Attic of the Underdogs

Ringworld: Revenge of The Patriach

Screenshot
Review by Underdogs:
The first release from Tsunami Media is a very disappointing adventure despite having a powerful license behind it. Based on Larry Niven's Hugo and Nebula award-winning novel, Ringworld eschews the book's plot and instead cast you as Quinn, a human "problem solver" who has to deliver an infodisk for Louis Wu, hero of the novel. The premise is intriguing enough: the infodisk said you were to deliver a warning. Unfortunately for you, it never mentioned an insane Patriarch, Kzinti assassins or Puppeteer genocide. A tangled web of intrigue brings you to form an unlikely team with Seeker, a vengeful Kzin, and Miranda, a kidnapped woman engineer. The Kzinti are on the warpath, the Puppeteers claim innocence, and the vast, mysterious Ringworld holds the answer.

Despite this promising start, Ringworld degenerates into a poor click-and-wait kind of game: puzzles are few and far between, and you will sit and watch Quinn solve most interesting obstacles on his own, without your involvement. Worse still, most puzzles, whenever they appear, range from boring to downright pointless. After watching the heroes haplessly look for his own belongings one too many times, you'll wonder why he's worthy of Louis Wu's mission. The non-interactive sequences can last minutes or more, and although they are generally well-scripted, they will make you wonder whether you're watching a poor Ringworld movie instead of playing a game. Not recommended for anyone, except die-hard Niven fans, or adventure game beginners who want a game they can easily complete in one sitting. Anyone interested in a good game based on Niven's novel should play the much-better sequel Return to Ringworld instead.

Average Rating:7.81 [37 votes]
Genre:Adventure
Designer:
Developer:Tsunami Media
Publisher:Tsunami Media
Year:1992
Software Copyright:Tsunami Media
Theme:Science Fiction, Licensed
Multiplayer:
Related Links:Ringworld book review
More Info:Mobygames | The Web
System Requirements:DOS
If you like this game, try:Return to Ringworld, RAMA, Chronomaster
Thanks to... 
Technical Notes:CD-rip version