Back to the El Obscuro File! This time we're taking a look at Psychotron, a strange 1994 adventure from somewhere in the wilds of Texas.

This is a truly offbeat game, which I appreciated. It's sort of a short Mission Impossible episode starring you.

The format is first-person with very mixed media, from live-action video to computer-generated environments. The game begins with your character meeting with the President of the United States, no less (some rabid Texan), and the director of the FBI. The Director becomes your key contact for the game. He gives you your assignment, which involves tracking down a very strange government science project that has gone missing.

The game consists of interacting and interviewing witnesses in the case (video) and exploring the relevant environments for clues (graphics).

The game takes up only about 50% of your screen, which is probably a good thing, as it makes the videos look a lot better than if you run them at full screen.

The highlight of the game is a sequence in which you have to play poker with a trio of Mafia thugs. It's a very tricky situation, as any wrong comment (or bet!) can get you killed in a hurry.

This is one of the shortest games I've ever played, but it was fun while it lasted. Except for the FBI Director, the acting is uniformly terrible. The brevity and the bad acting are a shame, because if the creators had taken their format a bit more seriously they might have ended up with a really good game. I'd like to see a more ambitious game done in this format.

As it is, however, Psychotron is an amusing bauble for a slow evening.

Final Grade: C

If you liked Psychotron:
Watch: Winter Kills
Play: Traitors Gate
Read: The Day After Tomorrow by Allan Folsom

System Requirements:
Oh, come on, it's a 1994 game. Don't worry about it.