A Journey into Xanth

Adventure 1993 Dos tbf

Light fantasy thrills

Followers of the works of noted fantasy author Piers Anthony will be right at home with this little slice of interactive fiction, taking players as it does into the much-love literary world of Xanth. Players take on the role of Mim, a young and classically ordinary fellow who just happens to be destined for greater things. Like most of his people, he has special magical talent, which in his case is the ability to talk to anyone he desires, no matter how far away they might be (in the real world they're called mobile phones). A big man in his local community for the usefulness of this talent, Mim soon finds himself called into a daring adventure by a far off King which takes the player through several places recognisable from Anthony's books. It's all fairly classic stuff, with the usual perilous situations to puzzle your way out of, unusual characters to meet, and maze-like environments to explore, but if you are a fan of either Anthony or the likes of Zork, then this is pretty decent stuff. The puzzles are generally fairly logical, lacking the frustration that many games of this ilk provide (although you would be advised to put your punning head on before playing) but death is a constant raven watching over your head and only the attentive adventurer will learn from their mistakes. The parser system is satisfyingly intuitive and comprehensive and while lacking the sophisticated elegance of the best of Infocom's work, it certainly makes playing easy and enjoyable. A Journey into Xanth might be lacking a little in terms of challenge but while the ride lasts, it's certainly a fun one so if you're in the mood for some light fantasy adventuring, take a look here.

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