Comp07 Discussion: Lost Pig
Part of the IF Comp 07 Reviews series.
Lost Pig is written by Admiral Jota. If there ever was a game to stay true to its title, this one is it. For, apparently, a pig got lost. Which is bad. Especially for Grunk who’s responsible for the escape of said freedom loving pig. And so the adventure starts, with Grunk looking to retrieve the pig. This isn’t made any easier by the fact that Grunk is an orc and as such not all that much gifted.
The writing alone, keeping up with the orc’ish view point of Grunk, is good enough to make this game unique and highly enjoyable. Due to a very versed implementation, almost every action the player might possibly try is covered, which adds a lot to the atmosphere and makes messing around with items and commands a rewarding experience. The deep level of the game’s implementation also shows in the availability of topics during conversations. Sometimes, however, this goes even too far. At one point, I had six possible topics at my disposal, after a discussion with a NPC which had already lasted for more than 15 turns.
Lost Pig is a game where it’s easy to drift off and wander around. Thanks to the top-notch writing and the implementation, this is a major aspect of the game. Still, at times I felt like being stranded on a beautiful tropical island - it’s easy to lay back and enjoy everything, but real progress suffers. Thus, some more indications aimed at keeping the player on track would have been welcomed. However, as Lost Pig actually isn’t a terrible big game, and as its puzzles are well balanced and sensibly clued, this doesn’t harm the overall quality.
Lost Pig won the IF Comp 2007, and (in my opinion) rightly so. It’s a witty and extremely well done game, and I’m sure it will stand the test of time well. It even might be a good choice for introducing new players to the world of Interactive Fiction. Score: 9
