PC gamers revere Zork.
As one of the first adventure games around (text, bitches!) the series
has been running since 1980, although there hasn’t been a new
installment in 12 years.
Since I wasn’t even born when the original came out, I picked up on 1993’s Return to Zork with that awesome split game box on the right- which did Myst before Myst, with a first person perspective and stunning full motion video using real (crappy) actors. Who can forget how much fun it was to stab the teacher in the game rather than answer her stupid questions? Ahhh, troubled youth.
But Zork‘s on the way back! Jolt Online Gaming recently announced that they will be publishing the online-only Legends of Zork– a game that will work completely in your internet browser.
The Great Underground Empire has
recently fallen and the land is in disarray. The Royal Treasury has
been sacked. The stock market has collapsed, leading even mighty
FrobozzCo International to fire employees from throughout its
subsidiaries. A craze of treasure-hunting has swept through the
remnants of the Great Underground Empire. The New Zork Times reports
that trolls, kobolds and other dangerous creatures are venturing far
from their lairs. Adventurers and monsters are increasingly coming into
conflict over areas rich with loot. It’s a dangerous time to be a
newly-unemployed traveling salesman, but it’s also a great time to try
a bit of adventuring.
The game will be up on LegendsofZork.com, and will be a bit of a MMO.
It’s still not clear if the game will be a text adventure or will
include cutting-edge graphics, but there’s one thing it will have-
microtransactions. The game will be free to play but will have premium
content that you can buy for a few bucks… so I’d assume it’s safe to
say that it will have graphics.
The one thing it doesn’t appear to have, however, is anyone involved
with the original series.
“As a complete Zork geek, I’m very proud to be releasing this title”, stated Dylan Collins, CEO of Jolt Online gaming. “Anyone who plays MMOs will definitely like to spend some time with Legends of Zork while they’re taking a break or browsing around the web. It’s very addictive”
We’ll see how everything comes together
as they get ready for the launch. Check the site for more info and for a beta registration.