A Community X-Mas
This game was made back when I was still known as GameMstr1, and my cameo was one of the few in this game that was accurate, even if the makers of this game didn't intend it to be that way. I probably WOULD have been stuck with the janitor's closet and I probably WOULD have brought walkie-talkies for no good reason.
Anyway, I liked this game, even if the rest of the cameos aren't as accurate as mine. The gameplay is kinda simple, though; with the exception of the laser puzzle, there isn't really much to do except walk around and touch the cameo objects.
I GIVES IT A 3.
This had to of been one of the most boring games I've ever played, it was mainly one big story with unfunny jokes. The effort on the graphics was wated. If you are going to make a game with good graphics be sure to make it worth playing and halfway fun.
It was fun but I hated watching for sooooo long. The jokes were funny at times and kinda tedious at others. Herc is my fave programmer and I learned a LOT by playing his games but he has better ones. Check out Deceiving Guidance: it's a lot more fun to play and it feels much more original.
Merry Christmas Herc + Leamas
This game has a strange and sinister evocation. Since I am attracted to games like this, I was not perplexed by the quality of this ZZT package. The plot was coherent and worthy of my reward. The graphics were adequate if a bit Spartan. The humour was outstanding and I specifically liked the scene where Benco lost one of his arms. Very amusing.
The game has very amusing scenes and twists and turns that render it worthy of your time. The cold aura of the game world had me dreaming of what it would be like to have a real ZZT Christmas gathering. I have played many games in my time, but none mystified my mind in the way that this one did.
To be perfectly honest, the idea of ZZT players joining each other at a skiing resort in Canada interests me. If only I had the money.
This game is well worth the download time. IMO. Aesthetics: 3 Characters: 3 Design: 3 Evocation: 5 Graphics: 4 Plot: 4
The cameos of A Community X-Mas are inaccurate. In fact, the game's writers specifically state this at the game's opening. And so, an obvious question arises:
Why make a cameo game with inaccurate cameos? Doesn't that miss the point?
This becomes even more of a problem due to the nature of ACX-M's gameplay. Much of gameo consists of walking around and talking to the cameo objects. There's a mystery plotline tying everything together, and a refreshingly different endgame, but the majority of the game still consists of wandering around talking to people whose names you recognize. When the names don't match the personalities, the game naturally feels flat.
This is a puzzle to me. Why take an excellent premise ("ZZTers are trapped in a palatial chalet in the snow, and begin disappearing one by one. Whodunit?") and then rob it of its charm by leaving out the one thing that would make it really compelling: the personalities? Why throw away the chance to make people actually interested in finding out whether or not their persona is the villain? There's an astounding amount of wasted opportunity here.
On the other hand, ACX-M would be a decent ZZT game even if all the recognizable names were discarded. There are some amusing bits, the whole game is very nicely illustrated, and the Rube Goldberg sequence in the endgame is particularly clever.
Summary: Forget trying to associate the characters with their online personas, and just act as if ACX-M didn't contain anybody you knew. In those circumstances, it's actually pretty entertaining.
