Adventure Computer Game

Syberia is a computer adventure game created by Benoit Sokal, developed by Microids and published through The Adventure Company in 2002. It is a third-person, mouse-driven, semi-realistic/semi-surrealistic adventure game in which the player needs to figure out various puzzles and follow certain procedures in order for the linear storyline to proceed. As a pure graphical adventure game, Syberia follows the guidelines first introduced by LucasArts : It is impossible to die or to get stuck at any moment in the game, which allows the user to fully immerse him/herself in Syberia's universe without the fear of making a mistake or the frequent need of saving the game. The game contains a dramatic subplot, conducted via calls received on Kate's cell phone, involving Kate's deteriorating relationship with her fiance. The game uses elements of steampunk fiction in its story. Most devices and tools, and even a train, are powered by springs and wind-up gears.

Sokal's earlier game Amerzone is located in the same fictional universe, and Syberia contains some references to it. Another of Sokal's adventure games Paradise has no connections to Syberia but does use the same high quality artwork and a similar interface.

The title, Syberia refers to a mythical island, which is referenced in the game and will be Kate's ultimate destination. In the game, the player controls the actions of American lawyer Kate Walker, who is sent to a remote European village in order to finalize the take-over of a toy factory there. Once at the village, Kate learns that the woman who owned the factory has just died, and that she has a brother who must be contacted in order for the takeover to proceed. Her mission takes her across thousands of miles, and leads her to question her own lifestyle.

As already mentioned, Syberia is a third-person perspective, mouse controlled adventure game and you control Kate as she tries to track down Hans. The interface is very simple; the cursor changes to indicate the actions you can perform, double clicking will cause Kate to run and a right click opens her inventory and gives access to the usual save, load and quit functions and options for tweaking the graphics, sound and subtitles. When talking to characters (and the voice acting is very good for the most part) Kate's notebook will open for you to choose question topics and these are automatically updated as she learns more. This sensitive and intelligent adventure game is enhanced by having a female main character. As Kate commences her journey she is concerned only with getting a signature on the contract. She is herself, in a sense, an automaton programmed by modern society, responding to the needs of her Chief, her fiance, her career, her insistent mobile phone. Motivated only by the need to complete her assignment hurriedly she seems at first unsuited to the challenges that loom ahead. Early on in the game Kate won't pick up an item because it is 'yucky' and wet, and a little later she seems overly frightened by a group of fairly harmless-looking birds. But as the game progresses she proves herself to be more and more resourceful, daring and self-reliant. The powerful and poignant decision she makes at the end would not have occurred to the Kate who first arrives in Valadilene.

As Kate searches for Hans her changing personality is demonstrated in both her actions and her reaction to the insistent phone calls from home. She's an interesting character and could have been even more clearly defined by including more interactivity with the gameworld. The locations are visually so detailed and fascinating it's a shame that sometimes the background is untouchable. For instance, Kate's foray into an attic early in the game ... she might have been a bit wishy-washy at this stage but what did she think of the interesting old clock in the foreground? Would she see it as a valuable antique or a piece of junk? I don't know because Kate wasn't allowed to interact with it. Similarly, in a cave with prehistoric paintings of Mammoths there was no reaction from Kate. Allowing Kate (and the player) to interact more with the locations, if only for a comment or description, would reveal more about her character and add even more depth to the game.

The puzzles of the game generally fit in well with the story, bearing in mind that it involves clockwork wind-up mechanisms on a grand scale despite being set in the modern day. There are some quite fantastic mechanical devices to get working, and a good selection of characters to interrogate, clues to follow and problems to be overcome. On the whole the puzzles are gentle rather than mind-bending. So long as you search your surroundings carefully there is little chance of getting bogged down. This means that the story stays in the foreground and unfolds at a reasonable pace. If you feel that it's over too soon it won't be because the game is too short, it will more likely be because you don't want it to end.

