Zork: Grand Inquisitor

This game is a hoamge to/spoof/sequel of the previous famous Zork games.Beautiful graphics and both Dirk Benedict (As a wannnabe Indiana Jones) and Rip Taylor giving the performances of their lifetimes (well I suppose Taylor's amazing performance in The Gong Show movie may just come close) and some of the funniest jokes ever to come from a game make this one of the most underrated games of all time (I exagirate not! Play it for yourself)

Zork Grand Inquisitor is without a doubt the best adventure game ever. If you played the old text versions of Zork, then you will want this game. If you haven't, there is still a lot here to enjoy. The story picks up sometime after magic was banned by the Grand Inquisitor (who insanely says "I am the Boss of YOU.") You eventually meet up with a magician who has been placed into a lantern and off you go to the Great Underground Empire.

The game itself is full of wonder, humor and clever puzzles. The music adds a lot to the locations and brings a sense of wonder to them. You really feel a part of what is going on. The humor is outstanding. There are several pop culture references that you will catch and there are some slapstick jokes. The humor can be best described as a Monty Python/ Saturday Night Live / Mystery Science Theater 3000 type of humor. The puzzles, at times obscure, are always rewarding when you complete them.

Without giving too much away, you will find many moments of awe (humor wise.) There is the talking door, the funny "singing spell names", and listen for David Lander (Squiggy) doing voiceovers for two different characters.

The DVD version is nice to have. First of all, it keeps the game on one disk. However, it has very strict requirements on DVD decoders. If you don't have one of the 4 it lists, the game will play in normal mode. It is hard to find these decoders now days. However, receiving Zork Nemesis with this is a big plus!

This is one game everyone should own.

ZGI captures the best elements of the numerous games in the extensive Zork legacy -- humor, suspense, intrigue, magic, and adventure -- and combines them into a truly enjoyable game. Though short, it is a joy to play, and utilizing a 360-degree look-around engine, a joy to behold. The acting in the live-action and voice sequences is quite good, and Dirk Benedict does a fantastic job as "Antharia Jack". Anyone who has ever enjoyed another game in the Zork series will love ZGI.