Being a somewhat of a classic gamer, I try to go and look for the hidden gems that most of today's gamers have forgotten. With graphics come the extinction of some forms of game play. One of the biggest genres to be practically wiped out by the simple usage of graphics was text adventures. The first big text adventure game was Zork, which was then based on the simple Atari game Adventure. Zork and its followers used to be where gamers went to be involved in good adventure tales on their old computers.
However, the advent of graphics meant that these games were not really needed anymore. While looking for some good games, I however found one that I would suggest other people should give a shot for a text adventure game, A Mind Forever Voyaging.
This game would prove to be my first (and so far only) text adventure I've tackled. As such, one of the most important matters is that of story. The character you take control of is a sentient computer. A high politician wants to be able to pass a lot of new laws and resolutions. What your job is, is to be able to simulate what the world will look like in the next four decades (for instance, 10 years
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ahead, 20 years ahead, etc.) You go in as an actual person, and are able to travel and interact with different stores and people. The main point is to observe different things of interest you might see, that would show what effect these laws have had. The city you explore is in itself quite large, and though some sections are closed off here and there, there are a lot of places to go and do things. After some hours, you have to return, and you give your findings to the scientist in charge of the project. When you're done with the minimum number of observations, you can go into the next decade.
Perhaps the greatest thing about this game is the world you simulate. It is simply wondrous in its size, and with so much to do, it's hard to find yourself getting bored. However, having a map handy would help you out quite a bit, whether the official one or one you draw up yourself. Being able to experience the future in 4 decades makes this game stand out from many other games of the era, by engrossing you in it. The game play is the best part.
Overall, the gameplay is where it is at. The challenge is not really there, as there is only one part in the game where you can lose (very end.) No graphics or sound, since it's a text adventure. If you can find it, please, just give it a go. It's a great game.
