Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

I Was a Cannibal for the FBI delivers a classic text-adventure experience that leans heavily on exploration, careful item management, and puzzle-solving. As an FBI agent stranded on a desert island, your primary goal is to evade the resident cannibals and find a way off the island. The challenge arises from limited inventory space—only six items at a time—and a parser that accepts simple verb-noun commands rather than advanced chain commands or adverbs. This simplicity forces players to think more deliberately about each action, adding tension to every decision.

The game’s core loop revolves around examining your surroundings, gathering useful tools, and using them in creative ways to progress. Because there is no built-in support for complex command chaining (e.g., “take map and unlock door with key”), you must issue individual instructions one at a time. While this can feel restrictive compared to more polished text adventures, it also encourages meticulous planning and careful note-taking, lending the experience a distinct old-school charm.

The Amiga version introduces a graphical interface that complements the text core. Objects in view can be dragged and dropped into your inventory window, and hotspots on the scene image let you examine points of interest with a click. Directional movement is handled through a clickable compass, with blocked routes grayed out—this eliminates the need to type “north” or “south,” speeding up navigation without sacrificing that classic parser feel.

Graphics

Although primarily text-driven, the Amiga release of I Was a Cannibal for the FBI spices up the narrative with simple line-art illustrations. Each new location is accompanied by a monochrome picture that helps establish the desolate, tropical setting. These images aren’t elaborate, but they provide just enough visual context to fuel your imagination and ground the text descriptions in a tangible world.

The user interface itself is clean and functional. The inventory window sits at the top-right corner, displaying up to six items as icons. Below it, an interactive compass and ascend/descend buttons guide your movement. The HELP, DIG, LOAD, SAVE, and QUIT buttons are laid out in a straightforward toolbar at the bottom—everything you need is just a click away, which is a welcome departure from purely text-only adventures.

While there’s no high-resolution artwork or lush color palettes, the minimalist graphics serve the game’s mood. The sparse visuals mirror the island’s isolation, and the limited color usage focuses your attention on text and puzzles rather than flashy presentation. In this context, the graphics succeed at supplementing rather than distracting from the gameplay.

Story

The premise of I Was a Cannibal for the FBI is delightfully pulpy: you’re an undercover agent sent by the Bureau to investigate reports of cannibalistic activity on a remote island. From your first steps onto sun-bleached sand, the atmosphere is one of danger and intrigue. The game steadily unfolds through your interactions, with every new discovery carrying the weight of potential peril.

Story progression hinges on environmental clues and your ability to piece together a coherent escape plan. There is no NPC dialogue or branching narrative—rather, the tale is told through item descriptions, location detail, and the ever-looming threat of being captured by cannibals. This stripped-down approach to storytelling may feel austere to some, but it effectively captures the desperation of your character’s situation.

Though linear in structure, the narrative does reward thorough exploration. Hidden caches, secret passages, and cryptic messages loom behind every palm tree and thatched hut. The lack of hand-holding intensifies that sense of frontier mystery, making each successful breakthrough—whether unearthing a buried tool or deciphering a note—feel like a genuine triumph over the jungle’s horrors.

Overall Experience

I Was a Cannibal for the FBI stands as a nostalgic throwback to the early days of interactive fiction. Its simplicity is both its greatest strength and its biggest hurdle. Players who relish methodical puzzle-solving and enjoy the tactile thrill of typing commands one by one will find plenty to love. The risk of being eaten looms large, and the measured pace fosters an atmosphere of constant tension.

On the other hand, those accustomed to modern conveniences—smart parsers, built-in hints, smooth object chaining—may find its rough edges frustrating. Inventory limits and a lack of advanced command recognition can slow progress for newcomers to the genre. However, the Amiga version’s point-and-click elements help bridge that gap, offering a more accessible interface without diluting the game’s core challenge.

As freeware and open-source software, I Was a Cannibal for the FBI is readily available for curious adventurers at no cost. Its historical significance—originating from John Olsen’s programming handbook—adds an extra layer of retro appeal. For fans of text adventures seeking an authentic throwback or anyone intrigued by a pulpy, survival-horror premise, this title is well worth downloading and exploring.

Retro Replay Score

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