A MATTER OF TIME - author Michael Zerbo
      (A 3-disk adventure on SynTax Disks Ref 1037a/c)

         Reviewed by Bill Hoggett on an Amiga 1200

This 1994 game is a multiple choice romp through a strange time
travel saga. It's described as an introductory level game and
contains some digitised graphics by the author as well as selected
artwork by Vivian McAlexander.

You take the part of Jonathan Stone, a research physicist, working
as an assistant to Dr. Joseph Adams. Dr. Adams and his bitter
rival, Dr. Karl Evers, were each working on their version of a
machine capable of travelling through time, with the prize being
full government funding. However, this morning Dr. Evers was found
dead in his laboratory, with two bullet holes in his head. When
the police attempted to question Dr.  Adams they failed to find
him and, as a result, made him the prime suspect. Now, as you
search through his laboratory, you realise that the time machine
is missing, and a note you find confirms that Professor Adams has
journeyed back to the beginning of time in an attempt to find
proof of the existence of God. As you discuss your find with
Clarisse, the Professor's daughter, the time machine reappears in
the laboratory, empty!  It seems to have been returned by a safety
device, set to bring the machine to the present day in case of
trouble. In an attempt to stop Clarisse from going after her
father, you leap into the machine and activate it...

The adventure proper starts as you are transported back to a small
clearing from where you can start your search for Dr.  Adams. The
mechanics of the game are a little strange: After each turn you
get a summary of shortened commands (N)orth, (G)ive, (L)ook at,
etc.  A summary of commands directly available from the function
keys F1 to F10 is also shown at this time and after a few turns,
this gets quite irritating. At selected points in the story you
get a multiple choice menu with a list of 2 or more courses of
action you can embark upon.  This system takes much away from the
freedom of a traditional text adventure, and makes the player feel
that he is simply being herded into the strict direction the
author intended. A wrong move almost inevitably leads to death,
usually sudden and without warning, a "feature" which will
undoubtedly make most adventurers give up and pack it in after a
few attempts.

The story line, though imaginative, is spoiled by a poor writing
style. Here's an example, from the clearing to which the time
machine takes you:

"There appears to be a trail leading to the North and to the East.
Towards the North it seems to be rocky and to the East you think
you hear some type of river. You can see large tracks to the East.
Other than this trail there seems to be no other exits. You are
surrounded by forests."

This style was just about acceptable in the early eighties, when
space was restricted and text was almost invariably terse, but
1994 (not to mention 1996) expects much, much more.

The graphics consist of small ray-traced pictures, which are
pretty irrelevant to the story, and a few examples of hand drawn
artwork. Neither truly enhance the story, and the sound effects
that accompany some of them are just as ineffective.

After about a dozen sudden deaths, I confess to having put this
game to the back of my collection, never to be played again.

The verdict: A potentially interesting plot spoilt by abysmal
implementation.











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