Voyage
Ages: Everyone

The copy on the box states that Voyage is inspired by Jules Verne. It's about as much Verne as whispering vermouth over gin makes a martini. Verne has three men going to the moon -- never land and return to earth. Kheops kills off two of the travelers even before the game begins and has the sole survivor go on to a fantastic moon adventure full of ingenious sound machines, acid-trip plants and superior Selenites. There are amusing concepts -- like frozen air that evaporates during the day to provide a breathable atmosphere, remains of previous earth visitors, and anti-gravity jumps that are more like flying -- that eliminate any scientific reality that might get in the way of gameplay.

The game, while it doesn't follow Verne's story, does have a Vernian sensibility to it. The need for the human explorer to prove his intelligence to be taken seriously by the Selenites and the tests which he must succeed at to accomplish this. Only after this will you find out their history. The beginning of the game has a Victorian touch with the characters. It starts out with Victorian gentlemen in formal dress and wine for celebration, but unfortunately not enough air. The machines are simple, there are no spacesuits and immediately you are in a Verne/Kheops universe and that is a very good thing. The Adventure Company has given us another wonder-filled adventure.

Reviewed by: Editor - 08/05