Review: Text Zedventure

I was driving home a few days ago with my best gal by my side...um, that is my wife. Anyway, out of nowhere she says to me, "I miss Choose Your Own Adventure books." Grinning, I reply, "Me too." It was silent for a moment and my mind began chugging along. I remembered winning a contest several months ago on twitter and receiving a game that I really wanted to play but never found the time. I tell her that I have a game that I think she'd like, something like Choose Your Own Adventure books. She's very excited because my description of it sounds like fun to her and I'm excited because I found another game to review for my blog. The game I'm talking about is Text Zedventure, the first text adventure game to be released on the 360. Hit the jump to read the review.


Title: Text Zedventure
Price: 80 MSP ($1)
Genre: Adventure
Developed by: Matthew Reynolds (@Crazyreyn)

Text Zedventure is a text adventure game that has *gasp* no graphics. I mean, technically, there are words on a screen, but no pictures/images to guide your mind. Most of the work of figuring out things like the characters' appearances and their surroundings are left up to your imagination.

Text Zedventure begins with a clean looking title screen. You have the option to start any one of three chapters or going back to the dashboard. By pressing the bumper buttons you can go through the credits. Starting out the game, I soon realized that this title was going to suffer from my biggest fear for it, the lack of gameplay. Not that this title tries to be anything other than an interactive piece of short fiction, I wanted more impact on the story. This, however, is a problem with my expectations and not the game itself.

While going through the story, page by page, you get options at the end of the reading. Mr. Reynolds did a very nice job with showing that you select from the available options by pressing the coordinating color on the controller. And with the addition of a colorblind option (press the right bumper button) this title is truly accessible and enjoyable to anyone who can read (that includes my wife). 

Out of all of the features, I must say that this title works because of the atmosphere that the sounds create. The writing is well done and is an interesting story, but without the sounds of opening doors, pages rustling, or a gunshot in the distance, this title would fall flat. The biggest complaint I have, however, is that this title is so short. I can get through this, with multiple-I wanna see what that option does-playthroughs in one sitting.

With each review, I like to give brownie points to a game if they are doing something different or unique that you cannot find elsewhere in console gaming. This game IS unique in that it represents a style of gaming that hasn't been popular in a long time. Listen to the points add up...ch-ching.

With that said, it's hard to recommend this title blindly. Many of today's gamers, even those of us open to playing the different and unique games found on the indie service, wouldn't accept a game without graphics. However, if you are a fan of the genre, I would think that this is a must buy. As for a general, yet arbitrary, review grade, I say give this title a TRY.