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Real Life (Text Adventure/Simulation)
Compatibility: 128K Apple IIe, IIc
Requirements: One disk drive
by Jeff Hurlburt
In case you have wondered where your present computer gaming, thrill seeking existence is leading, Relational Systems is ready with "Real Life". This adventure/simulation, so the publisher claims, will help you determine where you're going and, perhaps, how to avoid getting there. Set in the streets and buildings of a modern city, "Real Life" comes with a few hint sheets, and a map with plastic overlay marked-off in ninty-plus squares. Since directions are on-diskette, there is no game manual.
After entering a name, gender, and age, you find yourself in a parking lot behind an office building with a few bucks in your pockets, dirty, and dressed in rags. Not a very promising beginning for your quest of self discovery; but then the idea is to force some sort of action. You may, for instance, enter the building and look for a washroom; find your home on the map and go there; or forget about your appearance and just explore. For each location there is a description of surroundings and a multiple-choice type listing of your options (which do include a game save).
As you move around there are opportunities to interact with twelve or so key characters. Some, like beggars and pushers are after your money and may get you into trouble; others, such as a prospective employer, may offer helpful advice and even a job. Of course, there is no requirement that you keep to the straight and narrow. You set your own goals; if the outcome is satisfactory, you win.
Predictably, in a text adventure which lists all player options on the screen, there is little real opportunity to explore any given situation. In fact, most of your "Real Life" decisions turn out to be strategic-- mainly a matter of going somewhere so that something can happen to you. (So when forced to buy something which subsequently fails to appear in your inventory, don't worry; it wasn't important anyway!) The game could provide some useful insights into values, especially in a classroom setting with an instructor to guide discussion of experiences. As liesure time entertainment, however, "Real Life" is unlikely to satisfy experienced adventurers.
Available from Relational Systems, P.O. Box 83070, Troy, MI 02140. (313) 645-5090. FREE (first 100 orders per month); otherwise $29.95
GRFX S.M. PLAY DIFF INTR GAME/ED
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NA 05 07 07 05 04/06