Castle Elsinore

The Phantom's Revenge and Castle Elsinore are two early piece of IF that are of very little value except for its age.

The Phantom's Revenge is riddled with below-average writing, inane puzzles, and inflexible parser that understands only the most basic verb-noun sentences. The plot doesn't even make sense: the introduction tells of a prison that's rumored to hold treasures guarded by a ghost, and invites you to explore it-- yet in the very first scene you find yourself imprisoned in a cell without a clue of why or how.

The game would deserve complete anonymity if not for some logical puzzles that do require a modicum of thought. It is also very unforgiving: once you find all the treasures, you only have a few moves to get back to the town hall to deposit them.

Don't expect this game to be more than what it is: an Infocom wannabe that falls far off the mark. Castle Elsinore is slightly better than its cousin due to a more coherent plot, but still bogged down with obscure puzzles. Underrated, yes, but not by much :)

Review By HOTUD