Infocom's last and one of their most epic games, I firmly believe that Journey: The Quest Begins was also one of their best, as it contains one of the most involving stories and some of the best characters ever seen in an Infocom game (or any computer game, for that matter). Though billed as a "role-play chronicle," Journey was much more like an adventure game where you controlled five characters at a time instead of one. There are good graphics in this game used to provide views of what is needed to be seen, but the true story, which is fantastic and well-developing, lies in the text (which, when printed out single-spaced, takes nearly sixty pages). The poorest thing about this game is its incredibly linear structure, with careful note-taking a must. Unfortunately, what you must take note of isn't known until the end of the game, which may send you back to replay the game. However, Journey: The Quest Begins is worthy of play (and replay) by anyone. Infocom definitely went out with a bang, and it is a shame that the other two games in the Golden Age Trilogy never came to pass. I have no doubt that, if they had, they would rank among Infocom's finest achievements.

Return to the Computer Games Review Page