Posted By: Grumpy
The Riddle of Master Lu - Review - 04/11/01 09:26 PM
I believe that someone asked about this game, and since it is older and perhaps not so well known - here goes, for what it's worth:-
This is an older DOS adventure game, originally from Sanctuary Woods, and while it does not have all the bells and whistles of newer games, it is surprising how good and detailed the graphics are, considering the technology available at the time. It has an interesting and captivating storyline, challenging {indeed in places very difficult} puzzles which are well integrated and mostly meaningful to plot development, and a satisfying conclusion.
I ran it on an MSWindows 95B platform, but did not use "restart in MSDOS" from the shutdown dialog box, but selected "MSDOS prompt" from the `programs' list. {I do not know if the game has been re-issued in a new version for WIN95; my CD-ROM [1 disc] came in a set of games most of which were of no interest to me, apart from Master Lu and JPII:Buried in time. No hard copy manuals, they are on the CD.} It installed and ran without problems (system info. of the computer that was used available on request.)
This is actually a "Ripley believe it or not" adventure, and you control Robert Ripley (using the mouse) as he travels around the world with his assistant Mei Chen, trying to solve the mystery of Master Lu, and ultimately get to the Imperial Seal of Emperor Chin Shih Huang-di before assorted villains get there, or manage to eliminate him and Mei Chen. {Fortunately there is an "auto-resurrect" feature, and if Ripley does happen to get killed he is returned to the point just before he made his fatal mistake !} The action takes place before WWII - about 1936 - under the threat of Nazi domination, and the Emperor's Seal holds powers that would assure total victory to whoever has it.
Ripley visits half-a-dozen or more locations around the world, and can come and go as he pleases {this is not a linear game, one can go to locations in any order and revisit them if something has been missed that is required at another point in the game,} making reservations at the various "Posh Express Offices", where he also exchanges money for foreign currency, picks up and sends mail or telegrams, and gets information from the local clerks; there are important exchanges of information here, as also, of course, from talking to many of the characters that he meets - sometimes Mei Chen has to act as his interpreter.
On his travels he must also collect {buy, barter, or "appropriate"...} curiosities or "oddities" for his Odditorium in New York, in order to stay in business; these are either sent there by mail {by Posh Express,} or may be taken there by him on a trip back to the Odditorium in NY, where the game actually begins {apart from an inrtoductory sequence.} Other objects to pick up will be required to gain access to some locations, or solve "puzzles" that either provide needed information, or get Ripley out of trouble, and make it possible to get to another site - the goal ultimately to locate the Great Seal.
I take a long time with games {only get to play 2 or 3 times a week for a couple of hours, and not even every week,} so am not a good way to gage playing time for most Gameboomers - I believe the manual suggests upward of 50 hours for average players, whoever they are. However, I found some of the "Puzzles" {eg how to get into the secret lab. - and even more so how to get OUT} extremely difficult and time consuming [ and be sure to save the game just before entering the lab, otherwise Ripley may never get out again ! The puzzle must be solved to get out, there is no other way.]
One caveat, the cursor is very finicky, at least it was when I played it; for example, if an object such as a stick has to be placed in a hole, it has to be held in exactly the right position, or it will not work - so you might think that it actually is not to be used at that point in the game - but carefully repeated attempts will finally show that in fact it does go there. This can be irritating {but I have found similar problems in other games.} I am not fond of mazes and as far as I can recall there are two, one of which is not too bad, but the other, inside a temple, I found quite frustrating. On the whole, however, the puzzles are manageable although sometimes extremely difficult {at least for me !}
Although perhaps a bit dated in appearance, I found that the game not only had a certain charm {I was always amused at the little old fashioned aeroplane that flies Ripley across a map from one location to another,}but it was also both entertaining and gripping, so that I was always looking forward to the next trip. I was amazed how much was packed onto a single CD-ROM, but perhaps that is one advantage of DOS games !
An oldie, but recommended
[nb I could no longer find it on the Sanctuary Woods site, but it can apparently be purchased online at 2 or 3 sites, from $5 to $20, - I suspect depends on packaging, manuals, etc.]
