''The Fourth Protocol'' is an

interactive fiction '' 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 ...

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

based on Frederick Forsyth's 1984 spy novel ''

The Fourth Protocol ''The Fourth Protocol'' is a thriller novel by British writer Frederick Forsyth, published in August 1984. Etymology The title refers to the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which (at least in the world of the novel) contained four secr ...

''. The game was released in 1985 by Hutchinson Computer Publishing, a

subsidiary A subsidiary, subsidiary company or daughter company is a company owned or controlled by another company, which is called the parent company or holding company. Two or more subsidiaries that either belong to the same parent company or having a s ...

of the publishing house Hutchinson. It was designed by John Lambshead and Gordon Paterson, and programmed by Ben Notarianni, Rupert Bowater and Paul Norris of the Electronic Pencil Company. The game was released for the

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 ...

in July 1985, with the

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 ...

release following one month later, and the Amstrad CPC conversion in

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

. The game is split into three parts, and large sections of the programming were

outsource Outsourcing is an agreement in which one company hires another company to be responsible for a planned or existing activity which otherwise is or could be carried out internally, i.e. in-house, and sometimes involves transferring employees and ...

d to others: Andrew Glaister (program conversion Spectrum, parts one and two), Dave Jones (programming Spectrum, part three), Ray Owen (graphics Spectrum, part three) and John Gibbons (programming C64, part three). The IBM PC version was developed for the Electronic Pencil company, by a developer named Brian Mallett. The PC version was written in 8086 assembler and used CGA graphics in 4 colour mode. The PC version was ported from the Z80 and 6502 versions. The PC version did not use DOS but booted up from its own floppy disk. The game was published in the US by Bantam Software.

Gameplay

The game comprises three sections: "The NATO Documents", "The Bomb" and "The SAS Assault". In order to progress to the last two sections, the player must solve riddles based on the current and any previous sections.

Macintosh The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and ...

-like icons are used to assign watchers and navigate until text-based interaction becomes available in the third section.

The NATO documents

The scene is Preston's office. The player takes the role of John Preston, the new head of Section C1(A). Somewhere in England, a burglar steals the famous Glen Diamonds, but he also finds some secret

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

documents. He alerts the

MoD Mod, MOD or mods may refer to: Places * Modesto City–County Airport, Stanislaus County, California, US Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Mods (band), a Norwegian rock band * M.O.D. (Method of Destruction), a band from New York City, US ...

by sending them the documents anonymously. The Paragon Committee decides that John Preston's most important task is to find out who is leaking secrets, to whom they are being leaked and why. Other events occur along the way which also demand his attention. The Cencom icon offers access to Preston's personal files where the player can store information throughout the first part of the game. The Assessment icon gives the player an idea of their progress, telling the player how much of the first stage they have solved and their current rating at MI5. Using surveillance the player can assign 'watchers' to targets; these are informants who provide valuable information, in addition to memos and reports, which will be brought to the player's attention via the sitreps icon. The calendar icon lets the player know how much time has passed. The telephone icon allows the player to accept calls or call out. It is also possible to save and restore the game at any point.

The bomb

From the clues in the first section, the player should have an idea about the plot and who could be responsible. This section is similar in gameplay to the first section, but the player is now in the field, on the trail of the nuclear device which has been smuggled into the country. This section adds additional icons to control movement, along with a manipulate icon to take, drop and use objects. The player is able to look around and examine objects. The communicate icon allows the player to talk to others, via the phone if needed.

SAS assault

In this section, the player has discovered the location of the bomb. Using the information the player has gathered in the previous two parts, they must work out how to defuse the device. This part of the

trilogy A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...

requires text input and plays differently depending on the version of the game.

Reviews

*''

Games A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...

'' #70

References

External links

*
''The Fourth Protocol''
at Gamebase 64

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fourth Protocol 1985 video games Amstrad CPC games Amstrad PCW games Ariolasoft games Cold War video games Commodore 64 games Frederick Forsyth Political video games Spy video games Video games about the Special Air Service Video games based on novels Video games developed in the United Kingdom ZX Spectrum games Single-player video games