Objection! is a 1984 Transmedia Inc. game where you take on the role of defense lawyer. Your client has been accused of murder, and it's your job to prove him innocent by correct usage of proper legal jargon. The game is essentially text-based, and pretty easy to play. A list of letter commands for your different legal choices appears on the first screen. You'll want to write these down, as they'll not be repeated, and you're unlikely to remember all twelve.
The prosecution will ask a question of the witness - everything from, "Could you state your name, please?" to "What does your therapist think about this case?" Some will be proper questions to which you will have no objection, but when you do have an objection, you have to give the proper reason for doing so.
Points are gained for when you give the correct objection and lost when you give an incorrect answer. You need a certain amount of points to progress to the next level.
The graphics are pretty unimpressive. Basically, a generic looking bald judge with a mustache and a generic gavel, and a generic looking witness. Pretty standard for the era. But the graphics are also unnecessary, and you have the option to turn them off if you want. It has an option to turn the sound on and off, but the sound for mine must have been broken, because changing the on/off setting did nothing. I did not care enough to try to fix it, but I suspect it, too, is probably generic.
There really
isn't much of a learning curve for Objection! Anyone who wants to could jump in and get a handle on it pretty quick, as it's quite straightforward. A bit of basic legal knowledge will be to your advantage, though. For instance, on of the objections is for a question that violates the "best evidence rule." What is that? Some people may have to look it up. Mostly, though, watching an episode of Matlock or Perry Mason gives you pretty much all the info you need. This, combined with pretty basic logic, should get you through the game. In this respect, it's probably very close to actually being a lawyer, eh?
While it may be generic, kind of repetitive, and not terribly challenging, for the most part Objection! is entertaining. And really, that's the main point. 6.5/10 overall. Bump that up if you like logic, text, or legal games. Overall, a nice little game worthy of a couple hours of your time.