Syberia's graphics is fulfilled with marvellous cinematic cut sequences that you can replay from a menu option. And while much of the game is played in silence apart from sound effects the wonderful music, at times soaring, generally accompanies transitions and contributes greatly to the atmosphere. From the opening scene with Anna's funeral in the rain there is a melancholic strain that permeates the whole game. In every location there is a sense of sadness and of loss. The village of Valadilene, though not picturesque and even unnervingly forbidding with its imposing factory-sized buildings, seems locked in the nineteenth century. Next stop is the University town of Barrockstadt, more like a museum or a mausoleum in memory of an academia that has ossified and surrounded itself with a guarded wall to keep out a threat that has long since ceased to exist. Then there is the industrial complex of Komkolzgrad with nearby military/space centre, both now idle but not worth dismantling, left to corrosion as monuments to the fading memory of former Soviet Union glories. And finally, Aralbad on the travesty that used to be the Aral Sea, a desolate salt desert and graveyard to countless ships.

Syberia is a marvelous adventure computer game, stunning to look at and with an awesome and convincing story. It's tremendously enjoyable to play it and for 2002 year this game, especially for adventure fans, is for surely Great!

Broken Sword is an adventure game series created by game designer Charles Cecil of Revolution Software. Originally created for PC and PlayStation®, and now available for Palm OS® and Windows Mobile® handhelds, Broken Sword is the story of George Stobbart, an American tourist on vacation in Europe, who becomes embroiled in a terrifying conspiracy when he witnesses the theft of an ancient manuscript and the assassination of its owner. The manuscript, created in the 14th century by the order of the Knights Templar, points to where their legendary power has been hidden for over six hundred years. Befriending a photojournalist, Nico Collard, the two find themselves on a global trail that ultimately reveals a deadly secret that will change their lives forever. The game series revolves around the adventures of George Stobbart and Nico Collard in several fictitious stories based on history and mythology. The first two games in the series are controlled by a traditional point-and-click interface that the player uses to interact with the cartoon animated backdrops. The last two games are based on a 3D graphics engine that the player operates through a direct control system. The latest game, Broken Sword: The Angel of Death, is also using a point-and-click interface similar to the first two. A movie, based on the first Broken Sword game, has been planned and is ready to be written.

Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars
The first game in the series was released on September 30, 1996, published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment world wide. George Stobbart is an American tourist on holiday in Paris in the autumn. The story opens in the city of Paris, George Stobbart is enjoying his autumn vacation when he narrowly escapes an explosion outside a café. Following the clues left behind by the killer, who is dressed as a clown, George discovers there is something much larger and more dangerous going on that stretches back in time as far as the Knights Templar. Enlisting the help of a French journalist, Nicole Collard, they follow an intricate manuscript which points them in the direction of various locations such as Paris, Ireland, Syria, Spain and Scotland.

Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror
"The Smoking Mirror" is the second game in the Broken Sword series of computer games, and was released on October 31, 1997. The game opens with George Stobbart witnessing the kidnapping of his girlfriend, Nicole Collard, followed by being tied to a chair in a burning house with a deadly spider on the loose. From here follows an adventure involving an evil Aztec god and a conspiracy revolving around the forthcoming solar eclipse. As in the first game, the music is composed by Barrington Pheloung (with Bob Sekar adding the famous closing score 'Happiness is an Inside Job'), and Rolf Saxon returns to lead the cast, with a different actress playing Nico Collard.

Broken Sword III: The Sleeping Dragon
The Sleeping Dragon, released 2003, is the third game in the Broken Sword series. At the start of the game, George and Nico are no longer together, obviously separating between this game and its predecessor. However, as the game progresses, George and Nico realise that they are uncovering the same mystery, and begin working together again to stop the evil that threatens the world once again. The game is 3D, unlike the two previous games which are traditional 2D point-and-click games. The Knights Templar return in another globetrotting adventure, taking the protagonists to Glastonbury, Paris, Cairo, Prague and the Congo. Rolf Saxon leads the cast, reprising his role as George, and Sarah Crook takes on the role of Nicole Collard.

