It was obviously a drug overdose, perpetrated by prescription antidepressants…or was it? When wealthy Connecticut industrialist Marshall Robner is found dead in his private library, locked from the inside, the case seems clear cut. However, something seems funny with the case and it will be up to the gamer and his steadfast assistant Sergeant Duffy to expose and prove any foul play and arrest the criminal.
The game’s tagline read: “A locked door, a dead man, and 12 hours to solve the murder.
” There are numerous suspects that will be found wandering around the huge Connecticut mansion. All of them have some relationship with the deceased, and possibly a motive. Some of the people that the detectives will run across include Leslie Robner, the victim’s apparently grieving widow; George Robner, the unremorseful son; a passionate gardener; a housekeeper that appears far too innocent to actually be innocent; Mr. Baxter, the business partner who seems to be a bit on the dishonest side; and Ms. Dunbar, the faithful but nervous secretary.
When interviewing these people and looking for clues, the detectives needs proof in three different areas to make an arrest stick. He can accuse anyone of the murder at any time, and if his timing
is good, an accusation may actually bring out more information from the suspect. However, without a motive, a possible method for committing the crime, and an obvious opportunity, the authorities will not be able to hold a suspect, and the possible culprit will be released. The user will see a screen explaining why the suspect could no longer be detained, and the game will be over. Therefore, it is important to spend a lot of time gathering information and questioning everyone before jumping the gun.
To gather information, the user will utilize many of the standard commands in Infocom’s famous ZIL engine. Two of the most handy commands will be search and examine. There are also some new commands that are tailored specifically tailored to a detective game. Fingerprint, for example, will be a command that the detectives can use in suspicious areas to attempt to collect evidence.
Overall, this is an interesting work of interactive fiction that plays somewhat like the classic board game clue, but with more detail and a lot more freedom of thought. The game will randomly generate clues and suspects, so it can be played over and over again without fear of repetition. The overall entertainment level and the high level of replayability make Deadline a sure shot download.
