->

<img class="center" style="max-width: 90%; display:block; margin: auto;" src="/public/img/articles/analog-enchanter-sorcerer-review/enchanter-sorcerer-packaging.png" alt="Enchanter and Sorcerer packaging">

**ENCHANTER and SORCERER<br>
INFOCOM, Inc.<br>
55 Wheeler Street<br>
Cambridge, MA 02138<br>
32K Disk $49.95**

*It must be the warlock Krill. The odd disappearances,
the mysterious dissolution of regions sacred to the Circle,
the lessening of the Powers -- these could only be his handiwork.
The Circle gathers, and the leader, the esteemed
Belboz, reveals to them an ancient document which portends
evil days much like our own.*

*"Krill's evil must be unmade," he begins, "but to send
a powerful Enchanter is ill-omened. It would be ruinous
to reveal oversoon our full powers." A ripple of concern
spreads over the face of each Enchanter. Belboz pauses
and collects his resolve. "Have hope! This has been written
by a hand far wiser than mine!"*

*He recites a short spell, and you appear. Belboz approaches,
transfixing you with his gaze, and hands you
the document. The other Enchanters await his decree.
"These words, written ages ago, can have only one meaning.
You, a novice Enchanter with but a few, simple spells
in your Book, must seek out Krill, explore the Castle he
has overthrown and learn his secrets. Only then may his
vast evil be lessened or, with good fortune, destroyed."
The Circle rises to intone a richly-woven spell whose
textures imbue the small, darkened chamber with warmth
and hope. There is a surge of power; you are Sent.*

Thus begins **Enchanter**, the first adventure in a new
three-part saga from Infocom. The games are set in
a magical world on the shore of a great sea -- across
which lies the Great Underground Empire of **Zork**.

For those adventurers who have made their way
through **Zork**, **Enchanter** is like an old friend. While
it is not really a sequel to the **Zork** trilogy, there are
some scenes and characters that are familiar. If you
haven't played **Zork**, you won't lose much; you just
won't see a few jokes that only **Zork** players would
recognize.

As you explore the world of **Enchanter**, the methods
of conquering Krill slowly become evident, and,
eventually, you gain enough knowledge to assault Krill
and win the game.

Many adventures, like **Enchanter**, have good plots.
However, **Enchanter** is a notch or two above most
of the competition. There are a number of factors that
make this, like most of Infocom's games, one of the
best adventures around.

## What makes it good.

The first thing one notices about **Enchanter** is the
superb documentation. It comes with a Guild Directory,
which humorously explains the rules and gives
playing hints. And there's a genuine, sealed "ancient
document," the one that Belboz refers to in the introduction.
The documentation is interesting and funny,
and adds some realism to the game.

The program itself is also a work of art. It can understand
full sentences and over 600 nouns, verbs, adjectives,
articles -- and even some prepositions. With
this huge vocabulary, it still can usually respond in
a couple of seconds, accessing the disk only occasionally.

There are also numerous "extras" included here that
many adventures don't have. You can print out a transcript
of your quest (assuming, of course, that you've
got a printer), allowing you to review your progress
or peruse the transcript at a later time, possibly finding
clues that were missed during the playing of the
game. The major problem with this is that it uses lots
of paper; however, you can turn the printer on or off
at will, so you need only print the parts you want.

There are also commands to save a game and then
recall it. You can save four game positions on a blank
disk. It is often smart to save a game just before attempting
something dangerous, or just to give yourself
(and the computer) a rest.

More than technology is needed in a good adventure;
the setting and characters of the game must be
as developed as the program. **Enchanter** does this very
well, making you feel as if you really are wandering
through a world of strange creatures, magical spells
and hostile forces.

Each location is described in detail. As you travel
through the deserted village, you can *sense* the
desolation...and, in Krill's castle, you can *feel* the evil.
The locations even change over time; as Krill's power
increases, the darkness and evil in the land grow
more powerful.

