The Prophecy (video game)
| The Prophecy | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Coktel Vision and MD |
| Publisher(s) | Sierra On-Line |
| Platform(s) | DOS, Amiga, Atari ST. |
| Release date(s) | 1993 |
| Genre(s) | Point and click adventure game |
The Prophecy (also known as Ween: The Prophecy) is a point and click adventure game developed by Coktel Vision and MDO, and published by Sierra On-Line in 1993 for DOS, Amiga, and Atari ST.
Gameplay and plot
This point and click adventure takes a fantasy setting, in which you play a Wizard deemed to be ‘good’ taking on a less good one. To fulfill the prophecy you have been given in a limited time of 3 days, he must go on 3 quests, solving various puzzles along the way to be rewarded 3 grains of sand, that he must place in a hourglass to kill an evil wizard. Objects around the levels are always detected by the cursor, making each screen and the challenges within quick to comprehend. Generally you have to solve each puzzle in sequence.Like the company's Gobliiins Series, the interface is simplified, and the game has a heavier focus on self-sufficient puzzles than other traditional adventures. The game experiments with the toning of the graphics, using a faux-sepia style outside and some bright colours inside, which changes the atmosphere somewhat.
Critical reception
Quandrey gave it 80%, writing "Some people may not like this game because movement is restricted to just a few screens at a time until you have solved a particular puzzle - and this may involve a series of convoluted actions. Then, and only then, are you able to move on to the next screen. So if you can't solve it you are going to be very frustrated until you do. But, and it should be emphasised, there are often more things to do and more objects to manipulate in one Ween screen than you find in ten screens of many other games where you have complete liberty to wander around in search of things to try."[2] Metzomagic gave it 80%, saying "Ween: The Prophecy is still one of the best adventure games around despite, or more to the point perhaps, because of its complete lack of combat. All in all, Ween is a thoroughly absorbing and challenging game, but perhaps not one for the easily frustrated."[3]
Adventure Gamers gave it 40%, commenting "While Ween: The Prophecy is rather good at first (if you're into inventory puzzles, but if you aren't, you've probably already stopped reading anyway), it too quickly starts feeling obscure, tedious, and, well… plain unenjoyable. If you feel like playing it, I suggest you take your time with it, doing it little by little, waiting for the illumination that will allow you to progress to the next level. Using a walkthrough would be silly, since it's not really worth playing for anything other than its puzzles. If you manage to reach the end, you will probably not feel happy or content, but maybe a little proud of the achievement, which is better than nothing. And at least you'll have the FMV characters to remember."[4] Tap-Repeatedly/Four Fat Chicks gave the game 20%, writing "Some old games are forgotten through no fault of their own. Perhaps there no longer exists a working platform to play them on; maybe not one single person who purchased a copy was a preservationist; who knows? Other old games, though, have fallen into oblivion for good reason. The Prophecy falls into the latter category".[5]