Preview Last Half of Darkness: Shadows of the Servants Developer: WRF Studios Publisher: TBD Release Date: 2005 Platform: Preview by Shannon Hall February 17, 2005

By the end of February, fans of horror adventure games will have something new to haunt their dreams as WRF Studios releases the second installment of the online thriller, Last Half of Darkness. Like its predecessor, Last Half of Darkness: Shadows of the Servants promises to give you chills, goose-bumps, and more than a few frights.

Judging from the screen shots and online demo, developer William R. Fisher has worked hard to make good on that promise. Using a game engine of his own design, Fisher has created beautiful, stylized graphics reminiscent of classic horror games such as Shivers and 7th Guest, but with a darker flavor. Shadow and light combine in ways that create an unmistakably creepy mood, and the haunting soundtrack makes it obvious that the game was designed to be played with the lights turned low and the sound turned up.

Game play will be standard point and click fare, with some animated transitions punctuating an otherwise slide-show format. Fisher feels that this will make the game less frustrating to navigate, although players will be able to bypass any animation using the spacebar or a mouse click. As with most adventure games, the cursor will provide information regarding potential actions, turning red when a description is available and changing shape to indicate possible movement. Descriptive text and directional notes will appear underneath the cursor when the player clicks on a hot spot.

Animated flashbacks and bizarre images woven throughout the game will flesh out the back story, which according to Fisher “probably holds more questions than answers, but should provide many hours of fun for adventurers of all ages”. Think lightning briefly hinting at illusive horrors, and you’ll have some idea of what he means.

The story itself is rooted in voodoo, darkness, and set in New Orleans, the American epicenter of things that go bump in the night. According to the web site, Shadows of the Servants is a tale of a young girl’s attempt to destroy the evil and madness that plague her estate, a legacy of her late mother who brought more than souvenirs home after a trip to Brazil. It is indeed a twisted tale, and one that bears reading for a great introduction to the game.

Last Half of Darkness: Shadows of the Servants will be available on CD later this month. Until then, you can find a free version of the original Last Half of Darkness at WRF Studio’s web site, or purchase the CD version for a much creepier, more immersive experience.