ANKH

This game is something else but exactly what I’m not sure. Put at its simplest (and this game is anything but simple), Ankh is a series of logic puzzles, some unbelievably tough.

The game environment is described as the ‘Metareal world of Ankh where logic works but doesn’t rule’. The idea is to find your way through 64 connecting rooms, each of which is different and holds a puzzle. Sometimes you can pass through a room’s doorway with no trouble but mostly you need to find a way to open up the exit before you can pass.

Each room must be prodded, poked and probed to yield up its secrets. Solving a room’s puzzle may bring forth a treasure, a tool or (groan) yet a further puzzle. You control a spherical object, your Mindprobe. It can be moved around and fire missiles. You gain power by performing certain actions (gaining access to a new room, for example) and lose it at a rate of knots when you collide with your environment. The game is over when you lose all power – or when you solve it.

At start-up you have the opportunity to experiment on an abstract set-up – a confidence-sapping experience in my case. You may also select the level of perplexity of the puzzles (from mindboggling to mind shattering).

A real headache inducer, Ankh is like nothing you’ve played before. There’s no middle way – you either love it madly or stick it straight under a steam hammer.

Issue: 086
Publication Date: November 10 1984
Subsection: GAMEPLAY
Article Name: Ankh
Author: Bob Chappell

Computer: Commodore 64
Price: £8.95 (Cassette)
Publisher: Beyond
Reviewer: Bob Chappell
Rating: 8/10