Weapon, The

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs

GAME DESIGNER:Sean Barrett
GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware
GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware
Copyright 2001, Sean Barrett

The Weapon is a fun one-room game that is strongly reminiscent of Andrew Plotkin’s classic Spider and Web. Both games require an extensive use of gadgets, both games have one non-player character who is your nemesis. And last but not least, in both games the plot unravels as you play, i.e. not until near the end will you realize what the game is all about (although to The Weapon‘s credit, the well-crafted HTML newspaper that comes with the game helps set the mood pretty well).

The plot in The Weapon is an all-too-familiar aliens-vs.-human cliche, although it’s passable for such a short game. Puzzles are well thought-out and are on the easy side, especially since there are no red herrings to distract you from the current puzzle you are trying to solve. There is however a built-in adaptive hint system to help if you get stuck.

The plot, which begins rather nondescript, soon develops into a “heavier” one as you play, and the self-discovery you make at the end will make you think long after you finish the game. Overall, The Weapon is a fun short game that is ideal for anyone new to the genre, or IF fans looking for a short competition-sized game to finish in 1-2 hours. Recommended.