Nectar of the Gods - author Douglas Rogers
     (Freeware text adventure for PC, part of PD 522)

                 Reviewed by Simon Avery

Nectar Of The Gods isn't a new game, though this is the first time
I've seen it about. Written in 1985, this version (2.0) is a
re-write of the original Basic adventure into an EXE file.

Normally at this point in a review, I would tell you what the
adventure was written with, but, I'm afraid I can't!  AGT and TADS
definitely don't feature, and I can only assume it is the author's
own creation. So what of the system? Well, it's definitely
'No-Frills', all the associated files are pure ASCII - so if you
were unscrupulous, you could easily cheat. It's also lacking in
user-friendliness. By this, I mean that there are NO
abbreviations, not even 'L' for 'Look'. This slows down gameplay
and can be annoying for those used to more modern adventures.
Nothing serious, but it's so easily included in a game, there is
little excuse not to do so.

You start off as a tourist in modern-day Athens and decide to go
exploring. A taxi driver takes you to various places and with a
bit of luck, you'll find yourself back in ancient times, with many
a puzzle 'twixt you and completion.

Nectar is based on the Greek myths, Aphrodite, Athena and Zeus all
appear in one form or another and the plot is woven around quite
nicely to give a fairly good atmosphere. Although the text is
short, messages minimal and sudden deaths quite frequent, this
game has the indefinable 'something' that makes for an enjoyable
adventure. Good research shows through time and again, something
that always adds to the atmosphere.

Although the game is still very playable, it is not without
faults.  Little things, like walking out of your hotel room and
going down the stairs will end up with you dead - the stairs being
dark and without your flashlight, you fall down them. Now I've not
been in many hotels, the ones I have stayed at have all had good
lighting on the stairs, but stairs being dark enough to fall down
in daylight? I think not. Sudden deaths like this have always been
my pet hate, there is no reason for them. Despite these drawbacks,
Nectar should be endured until it opens up into a good adventure.

A nice little game, good for a few hours fun and, being Freeware,
there's nothing else to pay apart from the copying fee from your
shareware library. Worth getting, especially if you're interested
in the Greek myths.

Rating: 6/10









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