Zork I

The Great Underground Empire







A text written game full of imagination, adventure, written in the late 70’s. It’s one of the first interactive fiction computer games developed by Infocome. When published commercially, it was split up into three games: Zork: The Great Underground Empire (Part I) currently known as Zork I, Zork II: The Wizard of Frobozz, and Zork III: The Dungeon Master.


Objective

Explore the underground world and score 350 points with the least amount of moves.



Game description

Start of the game

Despite the fact that there isn’t any illustrative graphics displayed during the game, you would be venturing the world based on text written description of your surroundings, your actions and your current health diagnoses. There are certain commands you will use in able to realize your anonymous character’s actions. Commands such as: north, south, east, west, up, down, look, inventory, take, drop, and many more. When the command has been typed, click enter and your command would display on the screen. You’ll be given a response whether it can be accomplished or not. Sometimes there would be commands which can not be done at the moment or simply can not be understood. As you move on, a variety of paths would be discovered as you encounter sources which you could use further on, or you could end up stuck in a dead end. There is a certain amount of items you’ll be able to carry, if exceeded, you’ll be required to drop off one of your items collected previously or simply just leave behind the item you were willing to collect. Also, it’s very important for you to collect any light source in able for you to explore those dark places you’ll encounter during your venturing.  If you were not to have any kind of light source within a dark place, you’ll eventually be devoured by a grue.



Game mechanics

I noticed straight away that this is a role-playing game, where I am the one who controls the character’s move and decisions taken place during the game. You’re on a journey discovering new things in this strange fictitious underground world. You’ll encounter enemies, oblacles, dead ends and much more. Your are responsible for the character’s moves, all of his actions, even to open up a glass bottle of water and tell the character to drink it.





I also found out that there were certain aspects of the game which can be considered as a multiple endings game. I found myself trapped in several situations where I just couldn’t find my way out. A dead end. Like the maze I mentioned before.  So I had to restart the game if I wanted to complete my  journey. There are so many paths you’ll encounter as you keep exploring new things. I tired to remember how I got to one place, but the fact that there is no map, no visual of your surroundings to guide yourself, it gets more difficult to find your way from one place to another. It’s like, if you were to be blind and there is a narrator describing your surroundings and the sounds around you.

There was a lot of decision making involved in able to venture the game. Whether to pick an item or not. Continue through a path or change direction. Every move was indispensable.


My Gameplay experience

I noticed that there were no graphics. No scenario. Just plain text and a background of the word “Zork”. I thought to myself, ”Could this be a fun game?” well I had to for to find out the answer to my question.So I read the description of the initial game scenario. I imagined myself  standing in an open field next to a mailbox and there was a whight house to my right. “Ohh! I am the character and I must type in some commands in able for me to move”. As I started to type east, west, north, south, the game would describe my surroundings with detail. I pictured myself in a naturalistic environment. Trees, a large river, a canyon, a white house, sunny, and more. It felt real, as if I were to be inside the game.

Next to the canyon

On my first attempt, I mainly explored outside the house until I found myself standing next to a huge canyon where I got stuck. I couldn’t find my way back to the white house, there weren’t many moves I could do. I kept getting a lot of “I don’t understand ____ word” or “You can’t go that way”.  So I decided to restart the game and look up some commands that could be useful for me to type in.

Inside the house

This time, I decided to explore in more detail the inside of the mysterious white house. I got in through the kitchen window where I took some objects laying on the table. As I continued to move inside the house, I found a hidden staircase which led me downstairs to a dark cellar. I turned on a lantern I previously had found in the house and there were several pathways I could take. One led me to an art room, filled with paintings. Another path led me to the troll’s room, where I attacked the troll with a sword, (I took previously) until I ended his life. Then I found more paths ahead. But I kind of took the wrong path leading me to a maze where I couldn’t return to the cellar. So I was curious about what would happen if I turned off the lantern. Then as soon as I made a move, I was viciously devoured by a grue leading to my death. At this point, I only managed to earn 40/350 points within 104 moves, which was pretty bad.

Devoured by the grue

Personal opinion

When I first started to play, I never thought it would turn out to be such a fascinating and entertaining game. Despite the fact that there weren’t any graphics, just a text written game, I realized that a game is not mainly good because of its high definition graphics, sound effects and animations. The plot of the game, the storyline and the game’s objectives, are highly influential when it comes to rate a game. There was a point where I got dragged deeply into the game. As if I was living the character’s actions taking place. The main flaw I noticed during the game, was that there were no instructions at the beginning. About which commands I could use to move around. At least some basic commands. I had to search up the types of commands I could use in the game and I found out there where abbreviation for some of them. Such as: east (e), west (w), north (n), south (s) and more. But apart from that, I couldn’t find any meaningful flaws about the game. Keeping in mind that this was the beginning of computer games. Released at a time when technology wasn’t as advanced as nowadays. Besides, it was meant to be a text written game. I imagine for those who lived in the late 70’s, the game was very fascinating and astonishing to play.

Lost in the maze

Give it a try, something different from the rest of the games you normally play. It’s part of the history of games, of how games have been evolving for many years. The beginnings of computer games. A chance to imagine,to visualize the game from your perspective.