Cutthroats

• Release Date: 1984 09
• Genre: Adventure
• Style: Text-Based Adventure
• Similar Games: Leather Goddesses of Phobos (Commodore 64/128), Deadline (IBM PC Compatible), Deadline (Macintosh), Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels (Macintosh), Suspect (Macintosh)

Game Description

You are a sailor and a diver looking to make some money diving on a wreck. Your friend Hervin was set to join you in your enterprise and now he's dead. Obviously, somebody doesn't want you to succeed. But who?

You and your friend, Captain Johnny have a meeting where he shows you a bit of treasure that comes from one of the wrecks in the waters around the island. You have to figure out which wreck it came from and make plans to secure the treasure.

But watch out. Not all the dangers are human, and your newfound wealth may be taken from over your dead... very dead... body.

Review: Overall

Cutthroats is one of the early text adventures from Infocom. In it, you are put in the body of a diver looking to make money from diving on wrecks scattered around Hardscrabble Island.

Your friend, Captain Johnny, has found indications of treasure aboard one of the wrecks, and you have to do the investigative work to find out what wreck it is and where the wreck is located.

After you find out the information, you must buy equipment and rent a boat. However, there are many places to die in this game and many places to louse up. In many cases, you will have to restart or restore the game to get something you missed or do something different.

In addition to the usual undersea dangers, you'll run into some human foes as well, foes who will be only to glad to take the spoils of your labor and leave you dead.

The text part of the adventure won't give you too much trouble if you have played an Infocom adventure before, but the mechanics of talking to characters and asking them questions can be annoying and frustrating in the extreme if you are not used to them. Read the manual if you are having problems, but be prepared to have the characters not understand you, or for the game to not understand your syntax. Sometimes, it can take you three or four tries to give the game something it understands and can process.

In short, take everything, remember to lock your room door behind you and don't let McGinty see you with your passbook. And most importantly, save often. This can save you more trouble than you know.

One more hint. If time seems to stop, remember to wind your watch. It should work fine after that.

This game may be a bit primitive, being a text adventure, but it is still incredibly enjoyable, as are all of Infocom's games (more or less).

Review: Enjoyment

If diving on wrecks interests you, or if you just want a good adventure game, this game is for you.

Review: Graphics

None

Review: Sound

None

Review: Replay Value

There are a total of two wrecks you can dive on, and the game is never the same in that respect twice.

Review: Documentation

The manual includes hints and excerpts from various books you will need to play the game.