CLANDESTINY

                  Reviewed by Peter Clark

Your name is Andrew Macphiles and you have received a letter from
a distant relative in Bonnie Scotland telling you that you have
inherited a castle called Castle Macphiles. You and your
girlfriend, Paula, travel to the land of lochs and monsters to
claim your inheritance. Wouldn't you just know it! When you get
there you discover that to get the aforementioned castle you will
have to defeat the deadly curse that has troubled the family for
generations. This game is rather like "Shivers" but less
demanding. There are a great many puzzles and these are mainly of
the mathematical type. Doors all have to be opened by the solving
of a riddle. This only has to be done once and then the door
remains open. As you progress through the game the family crest
which starts blank will fill up and be complete at the game end.

The game takes place totally in the confines of the castle and it
is really a case of exploring the place until you have solved all
the clues.  You will only be allowed to open doors in the correct
order and as you approach the next door to be opened a bouncy Scot
leaps onto the screen with the appropriate riddle. He appears
quite often but there are many other characters within the game.
There is Murthley the Butler and a rather odd vicar. It is
important to listen to what each of the characters say as clues
are quite often given in this way. Where there is a puzzle to be
solved, a throbbing brain takes the place of the cursor and
clicking on it brings up the puzzle on the screen. The way around
the screen is covered in the usual way with a beckoning hand
showing exits but there are a couple of other actions available.
If you position the cursor at the bottom of the screen a spinning
hand will give you a 180 degree turn and a "hitch-hiking" symbol
will point you at the nearest exit. A guide book is available at
the top of the screen and clicking on this while in a puzzle or
riddle will get you into the TIPS section. This will give you more
and more hints until, if you really need it, you will get the
problem solved for you.


The game includes quite a lot of humour and is definitely not a
gloomy game. It is rather in the mode of a scary cartoon such as
"Scooby Doo." The characters are many and other than those already
mentioned you will come across Magnus Og, a Jester, Rohaise a
rather dishy redhead, Gram Grizel the Hag, Torquil, Dame Jennet, a
monster child, Captain Hugh, a drunk, Little Fiona, Sir Thomas and
Buffalo Macphiles. All have something to give as clues and there
seem to be no characters that are there just as scenery

The game ends on a humorous note but I will not spoil the
surprise. It also ends on a note that leaves the way open for a
sequel. In all I would recommend this game to someone who likes
puzzles and has a sense of humour.

Technically, the game runs under Windows 95 and needs 8 megs of
RAM, a double speed CD.

It is published by Trilobyte the makers of 7th Guest and the 11th
Hour.
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