Broken Sword IV: The Angel of Death / Secrets of the Ark
Angel of Death, known in North America as Secrets of the Ark: A Broken Sword Game, is the fourth installment in the Broken Sword series of computer games, released in Europe on September 15, 2006, and in North America on February 13, 2007. It is the first game to be amBX enabled. The story begins, when George Stobbart down on his luck, is working for a Bail Bonds company. Since the events of Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon (one year), George has failed to get any real work as a patent lawyer, and as a result, had to work delivering bails to his many aides. When George is approached by Anna-Maria, the beautiful femme fatale who is aided by only a manuscript of great importance, the two are assaulted by a group of hired thugs to track down and kill Anna-Maria. George and Anna-Maria escape, and the two begin searching for this great treasure that the manuscript leads them to. Soon however, the group of thugs return, and reveals another whole level of danger, when George finds and reveals corruption in Rome, the Vatican, and the Convent. Soon enough, Anna-Maria is captured, and it's up to George to work out who's taken her, and what is going on.

An adventure game is a type of computer entertainment program or video game, characterized by investigation, exploration, puzzle-solving, interaction with game characters, and a focus on narrative rather than reflex-based challenges. It is important to note that this term is unrelated to adventure films, and adventure novels, and is not indicative of theme or subject matter. The vast majority of adventure games are computer games, though console-based adventure games are not unheard of. Unlike many other game genres, the adventure genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media, such as literature and film. Adventure games encompass a wide variety of literary genres, including fantasy, science fiction, mystery, horror, and comedy. Notable adventure games include Grim Fandango, Zork, King's Quest, The Longest Journey, The Secret of Monkey Island, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Sam & Max Hit the Road, Gabriel Knight, Myst and The Last Express. Nearly all adventure games are designed for a single player, since the heavy emphasis on story and character makes multi-player design difficult. Games that fuse adventure elements with action gameplay elements are sometimes referred to as adventure games. Adventure game purists regard this as incorrect and call such hybrids action-adventures. In Europe, games which fuse action and adventure elements are called "arcade adventure" games. The term "adventure game" is used with the same meaning in North America, Europe, and Japan, and is regarded as pure genre in all regions.

In this article we will stop and review more closely one of the first nostalgie computer game of this series - "Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb".

Interviews: Producer Jim Tso opens the world of Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb. Release in the spring of 2003 on the Xbox, PlayStation2 and PC platforms, Emperor’s Tomb produced the same broad action strokes of former games, but with some new features which greatly improve the look and play of the series. Foremost, Harrison Ford’s face has been planted on all CD covers of Indiana Jones.

Description: Indy Returns for a Heart-Stopping New Adventure. Join daring archeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones as he travels to 1935 China to prevent a powerful artifact from falling into evil hands. Indy's latest globe-spanning adventure takes you from the jungles of Ceylon and underwater palaces in Istanbul, to the deadly streets of Hong Kong and beyond. Racing against evil Nazis and the Asian underworld with mysterious, alluring partner Mei Ying, you'll leap, swim, climb and punch your way through exotic locales, fighting hand-to-hand combat from street brawls to martial arts battles. It will take more than just your trusty whip and pistol to avoid deadly traps and navigate through all the dangerous environments. Do you have what it takes to possess the mysterious "Heart of the Dragon?"

Hardware Requirements: Windows 98 SE, Millennium, 2000 and XP. Computer: 100% DirectX 8.1b compatible computer. CPU: 733 MHz or faster CPU required. Memory: 128 MB RAM required. Graphics Card: 32 MB 3D graphics card with hardware transform and lighting (T&L) capability. Sound Card: PCI, USB or onboard audio device required. CD-ROM: Quad speed CD-ROM drive required. Input Device: 100% direct input compatible keyboard or mouse required. DirectX: Microsoft DirectX 8.1b is included on this CD. You will be prompted to install DirectX during the installation of this game if this or a more recent version isn't already properly installed on your system.

The game's score was composed by Clint Bajakian, utilizing The Raiders March by John Williams. Thirty-three minutes of music were recorded by a 65-piece orchestra at the Bastyr University Chapel. Additional, synthesized music - mostly in the realm of softer, non-action music - was created by Bajakian. Samples of the score are available for download at the game's web site.