Publisher: Sierra
Developer: Sierra
Year: 1996
Platform: DOS; Windows; Macintosh

Score: 8

Review: Al Lowe redeemed himself with his final installment in the series. After several missteps in the previous two games of the series, he returned to his roots to make Love for Sail, a massive game that manages to score (something surprisingly familiar to you!) in several areas.

The premise behind the game is familiar. Larry is left by the girl he wooed in the previous game (count that five times out of six) but manages to get tickets to a cruise, where there are quite a few luscious babes to be had. Of course, Larry can get every girl he desires just like any normal person would do: bring them an obscure item. All of this practice will allow him to bring the super item to the ship’s captain, who will ensure Larry has the ride of his life.

I jest a bit.  There are quite a few puzzles in this game and they are not all of the lock-and-key variety. Some are fun and logical, some are fun and stupid, and some are just stupid. But since the last couple of games did not list “brain” under the requirements section, all puzzles are welcome.

The cartoon graphics actually work well this time. Its recent predecessors focused on garish colors and splotchy designs. Here the drawings are crisper and easy on the eyes, with a more muted color scheme while still illustrating the tackiness of the world Larry inhabits.

Delightfully, there are a few features that were practically unheard of in the adventure game world in 1996. Before starting the game, you can record lines for an off-screen NPC that chides Larry a few times. I discovered my acting was even worse than I imagined, but it was still really cool to hear my own voice in the game. Another neat feature sees your desktop wallpaper change in real-time (well, after you restart your computer) to the image of your latest conquest.

Growing up on 80s adventures I was delighted that Lowe reintroduced the keyboard into a Sierra game. Several puzzles require you to type in the verb you want to use rather than mindlessly clicking on everything. To be fair, a few of the verbs are stupidly obscure; nevertheless, I found the occasional change in play to be refreshing.

Most importantly, I found Love for Sail genuinely funny.  “Where’s Dildo?” opens the hilarity as you search the ship for 32 red and white dildos. The numerous Easter eggs–including Sierra cameos, saucier scenes, and a few other random gags–are some of the best in PC history. The narrator is hilarious, endlessly mocking Larry. And the game goes to great lengths for stupid, elaborate puns. Despite the paint-by-numbers plot and a few nagging faults, I thoroughly enjoy playing this adventure every time.

Contemporary Rating: High. Only a couple of pixel-hunting issues, and because this game is more about the humor than the puzzles, you’ll likely feel okay about going to a walkthrough if necessary.

Cruelty Rating: Nasty.  Oh, Al.  There is one way to make the game unwinnable. Most people will probably figure they screwed up, though it’s unclear how badly at the time, as you can still complete most of the game if you ignore the gaffe.

Publisher: Sierra
Developer: Sierra
Year: 1989
Platform: DOS; Amiga; Atari ST

Score: 8

How do you take the success of  Looking For Love and turn it into something better?

1) Crank up the laughs. Al Lowe is at his absolute funniest here.
2) Include lots of sex, but use it simply for the comedy material it presents rather than for titillation.
3) Change the perspective. Halfway through the game, you get to play as Patti!

Larry has lost his wife to a lesbian affair and consequently his job when nepotism was no longer an option for him. So, Larry is without money, a job, or a place to live, and must regain his sense of purpose in life.

Nearly everything is improved, including the graphics, music, and parser. It is easier to make out those necessary takeable items on the screen. The music, while still mostly just variations of the theme song (including the points notification), is at least crisper. The puzzles are also fairer, without being ridiculously easy, providing a good pace to the game.

Playing as Patti is a rare treat after bumbling around as Larry for two and a half games. She’s still horny, like Larry, but very decidedly a woman who sees the world very differently. As such, the approach to solving puzzles is a refreshing change of pace. While it would have been perhaps more fun to have tag-team puzzle solving, in 1989 you take what you can get.

And as mentioned already, the game is relentlessly funny. Al Lowe trusts the player more to get the jokes without having to bonk you over the head with an applause sign. My favorite running gag is the narrator slipping in double-entendres, then adding the parenthetical: (a feeling not wholly unfamiliar to you!). The combination of whimsy and subtlety makes the experience quite the enjoyable ride.

Contemporary Rating: Low. There is one puzzle that is tied into your computer’s memory.  On faster computers, the time needed to beat the puzzle approaches infinity.  Playing the game in DOSBox can help, but it still is touchy.  There is also a puzzle that is copyright protection.

Cruelty Rating: Tough.  Unlike the previous game, you can only go walking dead if you do something obviously dumb.

Publisher: Sierra
Developer: Sierra
Year: 1988
Platform: DOS, Amiga, Atari ST

Score: 7

Review: Released only two years after the first installment, Looking For Love is an exceptional game, much better than the original. Also, while the game is still rated for adults, the sex has been toned down considerably, relegated to jokes and conversation rather than the act.  In fact, the more willing you are to mattress dance with the various women you meet, the more likely you are to die! This game is appropriate for most teenagers.  This was the only game in the series my parents allowed me to play before high school and I understand why.

Poor Larry has been dumped by Eve (his primary conquest from the first game) and with no money, job, or place to live, he must wander the streets of Los Angeles once more. If Larry gets lucky he’ll also wander a cruise ship, a tropical island, and an airplane! The plot, rather than focusing on sex, involves a KGB conspiracy that Larry accidentally gets himself into the middle of without knowing it!

Using their new SCI engine, the graphics have been revamped considerably. The scenery is significantly more detailed and the world feels more like a real place rather than a collection of set pieces. From a game show studio to the cruise ship bar to the smoke-filled cabin of a jet liner, there is always something cool to look at or interact with. The parser has also been upgraded, able to understand some complex sentences. Unfortunately, the sound effects and music are mostly unimaginative and flat. The Larry theme song is over-used, with even a short clip of it used for the points notification. It’s not unpleasant, but it doesn’t give me the thrill of scoring (pun intended) that I would prefer.

What really makes or breaks this game for most people is their relationship to the puzzles. While most are creative, this game probably holds the record for most ways to put yourself in an unwinnable state and not know it. What sets this apart from most games that do this is that most of the time it’s hilarious. There are at least four different points in the game where Larry dies, and only then do you realize you forgot an item near the beginning of the game. In fact, I think I encountered every single one the first time I played. The game is already quite long as it is, and the playing time was quadrupled for me due to these gaffes. I’d like to think I was able to forgive these torture puzzles as they are humorous, but more likely the reason is I played the game when I was ten and had no other games to boot up. I had an e-mail exchange once with the game’s creator, Al Lowe, and asked him about the design.  He pretty much admitted that designing a game in this manner is unforgivable and was glad I liked it anyway.

If you can put up with the puzzles, you should have a good time.  The humor is ubiquitous and quite refined in comparison to its predecessor. Along with the more overt sexual innuendo, there are more subtle jokes that are satire of everyday life, politics, and adventure gaming itself. Both should please fans with some genuine laugh-out-loud moments. And the endgame, which involves some complex puzzle-solving and goes well beyond Larry getting the girl, is a satisfying conclusion to a satisfying adventure.

Contemporary Rating: Medium. The parser is actually pretty good, and the jokes hold up well.

Cruelty Rating:  Cruel.  The cruelest game ever!