Zork 1: The Great Underground Empire

Publisher: Infocom
Developer: Infocom
Year: 1980
Platform: Everything

Yes, Zork was the most important computer game of the early 1980’s. Perhaps even more important than King’s QuestYou are standing in an open field, west of a white house, is quite possibly the most well-known line in adventure games. It laid the foundation for many wonderful things to come. And it was an incredibly impressive, engaging adventure when it was released. But other than nostalgia, it has little going for it after all these years.

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Under A Killing Moon

Publisher: Access Software
Developer: Access Software
Year: 1994
Platform: Windows; DOS; Mac; Linux

It took a few years after Martian Memorandum for Chris Jones to release another sequel in the Tex Murphy series, but considering he had to figure out how to utilize that new-fangled CD-ROM thingy, it is no surprise. The series has championed, or at least further developed, new software to enhance the gaming experience, and things are no different in this incarnation. Being released on four CD’s, Under A Killing Moon was the largest computer game in history at the time, while also sidestepping pitfalls seen in future FMV games (e.g. Phantasmagoria). Sadly, however, the innovations weren’t enough to elevate the game quality above the previous offerings.

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