The Phantom's Revenge and Castle Elsinore are two early piece of IF that are of very little value except for its age <EG>. The Phantom's Revenge is riddled with below-average writing, inane puzzles, and inflexible parser that understands only the most basic verb-noun sentences. The plot doesn't even make sense: the introduction tells of a prison that's rumored to hold treasures guarded by a ghost, and invites you to explore it-- yet in the very first scene you find yourself *imprisoned* in a cell without a clue of why or how. The game would deserve complete anonymity if not for some logical puzzles that do require a modicum of thought. It is also very unforgiving: once you find all the treasures, you only have a few moves to get back to the town hall to deposit them. Don't expect this game to be more than what it is: an Infocom wannabe that falls far off the mark. Castle Elsinore is slightly better than its cousin due to a more coherent plot, but still bogged down with obscure puzzles. Underrated, yes, but not by much :) Reviewed by: Underdogs