Grumpy
This is an older DOS adventure game, originally from Sanctuary Woods, and while it does not have all the bells and whistles of newer games, it is surprising how good and detailed the graphics are, considering the technology available at the time. It has an interesting and captivating storyline, challenging {indeed in places very difficult} puzzles which are well integrated and mostly meaningful to plot development, and a satisfying conclusion.
I ran it on an MSWindows 95B platform, but did not use "restart in MSDOS" from the shutdown dialog box, but selected "MSDOS prompt" from the `programs' list. {I do not know if the game has been re-issued in a new version for WIN95; my CD-ROM [1 disc] came in a set of games most of which were of no interest to me, apart from Master Lu and JPII:Buried in time. No hard copy manuals, they are on the CD.} It installed and ran without problems (system info. of the computer that was used available on request.)
This is actually a "Ripley believe it or not" adventure, and you control Robert Ripley (using the mouse) as he travels around the world with his assistant Mei Chen, trying to solve the mystery of Master Lu, and ultimately get to the Imperial Seal of Emperor Chin Shih Huang-di before assorted villains get there, or manage to eliminate him and Mei Chen. {Fortunately there is an "auto-resurrect" feature, and if Ripley does happen to get killed he is returned to the point just before he made his fatal mistake !} The action takes place before WWII - about 1936 - under the threat of Nazi domination, and the Emperor's Seal holds powers that would assure total victory to whoever has it.
Ripley visits half-a-dozen or more locations around the world, and can come and go as he pleases {this is not a linear game, one can go to locations in any order and revisit them if something has been missed that is required at another point in the game,} making reservations at the various "Posh Express Offices", where he also exchanges money for foreign currency, picks up and sends mail or telegrams, and gets information from the local clerks; there are important exchanges of information here, as also, of course, from talking to many of the characters that he meets - sometimes Mei Chen has to act as his interpreter.
On his travels he must also collect {buy, barter, or "appropriate"...} curiosities or "oddities" for his Odditorium in New York, in order to stay in business; these are either sent there by mail {by Posh Express,} or may be taken there by him on a trip back to the Odditorium in NY, where the game actually begins {apart from an inrtoductory sequence.} Other objects to pick up will be required to gain access to some locations, or solve "puzzles" that either provide needed information, or get Ripley out of trouble, and make it possible to get to another site - the goal ultimately to locate the Great Seal.
I take a long time with games {only get to play 2 or 3 times a week for a couple of hours, and not even every week,} so am not a good way to gage playing time for most Gameboomers - I believe the manual suggests upward of 50 hours for average players, whoever they are. However, I found some of the "Puzzles" {eg how to get into the secret lab. - and even more so how to get OUT} extremely difficult and time consuming [ and be sure to save the game just before entering the lab, otherwise Ripley may never get out again ! The puzzle must be solved to get out, there is no other way.]
One caveat, the cursor is very finicky, at least it was when I played it; for example, if an object such as a stick has to be placed in a hole, it has to be held in exactly the right position, or it will not work - so you might think that it actually is not to be used at that point in the game - but carefully repeated attempts will finally show that in fact it does go there. This can be irritating {but I have found similar problems in other games.} I am not fond of mazes and as far as I can recall there are two, one of which is not too bad, but the other, inside a temple, I found quite frustrating. On the whole, however, the puzzles are manageable although sometimes extremely difficult {at least for me !}
Although perhaps a bit dated in appearance, I found that the game not only had a certain charm {I was always amused at the little old fashioned aeroplane that flies Ripley across a map from one location to another,}but it was also both entertaining and gripping, so that I was always looking forward to the next trip. I was amazed how much was packed onto a single CD-ROM, but perhaps that is one advantage of DOS games !
An oldie, but recommended
[nb I could no longer find it on the Sanctuary Woods site, but it can apparently be purchased online at 2 or 3 sites, from $5 to $20, - I suspect depends on packaging, manuals, etc.]
Grumpy
