| Review: | The first episode in the satirical Unnkulian saga. Like Zork,
it's set in a high fantasy environment peppered with anacronisms. You're a
slave to Kuulest, a wise hermit who dies during the intro. This makes you
free, but also charges you with the obligation of descending into the ancient
caverns of the Valley King to set something or other right. All the
recurring themes of the Unnkulian games are established here, from Duhdhism
and the obligatory fried egg puzzle to the Acme Corporation and its
vastly inferior products. Hunger is a factor, but not a seriously limiting
one. Contains a maze. Contains a lot of old adventure cliches, for that
matter, but mostly for the sake of mocking them. Has some very nice puzzles,
the sort where the solution arrives in a blaze of inspiration while you're
waiting for the bus or whatever.
Rating: ****
Reviewed by Carl Muckenhoupt (30 Jun 2000)
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