Superb minimalist adventure
If you like your interactive fiction games to be excruciatingly hard, then A Change in the Weather is something that you are going to love. A far cry from the likes of rich textured fantasy or science fiction worlds as in Zork or Countdown to Doom, this deceptively simple adventure is certain to have even hardened genre veterans pulling their hair out with frustration so make sure you have a walkthrough handy (or prepare to die a lot). The setup is both straightforward and elegant and finds the player walking away from a jolly picnic only to find themselves caught up in a terrible storm. Survival is the key goal here but you also have to protect a bridge from being destroyed by the storm and while this might not seem to be the most gripping of storylines, this is undoubtedly one of the most engaging and thrilling text adventures ever made. This is due to several factors, notably the superb writing which conjures a wonderful atmosphere of dread and isolation from its wonderfully welcoming scenario. The tension as the storm rises in intensity is truly palpable and the game becomes as thrilling as any traditional action game in several of the stunning setpieces. As mentioned, the game is hard, thanks in part to the way that many puzzles require you to think in 3D, with a good understanding of the layout of the land required in order to succeed. Anyone who likes to know exactly what's going on in their games is likely to get frustrated here as it is rather obscure and the point only becomes apparent through exploration but this can also be seen as a strong point and those in the right frame of mind will find this rewarding. The parser is slightly limited but this is no way causes problems so if you are eager for a new interactive fiction challenge, then this might be your new favourite game.
