<!--
	Title: (Micro-Reviews) Seastalker
	Author: Patricia Fitzgibbons
	Source: Computer Gaming World, v4(5)
	Date: October 1984
	Transcription by Steve Derby
-->

<img class="float-left" src="/public/img/articles/cgw-micro-reviews-seastalker/seastalker-screen-shot.jpg" alt="Seastalker screen shot">

There you are, cozy and safe in your research laboratory, hunched over your
workbench, studying the diagram of your futuristic submarine, the "Scimitar." Suddenly,
the videophone alarm begins to blast, but you're so engrossed in your work that
you don't look up until your friend Tip Randall rushes to your side yelling, "Patti, snap
out of it!" You pick up the microphone and speak with Zoe Bly, Commander of the
undersea Aquadome. The information she relates is bad: An enormous sea monster is
battering the Aquadome, and you're the only person who can help. Your quiet studies
are at an end, and your adventure begins.

SEASTALKER, Infocom's newest "interactive fiction," is not for experienced
adventurers. Indeed, the game is labelled by Infocom as a "Junior-Level" adventure.
Garners who have come to know and love ZORK, DEADLINE, or STARCROSS will be
disappointed with SEASTALKER. A good player will be able to solve the game within
a couple of hours, and that's not a whole lot of fun for the price. However, youngsters
and beginners may enjoy SEASTALKER, and its "tutorial" aspects make it a perfect
introduction to text-only games.

As always with Infocom games, the program diskette is accompanied by several
superbly written and illustrated documents. The "Scimitar Logbook" contains detailed
diagrams of the submarine, the laboratory, the aquadome, and a variety of submariner
gear. A nautical chart of Frobton Bay, as well as nine "Infocards" with hidden clues
and descriptions of people and equipment, are included in the game package. The
novice adventurer will want to frequently refer to these materials, but an experienced
player can make the game more difficult by ignoring these documents. You could try
running through the game without reading the hint booklets, then refer to them later
to see what you might have missed.

Even if you refuse to peek at the "Infocards," you will still encounter a lot of
unavoidable "hand holding" in this game. Your buddy Tip Randall has a marked
tendency to offer advice, especially in tight spots. For example, when the videophone
malfunctions, Tip suggests that you check out the problem by using the Computestor.
Later, when you finally encounter the sea monster (the "Snark"), Tip grabs the throttle
and halts your sub saying, "This isn't mutiny, Patti! I just figured we should stop
now." Other characters in the game also volunteer timely information, and the program
occasionally refers you to the Infocards: "If you want a clue, find Infocard
–4 in your SEASTALKER package. Read hidden clue –1 and put 'electrolyte relay' in
the blank space." The Infocard decoder consists of a piece of red plastic that allows you
to decipher the printed clues on each card.

Perhaps you're wondering why Tip addresses me by name. Well, in this "interactive
fiction," you really are the main character. After booting the game diskette,
you're immediately asked to enter your first and last names, and the story is thereafter
entitled "SEASTALKER: Your Name and the Ultramarine Bioceptor." In replaying
the game for this review, I had a few chuckles by changing my name to "Peaches
LaRue" ("Peaches, snap out of it!").

Depending on which brand of computer you use and whether you have a printer, you
may use the "script" command to simultaneously print out a transcript of the
game. A transcript of the story is an added bonus, particularly for beginners who want
to check and correct their mistakes.

The SEASTALKER plot is quite simple: The undersea Aquadome, staffed by Commander
Bly and a crew of five technicians, is being attacked by an enormous mutant
creature. Treachery is suspected, and you, along with your pal Tip, have precious little
time to find the traitor(s) and incapacitate the Snark. The Aquadome staff is a gossipy
bunch; they seem to enjoy discussing one other, sometimes in great detail. By following
certain individuals and questioning them, you can quickly discover who's telling
the truth and who's not. The only difficult segments in the game involve underwater
travel and combat. It's easy to smash into a submerged, obstacle or to fumble your
moves when you're chasing that tentacled sea monster.

As usual with Infocom games, humor takes the edge off of your failures: "Uh oh!
Its rocket weapon is swinging slowly in your direction! As you and Tip eye each other
despairingly, one thing's for sure: THE ADVENTURE'S OVER!" Infocom's
famous parser accepts and understands over 800 words, but if you enter a really
strange command, you might receive these types of responses: "What a fruitcake!" or
"I assume you mean turn on the reactor." To save moves, you can enter numerous
commands on one line. For instance, the following command string works just fine:
Close reactor then turn on engine then open throttle then open gate.

There are a few little inconsistencies or glitches in the program. For example, you
aren't allowed to turn off the microphone and drop it without saying "Goodbye" first.
You can hand the mike to Tip and then walk away, but the program subtracts 3 points
from your score if you don't say goodbye and then solve an additional problem. When
you visit the aquadome's storage room, you're told that there are several supply
shelves with mechanical, electrical, and chemical supplies. But when you ask to examine
the mechanical (or other) supply shelves, you're told that "You can't see any
mechanical supply shelf here!" Searching, even searching very carefully, reveals
nothing. Although several important items are indeed in the storage room, other
characters have to tell you about these items before you can pick them up. It's also odd
that your sidekick asks you questions (leading questions, naturally) regarding certain
issues which were raised —- in your and his presence -— by a crew member. These
conversations were obviously placed in the program to help you along, but they aren't
"realistic."

SEASTALKER, written by Infocom's Jim Lawrence and Stu Galley, is a fine game for
new players, especially young kids, who may need extra help. Puzzle-loving adults
and experienced adventurers should stick with Infocom's more complicated games.
