In what might well be the first text-only game for the Xbox 360, indie developer Matthew Reynolds has created a basic but effective little piece of storytelling that brings to mind Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy books as much as the likes of The Hobbit and Adrian Mole Spectrum adaptations of the 80s.
With simple white text on a black screen and minimal sound effects, Text Zedventure takes you into a city stricken by a mysterious virus that's turning the residents worryingly bloodthirsty. In three loosely interlinked chapters, you're presented with a number of options that may lead to escape or peril – and behind each option the story opens up in tantalising increments, meaning several plays through are required to get the full picture.
There's a solid understanding of what makes adventure games work here – the story fills out pleasingly as you follow the breadcrumb trail of options, and the simple presentation fits extremely well with the grisly story – playing through the game is a surprisingly tense experience. However, improvements could be made; it's extremely brief, the prose is solid but unspectacular, and for some unknown reason it won't let you play while offline. But as a proof of concept its a resounding success. It'd be nice to see Reynolds expand on what he's achieved here – an ongoing series of Text Zedventures perhaps?
