Thoughts by Mr Creosote (03 Aug 2010) – Interpreter (Z-Code)
You wake up from the phone ringing. A voice tells you you were supposed to start your presentation at the office at 9. Your gold watch tells you it’s already 9:05. Apparentely having slept in your soiled clothes, you ponder your next move…
It’s hard to review 9:05 without spoiling the complete thing. The task at hand (getting to the office and somehow prevent the boss from firing you) seems straightforward enough. The game is a play on the players expectations and the conventions of establishing the protagonist as a person, though, so no matter how smart a player is, it will not end as desired – with an unexpected revelation of mind-blowing proportions. Ironically, inexperienced players might even be at an advantage. A second or third playthrough will finally clear things up and (certainly) end in a more successful way.
Actually, that is where the game doesn’t quite live up to the multi-layered experienced it could have delivered. The final solution is all too simple. Even a lot simpler than what first time players would guess. In the end, this is a puzzleless game. It just exists for its final plot twist. Which is very good. Which apparwntely baffled people enough for the game to be nominated for a prestigious ‘best puzzle’ award – although there isn’t a real puzzle in the game. Don’t let anyone tell you he saw it coming – everyone who says that is lying!
That said, although room and object descriptions are sparse (there are only very few locations anyway), the in-game texts turn out to be very well worded in a way much more subtle than immediately apparent. This helps to appreciate the game even more on subsequent playthroughs. Which, as mentioned before, will be necessary. Not because the game lies to the player. No information is ever withheld. It just doesn’t blurt everything out immediately without being asked…