Dracula (adventure game)
Encyclopedia
Dracula is a text adventure
game by CRL released in for the Commodore 64
, Amstrad CPC
and ZX Spectrum
home computers. The game is based on the novel "Dracula
" by Bram Stoker
.
to meet Count Dracula
regarding a routine property transaction, but soon learns that his client has sinister ulterior intentions.
.
CRL followed Dracula with three further adventures of a similar style, Frankenstein
, Jack the Ripper
and Wolfman
, all of which also received BBFC ratings.
Interactive fiction
Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as video games. In common usage, the term refers to text...
game by CRL released in for the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
and ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
home computers. The game is based on the novel "Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
" by Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
.
Plot
An English lawyer travels to CarpathiaCarpathia
Carpathia can refer to various things:*RMS Carpathia was a steamship, notable for its role in the rescue of survivors from the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912*Carpathian Mountains, part of a mountain range in Europe...
to meet Count Dracula
Count Dracula
Count Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula and archetypal vampire. Some aspects of his character have been inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler...
regarding a routine property transaction, but soon learns that his client has sinister ulterior intentions.
Gameplay
The game is a standard text adventure with static graphics in some locations. It is divided into three parts:- "First Night" - The young solicitor arrives in Count Dracula's country, staying at the The Golden Krone Hotel; strange events are observed
- "The Arrival" - After an eventful journey, he arrives at Dracula's castle, and soon learns the real nature of his host's intentions; he realizes that he must escape if he is to survive...
- "The Hunt" - A psychiatrist at an insane asylum in England receives a strange letter from a friend on business overseas, warning of "boxes of earth" and the "undead"; meanwhile a patient at the asylum grows increasingly disturbed...
Reception
The game is notable for receiving a "15" certificate from the British Board of Film Censors on account of the gory images it contains. However, CRL expressed disappointment with this as they had hoped for an "18" certificate18 certificate
The 18 certificate is issued by the British Board of Film Classification to state that, in its opinion, a film, video recording, or game should not be seen or purchased by a person under 18 years old....
.
CRL followed Dracula with three further adventures of a similar style, Frankenstein
Frankenstein (adventure game)
Frankenstein is a text adventure game released by CRL in for the Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum home computers. The game is based on the novel "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley.- Plot :Dr...
, Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper (adventure game)
Jack the Ripper is a text adventure game released by CRL in for the Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum home computers. The game is based on the notorious "Jack the Ripper" murders of the 1880s.- Plot :...
and Wolfman
Wolfman (game)
Wolfman is a text adventure game released by CRL in for the Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum home computers.- Gameplay :The game is a standard text adventure with graphics in some locations to set the scene...
, all of which also received BBFC ratings.