Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders

This so how an adventure game is supposed to be. It has good humor in a lot of places, and it also has puzzles that makes you use your brain here and there before you can progress. Do read the manual first, so you know how to make use of the save game feature. That is essential, because otherwise you will miss alternate solutions to puzzles, or you can end up stuck because you have do not have the right items any more. But this is at it should be, your actions has consequnces. If the game let you progress no matter what you did earlier, it kind of ruins it for me, it becomes too easy. You should also read the news-paper that comes with it for 2 reasons. 1 - it is funny. 2 - it gives you many subtle clues. Some people has given it negative reviews because they complain you cannot travel freely because you have to manage your limited supply of money. I just shows that they have not figured out the puzzle in the game where you can find a way to win the lottery. This is such a good classic adventure game. I give it a my good recommandations.

Rewarding oldschool adventure, quite underrated. Never played it in the 80s, so no nostalgia feelings. Regarding the difficulty of this game, it’s true that the game lets you figure out what to do next, but the puzzles are not random, illogical or unfair, as some people claim. The game gives you subtle hints what to do. See every line of dialogue as a hint where your attention should be next. Do not use walkthroughs, it is the whole point of these classic adventures to become stuck at some point and then figuring things out. All puzzles can be solved without external help. Some useful hints for getting most out of the game: - use the „What is” command to identify all objects in a room you can interact with - the „read” command works on many objects like the „look at” command in later LA games, use it on objects even if there is not evidently something to read on it - the big mazes (like Mexiko, Cairo, Mars) are not random, make a map on paper, then there is nothing tedious about them. - jungles are random and will always bring you to a certain destination, there is nothing hidden in them just take always the nearest path until you arrive - there are no red herrings - every item you find has a use at some point in the game - save regularly and pay attention to every line of dialogue - when the game tells you not to travel around the world yet, take that advice seriously - before travelling around the world, save your game, then explore and go back to this save when you found out what to do next (as you can run out of money) - the device you are building later in the game consists of five parts If you got stuck… ... you probably missed an item somewhere, check locations again with „What is” ... you are trying to solve the puzzle not in the intended way, try a different approach … the puzzle might be not solvable at that point in the game and you have to do other stuff first The DOS version contains some hints that are missing in the FM-Towns version!

It's a comedic adventure that bases itself on (and makes fun of) the myths and legends born in the 20th century: from alien kidnappings to Big Foot, from new age religions to conspiracy theories. You will take control of four characters, each with his or her own abilties and fears, but they all must work together if they want to stop the incoming alien invasion. Drawing a comparison to the peers of its time (including Maniac Mansion), Zak has a much more interesting plot and enjoyable characters than most. It also presents itself well: this package of the game includes both the EGA and VGA versions, both of which make their respective graphic technologies proud. The sound, especially in the latter one, is nothing to scoff at either, starting from the very catchy main theme. One of the main issue most have with it is the gameplay: the puzzles aren't exactly a walk in the park. They're based on the (absurd) logic of that world, a world where Big Foot is a great kisser and dolphins rescue gondoliers. It's what some might call "moon logic" (or should it be Mars logic?), but here's the kicker: you can figure it all out with the appropriate context, and the game (and the attached newspaper) will give it to you. When you get stuck, you'll probably find hints to the solution in the newspaper. It's not perfect though: there are mazes with no maps that you'll have to navigate guided only by your intuition. You can also die, but that isn't really a problem: the game makes it very hard and very clear when it's about to happen. However you can get locked out of completing the game due to an approach to a puzzle gone wrong. Lastly, the game punishes you for looking around: traveling costs money, and unless you manage to figure out how to enrich your credit before you run out of it, it's gonna be a problem later on. Aside from these caveats, you're in for a very good time. If you're looking for adventure, this is a Good Old Game you can't miss. And remember: Gnik Sisi Vle!

A classic adventure, with funny story and puzzles. Unfortunately, it is still one of Lucasfilm's first games and dead-ends are possible, but with careful playing and saving, it is not a big deal and I think that is kind of the only negative. Some complain about the labyrinths, but they also are not such a big deal - some only take a few clicks to get out (jungle), some have markings (pyramids). So, some minor quirks but great overall.

"Zak" is a unique and outrageously funny gem; yes, after it, Lucasfilm produced more advanced and maybe better structured adventures: the Indy's series, Day of the Tentacle, not to mention the Monkey Island games. But, in my opinion, neither of them could recapture the atmosphere of Zak McKracken, its varied locations and puzzles, the charisma of those unforgettable "aliens" and of Zak himself. I can't wait to ride that bus to Mars again. Thanks GOG :)