It is rare to find a video game of this magnificent quality and design now a days, let alone back in '95! The plot is interesting enough to draw you into the game, and captivating enough to keep you there. Of course, the plot may seem simple and overused to some, but that is the beauty of Roberta Williams's work! In all of her video game titles, including this one, she takes well know tales and puts them together in her own lyrical, unique way, successfully turning something old into something new!
So here it is. A recently married couple, one a successful writer, and the other an accredited photographer, move into an abandoned Elizabethan house on the Massachusetts coastline, searching for peace and quiet for each of them to pursue their crafts, and their lives. But the house holds a dark secret. (What self-respecting abandoned Elizabethan house doesn't?) Why are the locals suspicious of the house? What is behind the locked door to the attic? Why did someone wall up the entry to the house's small church? Who are the people lurking about the carriage-house? What really happened to the previous owner? You may have seen or read of this kind of story before. But have you ever lived it?
And that, dear friends, is the entire basis for this remarkable game. Discovering the clues, unlocking the doors, unfolding the demonic secret of a rash of age-old murders, um... disappearances. But don't think that there is only one way to get from moving day to the heart-wrenching climax. Use your mind! There are multiple ways to solve the puzzles! And if you don't search hard, then you miss clues that, while are not required to finish the game, are required to realize just how tricky Mrs. Williams can be. (Hmmm, now where did that cat go off to? My that rose looks lovely in the moonlight... That cellar holds more than just wine...)
The point and click interface is very simple, probably too simple for seasoned gamers. You move the pointer around. The pointer turns red. Ah! You can do something! That however, is the ONLY reason why this game got a 9 instead of a 10. (Well, that and the, ahem, `bad guy' at the end is. well, to put it simply, corny. It still looks neat though!)
Visually, the game is beautiful. You can actually get the feel of roaming around that creepy old house, the stuffiness of the attic, the dampness of the crypt. The movements of the actors are all... well, acted out of course, so there is little that can be done about the stiffness of how Adrienne walks through the game. The video scenes are remarkable well acted out however, and both Victoria Morsell and David Homb shine, especially in the ending scene. I just hope you don't mind blood, because you'll see plenty of it as you get closer to the house's secret.
And the music! Oh! Such macabre melodies only serve to turn the shivers down your spine into virtual waves!
The game is short, yes. That is IF, you don't take the time to fully explore the game. (Search for Roberta herself! She's in there!) My recommendation: call in sick for work tomorrow, grab some of your favorite snacks, dim the lights, start the game, and by the morning, you'll have defeated one of the greatest and intriguing games of all time!
