The Experiment
You know the phrase - "I'm in the dark" - a statement of not knowing,
not having the slightest idea about something?
Take that idea and apply it to an adventure game and you have a new experience in solving puzzles.
You find a deserted ship, seemingly involved with some sort of scientific exploration,
grounded on a Pacific Island.
You find your way down to the operations room, filled with high tech equipment
and numerous surveillance monitors.
Fiddling around you see a sleeping woman on the monitor - waking up she asks for your help.
There seems to have been some kind of power failure,
trapping the woman and plunging the ship into darkness.
Slowly, slowly these two characters learn to trust each other enough to work together - she
moving about into the lighted areas - he turning on the lights.
Exploration only adds more questions and a growing sense of unease.
Turns out that Lea has slept for 34 years and what is that drug that she needs so desperately?
The ship is a mess - dead bodies litter the corridors, experiments seem to have gotten out of hand,
and the space is overgrown with plant life.
Finding a map of the ship, the computer control panel and personnel
file speeds up exploration.
Saving the game is amusingly called "backup".
Reading these numerous personal files is a little like reading someone else's mail.
But they are more than just interesting to read - they provide clues to the puzzles.
Bit by bit you find information, passwords and instructions and slowly piece together what happened.
You will encounter weird life forms, robots, and you have heard of talking to your plants, well …
Clever as the game's premise is, it moves too slowly - I found
myself wanting a quick flash forward.
When it feel like I am working too hard - it generally means that the game designers
have gotten tired or, that it's too long.
And in this case it is too much work for an unsatisfying ending.
This is becoming too common - especially with games from overseas studios.
Reviewed by: Editor - 05/08
Ages: Everyone
Fun Factor: Clever concept - too long - needs better ending.
Female Factor: Lea, main character, does all the hands-on exploring.
Player Friendly: Essy saves called back-ups.