Livestream of the ZZT world "Ezanya Remastered" by Beth Daggert, RT-55J (2022). Originally streamed on February 10th, 2023
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RT-55J brings us a spectacular remastering of the 1991 classic Ezanya. As the original ZZT world creation contest winner, Beth Daggert's Ezanya has been enjoyed by many. While a very difficult game, the original holds a special place in many ZZTers hearts for how much it crams on just a few boards, its excellent writing that goes far beyond the typical early ZZT adventure, and the infamous King Exasperata III.
With the blessing of the original author, RT-55J has given the game an overhaul, doing an incredible job of keeping the game's original spirit fully intact while adding graphical flourishes and building on the game's writing. The game's fatal flaw, an already rather complex slider puzzle that could be broken by having a dwarf NPC pushing things as they wander around has been addressed, which honestly is all it would have taken to make this one worth recommending.
RT-55J goes beyond that, turning the land of Ezanya into a vibrant and colorful world without getting caught up in the usual "better graphics = more realistic graphics" trap many ZZT remakes fell prey to in the past. It's difficult to tell at a glance what's been changed, but the few troubling bumps have been smoothed out and the finale builds upon Beth's works in a way that feels as if she herself had intended it to be that way from the very beginning.
The original game is a tough sell these days, but the remaster is quite the showcase for what even a brief fantasy adventure can be capable of.
