Souldrinker - Tower Productions/Zenobi RRP œ5.99
            Package includes a free blank disk.
               (Text/graphic adventure)

                Review by G.L. Wheeler

In Souldrinker you are Elric, Albino Prince of Melinbonae. You 
have just returned from a hunt to catch a wild boar for your 
wedding feast. Unfortunately, while you were away, the Jon-Horde 
raided your village and killed your family and fiancee, Ella. 
Your task is to acquire the famous sword 'Stormbringer', the 
Drinker of Souls, to enable you to take your revenge. 

Sounds familiar? Well it did to me, but then I am a fan of 
Michael Moorcock's books, in particular the 'ELRIC' series, from 
which the authors of this adventure have, without any doubt, drawn 
most of their inspiration. Such things as 'Elric Kinslayer', the 
'Albino Prince', with his deadly, black blade 'Stormbringer', the 
Drinker of Souls, is, of course, a direct pinch and the fact that 
this Elric is from 'MELINBONAE' and not 'MELINBONE' like the 
books is probably due more to a spelling mistake rather than a 
blinding flash of inspiration gained by the authors sitting up 
burning the midnight oil in a bid for originality. Not even
the 'Jon-Horde' are their own creation as I vaguely remember
seeing them in a fantasy film, but unfortunately its title
escapes me at the moment, although I am sure that someone out
there will be able to enlighten me. All I can say is that I hope
Zenobi Software is aware that Tower Productions have used other
people's characters in their adventure as I feel sure that this
must constitute a violation of the copyright laws.

The adventure itself is extremely small with only some thirty-seven
locations in total and by no means are all of these necessary,
neither have the authors made up for the brevity of their game
with the complexity of its content, in fact there are very few
puzzles at all and those that are included are not well
thought-out or particularly logical. I also felt that this 
adventure contained a disproportionate amount of red herrings, 
for example, the inclusion of a non-functional movement spell 
which caused one person who shall remain nameless to wander 
around every location frantically waving it (didn't you, Sue - 
@+oops!!) ~(hehe) +just added extra frustration to an already tedious
game.

To add to the already large list of faults, the game has several 
bugs. One in particular can, unfortunately, prevent you from 
solving the main (almost only) puzzle. This bug usually occurs 
after you save the game and, on the subject of saving your 
position, I was surprised to find that no ramsave was included 
which I felt was yet another drawback as the game contains 
several sudden death situations.

Now hands up all of those who feel it is a benefit to be allowed 
to read on-screen messages in an adventure. Well, if you number 
among those who do, you will be in for a disappointment with 
this game as most of them whiz by so fast that you barely have a 
chance to start reading them?!

The inclusion of music in a 'STAC' adventure was, I thought, a 
fairly original concept, but unfortunately it was so horrendous 
that I was more than grateful to find that a command had been 
included to turn it off! 

The only good thing that I can say about this adventure is that 
the graphics were excellent and I felt sorry that they were 
wasted on such a poor adventure.

When I consider that it is supposed to have taken four people 
some fourteen 'man' months to write this adventure (I use the 
term 'adventure' in its loosest form) it just goes to prove that 
endeavour is obviously no substitute for talent! There is no way 
that I can recommend this adventure even taking into 
consideration the fact that you get a free blank disk included 
with it - to be honest I would have preferred two blank disks 
instead of the game!!!