Item - Race Against Time

Although I'm no great fan of Pip and Jane Baker's work, I approached this book with some optimism simply because of its high section count relative to its predecessors. Alas, my optimism was misplaced. The book is just as linear and poorly designed as the other books in the series; it simply breaks its linear passages up into smaller chunks and has a larger number of completely gratuitous puzzles and meaningless die rolls. The book also has the irritating habit of periodically asking you things like "do you have an idea how to get out of this dangerous situation?" These questions are often accompanied by hints, like "remember what you saw in section 104!" If you answer yes, it tells you the solution, then asks if that's what you were thinking. If you were right, you go on, if not, bad stuff happens (or, if you're lucky, the Doctor bails you out). This sort of pop quiz approach to adventuring is a whole lot less interesting than a meaningful choice that allows you to apply your knowledge and strategies, and it really increases the feeling of linearity. Besides problems of gameplay, the book is doomed due to the fact that its plot is nonexistent, its characterization poor, the transitions between sections frequently jarring and its writing style condescending and awkward. In short, it displays nearly all of the undesirable characteristics I've previously complained about, making it a disappointing end to a disappointing series. It's not the worst of the bunch, but even if it were the best of the bunch (which it is not), that would be saying very little.

More reviews by Demian