**Enchanter** is filled with excellent puzzles, most of
which involve magical spells. You begin with only four
but can find more during the game. Some spells can
only be used once, while others are reusable. In most
puzzles, you must manipulate the spells in certain ways --
and the correct way usually isn't obvious at first.
Some spells can be used to solve more than one puzzle,
which poses a problem if they can only be used
once! You may get near the end of the game, only to
find out that, to win, you need a spell you used up
at the beginning. Most puzzles are complicated and
difficult, but not to the point of frustration. Through
creativity, logic and the use of imbedded clues, the
puzzles *can* be overcome.

The world of **Enchanter** has more in it than the
puzzles leading to its solution. Some adventures will
accept the correct commands and respond, "You can't
do that," for everything else; **Enchanter** does not. For
example, the spells can be used in a variety of ways.
One spell, Blorb, seals whatever you cast it on in a
strongbox. You can cast it on anything you want, including
yourself (not too healthy). There are also random
events that are inconsequential to solving the
puzzles but add realism to the game, making it more
interesting.

**Enchanter** has some problems, though none really
detracts from the game. At one point, a seemingly-simple
action becomes complicated because of the
way you have to word it; the synonym recognition
of the program could be better here. Also, sometimes
when you try to cast a spell on something (such as
Blorbing a turtle), the computer doesn't respond with
anything. It should at least say, "Nothing happens."
One other problem is that you have to eat and drink;
while this adds to the realism of the game, eventually
it just becomes a pain in the neck.

When the warlock Krill is finally conquered -- and
you become a hero -- you are ready for the next challenge.
This is **Enchanter**'s sequel, **Sorcerer**.

## Onward to Sorcerer.

In **Sorcerer**, Belboz has been kidnapped. It is up
to you to rescue him. You'll have to explore the Guild
Hall, an ancient fort and castle, and an underground
amusement park -- finally gaining the ability to defeat
the demon Jeearr, who holds Belboz prisoner.

Unlike many sequels, **Sorcerer** does live up to the
precedent set for it by **Enchanter** and, in many respects,
surpasses it. The documentation consists of
an issue of *Popular Enchanting Magazine* (or rule book)
and a rotating cardboard Infotater, which gives information
about the many creatures of the land, like
Brogmoids and Dorns.

Game play is essentially the same as **Enchanter**'s.
**Sorcerer** has all the special commands and features
of its predecessor, with a much larger vocabulary (consisting
of over 1000 words). There seems to be a drawback,
however, in that -- occasionally -- the computer
will spend a long time interpreting your sentence (possibly
because it's searching through its vocabulary).

One small improvement is in the routine after the
player's death. In previous Infocom games, in order
to use a saved game after a death, you had to restart
the game (which takes a little while) and then restore
your old game. In Sorcerer, you have the option to
restore a game right after your death. This can save
a lot of time if you are in a place where you are continually
dying.

The best improvement is in the game world itself,
its setting and puzzles. **Sorcerer**'s very well developed.
As you play the game, the history and geography of
the land becomes evident. There is even an encyclopedia
which contains entries about the history and
culture of **Sorcerer**'s world. The scenario is realistic,
not only because of its detailed description, but also
because of its depth; there's more to this game than
puzzles. Even after the game has been solved, there
are many interesting things that can be done.

The puzzles are still the heart of the game, and **Sorcerer**'s
are excellent. In general, they're not too difficult
(**Enchanter**'s are harder) but are very interesting
and, in a few cases, very complicated. Some puzzles,
especially one quite complex puzzle toward the end,
seem difficult at first but never reach the point of impossibility.
There's always something else to try.

Like **Enchanter**, most **Sorcerer** puzzles are dependent
on magical spells. Some are new, while others
were used in the previous game. There are also potions,
which affect the drinker in various ways. Magic
works much the same way it did in **Enchanter**.

The problems in **Sorcerer** are few. One could complain
that it is too easy, but that's really dependent
on the player's tastes and abilities. The program seems
to take a long time between commands, as mentioned
earlier. The problem of food and water is taken care
of early; in **Sorcerer** you don't have to carry it around
with you. All in all, **Sorcerer** is one of the best adventures
to be found.

Once **Sorcerer** is solved, aspiring **Enchanter**s will
have to wait until later this year to continue questing.
**Sorcerer** drops a few hints about its sequel, but
the plot remains a mystery. One can only wait.
