~The Cyberplasm Formula

Comic Book Adventure by SANCTUARY WOODS


By Lu Richardson


Yet another Windows game, in which all the action takes place in a 
3"-across rectangle - which an enormous expanse of blank screen all 
around.  Get squinting.

This is an adventure in which the characters, a guy and a talking 
dog, travel back to the past searching for a formula with which to 
save civilization.  The whole thing is in comic book style, and 
indeed the action screen is no bigger than your average vignette.  
There is a minimum of animation, but the graphics are very 
accomplished and what movement there is, is excellent.

There is speech throughout; not that I think this is a particular 
advantage, specially when American street-slang is used.  The 
help menu is very good, giving you details about the mechanics of 
gameplay.

Although the style is novel and bright and breeze, the game does 
not lack failings.  For instance, right at the beginning, you have a 
choice of items.  You cannot pick them all up, because you run out 
of energy and die, so you choose a few at random and hope for the 
best.  Inevitably, you pick the wrong ones, so that several days 
into the game you realize that you should have got something else; 
and, since you have no way of getting back to the locations with the 
items, you have to start all over again.  Once more, you are limited 
to taking up a few things, so you could spend the rest of your life 
repeating the same movements till you get it right.

Is it worth it?  Only if you knew which items to pick up at the 
outset.  Then, yes:  it is a pleasant game to look at, to listen to, 
to play.  It doesn't tax your brains overmuch, it's jolly and it's 
good, clean fun.  Nevertheless, a very light-weight product, I'm not 
sure you'll get your money's worth of entertainment.


Copyright (c) 1995 Eurowave Leisure Ltd.