Leisure Suit Larry 5 - Sierra RRP œ31.99-œ35.99
      (Icon-driven graphic adventure for Amiga and PC)

           Reviewed on the Amiga by Phil Darke

Well here it is at last; the long awaited sequel to Larry 3.  Yes
I can count!  There isn't a Larry 4 (at least not yet).  The story
for those not familiar with the Larry series is that after Larry
and Patti met in Larry 3 they had a passionate affair which was
detailed in Larry 4, but Patti with uncharacteristic coyness did
not want the story published and has hidden the floppies.

Having played and completed the game in under a week I am inclined
to view this game with mixed feelings. I have always been a fan of
Sierra games despite the many criticisms of them, and Larry 5 is
no exception. The story line is brilliant and the jokes as corny
as ever.  The graphics are good but some scenes ie the airport
terminal, departure lounge, runways and the limo are repeated in
sometimes as many as six or seven locations. Down to the last
detail. Personally I would have happily sacrificed a few of the

clever bits of animation in favour of more varied scenery.  Sound
effects and music are excellent, even if the tune does get a bit
tedious after a while. As far as so-called porn is concerned there
really isn't any and the steamiest scenes are left very much to
the imagination and wouldn't shock even the most narrow-minded.
Problem solving is generally pretty easy and I only got stuck once
during the game and even then on reflection I could have figured
it out if I had paid more attention to the resumes of the three
girls.

The game is described as interactive and this brings me to my main
criticism.  Throughout the game there are a lot of places where
the computer takes over and all that you can do is to sit back and
watch as Larry or Patti go through some quite lengthy animated
sequences.  From the point at which Larry has finished
interviewing the three girls and is heading home to the end of the
game is a very long animated sequence involving an incident on the
plane, Patti being debriefed and Patti and Larry's re-union. It's
all very clever but leaves the player with nothing to do but sit
and watch for over an hour. I get the feeling that I might as well
have been watching a video.

Those, like me, who were used to playing text adventures where we
got involved with the game, solving problems and mapping might
well wonder if Sierra have lost their way. The earlier Kings Quest
and Space Quest games were brilliant and innovative but this
frankly gets a bit boring. Maybe Sierra should sit back and take a
long look at itself and maybe take a few tips from Lucasfilm and
Delphine.

In conclusion not bad but not really worth thirty-five quid.
Enjoy.