<!--
	Title: (Adventure) Spellbreaker
	Source: Zzap!64, #12
	Date: April 1986
	Transcription by Steve Derby
-->

*Infocom, £19.95, disk only*

It's not often that we Wizards have the pleasure of reviewing a new
**Infocom** game, but the Gods are obviously smiling on us this month, because
a copy of *Spellbreaker* has just arrived in the post.

<img class="float-right" src="/public/img/articles/zzap64-spellbreaker-review/catalog-cover.png" alt="A cropped image of the cover of the Frobozz Magic Equipment Catalog from Spellbreaker">

*Spellbreaker* is the third game in the *Enchanter* series -- the previous
two releases were *Enchanter* and *Sorcerer*. Ol' Whitey has never
actually played *Enchanter*, but *Sorcerer* (written by Steve Meretzky)
is an old favourite of mine. In fact, I would go so far as to say that
it's my all-time favourite game of the 'magic-and-mystery' variety.

*Spellbreaker*, however, is not written by Meretsky, but on first
acquaintance it appears to be equally as mesmerising. The
descriptions are long and excellently written, and in the very first few
seconds of the game at least four characters deliver speeches of almost
a screen-full in length! They then get turned into newts, but
that's another story.

The basic idea behind *Spellbreaker* is thematically similar to
the first two games. Somewhere in the background lurks a hideously
powerful Evil Power, who in this case is very bad news for the
Frobozz Corporation. Frobozzco are purveyors of magical equipment,
but the Enchanters (who are their biggest customers) are
having a spot of bother with their spells. In fact, the whole
spell-structure of modern society appears to be collapsing as the power
of the Enchanters' magic steadily weakens. Can you stop the rot? Of
course you can...

<img class="float-right-half" src="/public/img/articles/zzap64-spellbreaker-review/catalog-pages.jpg" alt="Two interior pages from the Frobozz Magic Equipment Catalog from Spellbreaker">

Well I certainly couldn't -- at least not at my first sitting, anyway.
*Spellbreaker* is labelled 'Expert' level by Infocom, which
means that they consider it particularly difficult to crack.. It's certainly
in a different league to *Wishbringer* (Introductory level)
and quite a bit trickier than *Sorcerer*. You find yourself having to
cast spells left, right and centre, right at the beginning of the game
in order to make any progress at all -- and the going doesn't get any
easier, believe me!

Nevertheless, Dave Lebling (co-author of *Zork* and *Enchanter*) has
done an excellent job. Dave was responsible for *Suspect*, a real tour
de force of character interaction, and the influence of this game can
be seen at times in *Spellbreaker*, where the characters play a rather
more significant role than in *Sorcerer*, for example.

Yet another Infocom masterpiece -- need I say more?

<p class="larger" style="font-weight: bold;">Atmosphere 89%<br>
Interactions 93%<br>
Lasting Interest 94%<br>
Value For Money 86%<br>
Overall 92%</p>
