''Scapeghost'' is a

text adventure '' Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, is 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, either in the ...

published by

Level 9 Computing Level 9 was a British developer of computer software, active between 1981 and 1991. Founded by Mike, Nicholas and Pete Austin, the company produced software for the BBC Micro, Nascom, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Oric, Atari, Lynx 48k, RML 380Z, ...

in 1989. It was the last text adventure game released by the company.

Description

The player takes the role of police detective Alan Chance, who starts the game watching people disperse from his own funeral. Chance and his colleague Sarah were on an undercover mission, investigating a gang of drug dealers, when they were betrayed by an unknown agent and Chance was killed. Chance has returned as a ghost and finds that Sarah is missing, and his colleagues believe it was Chance's incompetence rather than betrayal that led to his own death. Chance has three nights to solve the crime that cost him his life, restore his reputation and save Sarah.

Components

The game box contains * floppy disk * manual * wall poster * postcard to be returned for free hint sheet

Release

Level 9 Computing published video games between 1981 and 1991. The idea for ''Scapeghost'' was conceived of by Sandra Sharkey and Pete Gerrard, and the game was designed by Pete Austin and programmed by Graham Jones. Box cover art was created by Godfrey Dowson, and computer art was by Dicon Peeke. It was released for

Amiga Amiga is a family of personal computers introduced by Commodore in 1985. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16- or 32-bit processors, 256 KB or more of RAM, mouse-based GUIs, and significantly improved graphi ...

Amstrad CPC The Amstrad CPC (short for ''Colour Personal Computer'') 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 Sin ...

Amstrad PCW The Amstrad PCW series is a range of personal computers produced by British company Amstrad from 1985 to 1998, and also sold under licence in Europe as the "Joyce" by the German electronics company Schneider in the early years of the series' life. ...

Atari 8-bit computers The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers introduced by Atari, Inc. in 1979 as the Atari 400 and Atari 800. The series was successively upgraded to Atari 1200XL , Atari 600XL, Atari 800XL, Atari 65XE, Atari 130XE, Atari 800XE, ...

Atari ST The Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the Atari 8-bit family. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985 and was widely available in July. It was the first pers ...

BBC Micro The British Broadcasting Corporation Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, is a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers in the 1980s for the BBC Computer Literacy Project. Designed with an emphas ...

Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...

MS-DOS MS-DOS ( ; acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, also known as Microsoft DOS) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. Collectively, MS-DOS, its rebranding as IBM PC DOS, and a few ope ...

, and

ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer. Referred to during development as t ...

. ''Scapeghost'' was the last

game released by Level 9.

Reception

In the February–March 1990 edition of ''

Games International ''Computer Games Magazine'' was a monthly computer and console gaming print magazine, founded in October 1988 as the United Kingdom publication ''Games International''. During its history, it was known variously as ''Strategy Plus'' (October 19 ...

'', John Harrington commented that "the humour and atmosphere of ''Scapeghost'' kept me in good spirits." He concluded by rating the game a below average 6 out of 10, and the graphics a poor 5 out of 10, saying, "Hardened adventurers would probably not find it too challenging." In ''

Computer and Video Games ''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') was a UK-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot website ...

'' #97, Keith Campbell thought the storyline was "very original with some highly unusual puzzles based on the supposed characteristics of ghosts." He noted that the high level commands used by Level 9 made the game "a pleasure to play, and free from frustration even if a silly mistake is made." Campbell concluded with a strong recommendation, saying, "Despite the occasional glitch, I rank ''Scapeghost'' as Level 9's most enjoyable adventure."

Reviews

Review
in ''

Your Sinclair ''Your Sinclair'', or ''YS'' as it was commonly abbreviated, was a commercially published and printed British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum. It was in circulation between 1984 and 1993. History The ...

''
Review
in ''

ACE An ace is a playing card, Dice, die or domino with a single Pip (counting), pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit (cards), suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large a ...

References

External links

* * * 1980s interactive fiction 1989 video games Amiga games Amstrad CPC games Amstrad PCW games Atari 8-bit computer games Atari ST games BBC Micro and Acorn Electron games Commodore 64 games DOS games Level 9 Computing games Video games about ghosts Video games about police officers Video games developed in the United Kingdom ZX Spectrum games Single-player video games {{videogame-stub