<!--
	Title: (Reviews) Beyond Zork
	Author: James V. Trunzo
	Source: COMPUTE!, v10(4)
	Date: April 1988
	Transcription by Steve Derby
-->

*Requirements: IBM PC and 100-percent compatibles; Apple II series (including
GS); Macintosh; Amiga; Commodore 128. Some game features unavailable on some
computers.*

Certain venerable software titles instantly conjure images of the early days
of computer gaming. Mention *Pac-Man* or *Space Invaders* and one immediately
recalls countless hours of mindless but enjoyable entertainment. Wax nostalgic
about *Wizardry*, and computer adventurers tend to gaze into the distance,
recollecting their climactic encounter with Werda. Then mention text adventures
and see what title springs to mind. There can be only one—and it is *Zork*.

Now, years after *Zork III*, the final saga of the *Zork Trilogy*, comes yet another
text adventure spawned from those early classics and resurrecting the
beloved title of its forebears. This new adventure continues the legend and at
the same time advances the genre. From Infocom comes the latest in interactive
fiction: *Beyond Zork*. And lest you think that this is just an extension of a
tried-and-true theme, read on.

## The Next Stage

*Beyond Zork* introduces the next stage in interactive fiction, blending the richness
of the standard text adventure with the uniqueness of role playing. No
longer are you faced with just solving the intricate puzzles that are the trademark
of Infocom games; no longer is the character in the adventure one dimensional.
Now, you must design your own character, determining which attributes
you wish to emphasize: size, dexterity, strength, intelligence, luck, or
compassion. Choose wisely: You'll literally live or die with your selections.

*Beyond Zork* places you in the land of Quendor, sending you on a quest for
the fabled Coconut of Quendor, an artifact so powerful that it alone can prevent
evil from dominating the land. If the theme sounds familiar, even trite,
you needn't worry. Your adventure will be anything but commonplace. Traps,
puzzles, and monsters appear with exciting regularity, and the game's interface
is fresh and new.

## Innovative Features

Besides the role-playing element, Beyond Zork contains so many innovative
features that if it weren't for the richness of the text, you might not recognize
the product as having come from Infocom. To begin with, the screen presentation
is unlike any other Infocom game. It provides the user with more
information than ever. For example, onscreen mapping offers you help in
determining where you are, where you've been, and where you might go.
The map, however, shows only a small area of Quendor, so mapping skills are
still necessary.

In the Apple II version, the status line no longer shows a point score:
Instead, it displays your ever-changing characteristics as well as your current
character level. Wounds reduce your endurance; potions increase or decrease
your strength. If you want to see your intelligence take a dive, type a profanity
and watch what happens. What about the text? Dialog boxes now hold the
information that normally commanded 98 percent of the screen.

Another feature making its debut in *Beyond Zork* is the use of function keys.
Previous games allowed the user to take a shortcut by pressing one key to represent
a word (N for north, for example). In *Beyond Zork*, you can now define a
single keystroke to represent an entire sentence. For example, you can create
what amounts to a macro for the command Attack the monster with your sword.
From that point on, simply press a key to carry out that particular command. The
game comes with function keys programmed with the most commonly used
commands; however, any or all of the default commands can be changed.

Seven new commands make their first appearance in *Beyond Zork*:
COLOR allows you to change the colors on your screen. DEFINE lets you
create the macros discussed above. MODE allows you to make the screen
look like the standard Infocom screen, if the maps and other features distract
you. MONITOR automatically monitors your character's endurance, which
is the most important characteristic because it determines if you're alive or
dead, and NAME lets you give a name to items and living things. You can
name your weapon, for example, and *Beyond Zork* will use that name in its
descriptions. NOTIFY is like MONITOR, except it tracks all other attributes.
UNDO allows you to back up one move. ZOOM allows you to see more mapped
area on your screen but in less detail. (Note: the UNDO command is not available
on the standard Apple II version.)

## Land Of Plenty

It's easy to see that *Beyond Zork* is aptly named. The new screen appearance and
the plethora of new commands speak for themselves as worthy additions to
text adventure programs. These features alone would be more than enough to
satisfy jaded game players, but Infocom has added trimmings to this feast by
making *Beyond Zork* its largest program yet. *Beyond Zork* spans an area at least
four times the size of any existing text adventure, giving you a huge land in
which to develop your character.

More frills? Certainly. This is Infocom, after all. A beautifully done, illustrated
handbook titled "The Lore and Legends of Quendor" provides important
information on the beasties (plant and animal alike) that inhabit Quendor,
as well as well-disguised hints on dealing with these obstacles to your success.
Also, a map of the Southland of Quendor provides a useful overview of the world
in which you are about to adventure.

A final note: *Beyond Zork* is available for a wide variety of machines, and
while most of the information in this review holds true no matter which
computer is used to play the game, certain versions contain even more features,
especially in the area of graphics. For example, the Amiga, IBM, Macintosh,
and IIgs versions allow the use of a mouse to move from area to area on
the onscreen maps. All of the above machines — as well as the Commodore
128 — use colorful bar charts to display attribute levels. Also, some systems
allow up to four colors on the screen at one time, as opposed to the two-tone
screens of less-sophisticated systems.

Regardless of which machine is used to play *Beyond Zork*, the result will
be the same: hours of enjoyment. Highly recommended, *Beyond Zork* reaffirms
Infocom's position as king of the text adventures.

Beyond Zork<br>
*Infocom<br>
125 Cambridge Park Dr.<br>
Cambridge, MA 02140<br>
$49.95 IBM PC/compatibles, Apple II, GS, Macintosh, and Amiga versions<br>
$44.95 Commodore 128 version*