Fallacy of Dawn
Robb Sherwin
Platform: Hugo?
Rating: 8.0
Total Votes: 28
Std. Dev.: +- 2.1
Average Playtime: Between 2 and 6 hours
Genre: Science Fiction / RPG / Humor
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Audience Comments:7/30/06 01:33 AM
An excellent game. Although like all Sherwin's works it was unevenly implemented, it wasn't too bad (I played the latest post-comp release). This game reminds us that IF is a medium constituted by words, and when the words are good, you build your house from gold(no matter how badly you build it). Maybe I just have expensive taste, but this is one of the few IF games that kept me up past midnight, playing 'til the end. Where other games are resolutely thorough in how unimaginatively they characterise their locale, characterise their characters, FoD expends its efforts encrusting its stray descriptions with jewels. Those jewels are often hilarious, always vivid, and sometimes even touching. Move over bacon, it's time for SOMETHING MEATIER.
Rating:9
3/21/06 09:05 AM
Very good game, although with some bugs and some verb guessing. The writing is excellent, the mood almost perfectly set. Very recommanded!
Rating:9
9/16/05 01:12 AM
This game has: locations that are barely described, hundreds of objects in those locations that are unimplemented, characters that sometimes don't appear in room descriptions, characters that can say or do things that are incoherent with the situation or location, exits that sometimes stop working, unimplemented 'out' and 'exit' commands --leading to a lot of "enter door", some very primitive RPG elements, etc. In summary, an absolutely atrocious implementation.
But... Robb Sherwin can certainly write. What makes the author's writing shine is its extremely funny dialogue, characters and situations. And it is this which will keep you hooked all along (as long as you solve the first simple puzzle in the arcade). Even then, the plot does offer some nice things like the idea of a person who cannot use electronic machines and a love story that slowly unfolds between two of the main characters that ends up being very touching.
The game introduces us to a sci-fi world similar to that of Neuromancer, where hackers rule, but one which is also a much more humane.
The game oozes with love for computers and videogames, particularly for those old ones that only gamers from the 80s will remember. The number of jokes and references to games (good and bad) is laugh out funny and these jokes all particularly fit the characters and situations they get involved in.
The puzzles are extremely simple, making this game a nice introductory game for newbies. The game does have a number of RPG elements in it, including a relatively big map, fighting/healing mechanism, and a number of optional quests which can be performed in any order.
The graphics are well done and contribute to the atmosphere of the game.
Rating:8
4/18/04 02:32 PM
Rating:4
2/23/04 06:54 PM
Rating:6
11/18/03 05:13 PM
Rating:6
10/29/03 09:17 AM
Wonderful writing and characters but mediocre in most other areas. Fortunately the good more than makes up for the bad.
Definitely a great game and well worth playing.
Rating:10
9/05/03 09:09 AM
Like they said. The outrageous characters & setting make this worth playing, even though some of the puzzles are not well-clued, and even though you can get into conversations where you're saying things you don't know yet, and even though the spelling is dicey, and even though the endgame is too hard... I still really really liked this.
Rating:8
8/23/03 07:23 PM
Quits on launch.
Rating:1
11/14/03 06:48 PM
Rating:6
7/13/03 12:41 AM
Uhmm... Wow. I downloaded and played this game based on the comments I've seen on this site and I can't believe how impressed I was with it. Absolutely fantastic prose, game design (New Haz is beautifully rendered), storyline and the most colorful NPCs I've ever encountered. It also runs like an RPG at some points, as the PC has "hit points" and stamina and random outcomes to combat. I solved almost all the puzzles by brute force although I'm sure there may have been more elegant ways of solving things. Brilliant concept and the multimedia effects of the latest Hugo interpreters should be applauded.
Rating:10
6/22/04 10:52 AM
There may be a small chance it won't "work" for you, but I can't really comment on that, because it really, really worked for me. It sucks you in with some of the most colorful characters and aggressively funny writing in IF games.
Rating:10
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Rating:6
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Terrific writing--good enough to make up for somewhat unimaginative puzzles and a plot that's on hold for most of the game.
Rating:7
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Yes, there's the raw humor and subject matter. But at its core, this game is about a complex web of human relationships--some of them very moving--a social framework that is neither a utopia or distopia, but rather somewhere in the middle.
Rating:9
8/03/04 06:44 AM
Rating:10
7/14/03 12:50 AM
Rating:7
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Rating:10
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Sensational game, marred only by several bugs
Rating:9
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Robb's best game so far, although his programming skills still leave a lot to be desired. His style is either highly addictive or ingratiating depending on your tastes.
Rating:8
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Robb needs a kick in the pants and several serious classes in game design but as always his world is colorful and crazy and his language riotous
Rating:7
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Sharp as broken glass writing. A real plot with puzzles as well. Memorable characters. Surprises. A n encyclopedia of old arcade games thrown in for good measure. Superb.
Rating:10
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Absolutely wonderful. It's crying out for better design and more testing, but I love it anyway. Very clever manipulation of themes.
Rating:10
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Sherwin is the funniest author writing IF today. Imperfect and raw and make-you-blink funny. The game (like all Sherwin games) could use some polishing, but, I mean, there's a character named Porn.
Rating:10
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Great writing. Edgier than a Ginsu.
Rating:10
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Wonderfully evocative and twisted prose, immersive and convoluted plot. Let down by being on the buggy side, especially towards the end.
Rating:8
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Fun game with an interesting world to explore, this will give warm fuzzies to anyone who loves old video games.
Rating:9
7/14/03 01:39 PM
Some moments of great writing, combined with not-so-perfect game design.
Rating:7
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