LOOM™

GOG, I played the EGA uncensored version, and what you cannot avoid is to provide extras such as the FM Towns version, the EGA version, and the audio drama. PLEASE, fix this! The game is original and great, but this talkie version has shorter dialogues: we need and want the EGA and FM Towns versions as well!

No Floppy version and no audio drama is disappointing, especially when The Dig includes the novella. Hopefully these things can be added at some point post-release.

First, a caveat: this game has not aged gracefully. Anyone who can't appreciate it in its historical context is likely to be disappointed by the antiquated graphics, simple mechanics, and tinny sounds. But for anyone who can appreciate a game in the context of when it was written, this is true gem. The characters and the world are charming in a fairy tale sort of way. The humor is light, but stands in counterpoint to a melancholy, almost dark atmosphere. But the true star is the magic system. Magic, in Loom, is weaved from musical notes. You're not taught any spells. You discover them by listening to what happens around you. If you observe something opening, listen to its sound. Those notes become the spell to open things: doors, clam shells, boxes. You just play back those notes at the right time and place. Things happen around you and they all make sounds, which teaches you new spells. The rest is standard SCUMM adventure. But Loom feels special. It's the kind of game that gives you a happy feeling for having played it.

Seeing the best story of my childhood on GOG makes me happy. This is an unforgettable game. There is a sense of peace and calm over the setting. Don't mind other reviews saying that the graphics are dated, instead see them for what they are: Beautiful, hand-drawn pictures of a magical world as a foundation for the characters, which are literally tearing their world apart through fear and lust for power. And in the middle of everything is you, Bobbin Threadbare, a boy never trying to be a hero, but slowly growing to understand the power he wields, and the part he will play in the unfolding events. There are no items to pick up except your magical staff and its spell book. All puzzles are solved with musical notes played on your staff, representing spells. The minimal UI this results in is actually not limiting, but releasing. No need to care about inventory or a multitude of actions, everything you need to finish the game is in your mind. The music from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake couldn't be better for the gestalt of the game. All combined the result is mesmerizing. If you love to lose yourself in stories and can appreciate beauty and simplicity over high tempo, please play Loom.