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Deadline was the first murder mystery game from Infocom and their third game
overall (after Zork I and Zork II). Despite the limitations of an early parser
and very difficult puzzles that require multiple restores, it's still the
best mystery game of all the ones Infocom released. Not only was it the first
non-fantasy release for Infocom; it was was also the first Infocom game to ship
with feelies: the original game was sold in an eye-catching "police folio"
folder. In it, you find materials that resemble contents of a real case folder:
interviews with the suspects, 3 pills in a plastic bag (found at the crime
scene), a photograph of the murder scene, a letter from the attorney, and a
coroner's autopsy report. They are remarkable in their authenticity, and help
set the atmosphere for the game even before you start it (you also need the
information to solve the games). The story: you are a police detective asked
to investigate the death of Marshall Robner, a wealthy industrialist found
dead in his own library from an apparent drug overdose. You have twelve hours
to expose the foul play and catch the killer with evidence as to the murderer's
motive, the method, and the opportunity. There are many possible endings the
game, but only one "optimal ending" that explains all the loose ends and sees
the suspect in jail. There are excellent NPCs who behave much more
realistically than in most of today's games. All of the game's six main
characters are fleshed out with well-written scripts: each character acts in a
way that is consistent with his or her motive. |