Through the Looking Glass
By Joshua Bentley
February 2, 1999
The place is Seattle; the year is 1999. The gaming industry was stood
on its ear by several events in 1998. From my humble chair in suburbia
I will attempt to predict, or at least ramble about, four best sellers.
It seemed like it could almost have been a comeback year for adventure
games in 1998 … almost. Sierra (my old stomping ground) released several
games that literally changed the way we looked at adventure games. Half-Life,
action-adventure, is just one example of a title that has been all
over the press lately, and rightly so! The cast and crew broke lots of
molds and records and produced an incredible, standard-setting title.
Across the board there were incredible leaps and bounds made in technology,
3D rendering, sound processing, interactivity, immersion, etc. All things
considered, 1998 looks to me like it was a good, good year. My question
is: will 1999 be as good? The gaming industry now has some mighty big
shoes to fill. If memory serves, I seem to recall that several magazines
hailed 1998 as the year of the RPG/adventure game. It certainly seems
that way, but will 1999 continue the trend of adventure game popularity,
or will all our hopes and dreams come tumbling down like the Berlin Wall?
Choose Your Path Wisely
In reviewing the adventure titles coming out for 1999, I find myself
rather underwhelmed by the industry’s apparent lack of interest in the
genre. There are four–count ’em–four adventure titles that I am excited
about for 1999. Four games that make me want to stand up and salute adventure
gaming for all its potentials. I can’t tell what your reaction to this,
but mine was something along the lines of: “Four? Four. Four smegging
games to be excited about? Four?! As in the number of fingers on my hand
if I were in a bizarre knife sharpening accident? As in half of an octopus’s
limbs? As in the dollar amount some of these gaming companies are worth
right now? Four!”
Is it just me or has adventure gaming become unpopular? Wait, wait. That’s
not what I’m supposed to be writing about. Okay, the games I’m the most
interested in. Focus, Josh, focus.
The envelope please! [Insert drum roll] And the nominees for Most Anticipated
Adventure Titles Due Out in 1999 are:
- Gabriel Knight III: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned published
by Sierra Studios - Diablo II published by Blizzard Entertainment
- Drakan: Order of the Flame published by Psygnosis
- Final Fantasy VIII published by Squaresoft
Let’s get started! But be forewarned, I’m going to be completely and
totally honest–sometimes brutally so.
Gabriel Knight
I was lucky enough to be at Sierra just after GK1 shipped and
during GK2. They are both “special” programs–tech support
was interesting for these two. The games themselves rocked! I would
dare say that Jane Jensen is the best adventure game writer out there
right now. In my own opinion she ranks far above Roberta Williams
in story-telling ability and she’s a great lady to work with.
Four days after Gabriel Knight II shipped, a letter begging the
team to do another game was received and the flood of requests never stopped.
As a major fan of the series, I am very glad to see that GK3 is
still in the works. To be completely honest, I have had my doubts about
this game. I’ve heard the hype, seen the screen shots and talked to the
sound guys (and others on the team). The game has a huge legacy
to live up to. I think the thing I’m most looking forward to is seeing
whether it carries the legacy of the series to a new level or drops it
like a hot, stinky diaper.
Hype can only carry a title so far. This is true for any game.
Hype is like eating a block of foam when you’re starving–fills your tummy
but doesn’t give you any nutrients. The fans of this title have been waiting
and waiting and by the time the game comes out, the interest level may
have dropped too low–that’s my concern anyway. I sincerely hope to have
all of my wishes for this title fulfilled. I know a couple of the folks
on the team and I want to see them–and Sierra Studios–succeed.
GK3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned puts our hero and
heroine in an actual village in France. A village shrouded in myth and
mystery. It’s either the greatest mystery of all time, or the greatest
scam in history. Gabriel is called in by a prince who fears for his son’s
life. I’m sure Gabriel and Grace will quickly become embroiled in the
mystery surrounding the quaint little town and be thrust into the middle
of yet another investigation.
The voice casting for this game is incredible. Tim Curry makes a second
appearance as our hero along side other Hollywood greats on the cast list.
Check out the full cast listing at the Sierra Studios site. The cast list fluctuates so often it’s
really hard to tell who is still going to do voices for the game. The
quality of graphics looks incredible, but the people look really fake
… from what I’ve seen. This could have improved incredibly since the
last build I saw. In the end, the human emulation will either further
involve the player or distance them. Since the graphics look so incredible,
the game may be addictive regardless of human movement. After all, realistic
human movement isn’t easy.
Regardless of all the possible snags, I am really looking forward to
seeing this game hit the shelves. The game will feature full 3DFX support,
some impressive lighting, a totally new interface and tons of mystery.
The game should be engaging both for the fan and for the newcomer.
Diablo II
Like most of you, I got totally and completely hooked on Diablo
when it first came out. I don’t know whether to be excited about Diablo
II or afraid–after all, my friends and family didn’t see me for a
while after the first one came out.
Diablo was ingenious–the story and art were incredible. The whole
concept behind the game was incredible. I think many gamers inadvertently
compared other role-playing games to Diablo. It was hard not to
do. The play balance was great, the story wasn’t about the characters–it
was about beating a foe. A foe who was bigger than life … or death.
It drew so many people into it, I considered starting a support group.
Now the geniuses at Blizzard are going to do it again. Diablo II is
due out “sometime in 1999” and has all the fans of the original
loitering at the doors of their favorite game store in the hopes that
the four-CD set would soon be there. You heard me correctly–four CDs.
One for each act. That’s incredible! That alone suggests to me that the
game’s depth is almost unfathomable.
They’ve added 3D enhancements, although you don’t have to have a 3D card
to enjoy the game. If you do have a 3D card, you will see some
really gorgeous new features including improved transparency effects,
colored lighting and a faster frame rate. Diablo II will not
be just an add-on. Hellfire it’s not. There are completely
new quests, weapons, spells, armor, nonplayer characters, etc. Five completely
new character classes grace this new game. Each character class will be
more unique–specializing in certain things and accurate fighting styles
to match the characters.
The Amazon looks like a combination warrior-rogue who can hold her own
in hand-to-hand combat or a fight with throwing weapons. Independent and
tough, the Amazon is probably a good, basic-level fighter. The Necromancer
is a pale, skeletal character whose long hours studying the spells required
to raise the dead and reanimate dead tissue back to life has made to be
a rather unsavory character. No doubt a powerful ally in the fight against
darkness, but does the end justify the means? The Paladin seeks after
light and truth. A knight committed to his beliefs and willing to fight
(and die?) for them. The Sorceress may be the most intriguing–being the
most rebellious. The sorceress has scoffed at tradition and taken up the
task of becoming and expert in the use of magic–a male-dominated practice.
The Barbarian is the powerhouse of this happy little band. Forced to fight
for survival in a harsh wilderness and harsh war between clans, his build,
strength, and totem-enhanced skills have built him into a perfect killing
machine.
I’m really looking forward to seeing the end result of Diablo II. It
sounds like they are taking the original and improving it exponentially,
but as I said earlier, hype can only carry a product so far. As long as
they do their very best and don’t rush the product, Diablo II is
practically guaranteed to be a best seller.
Final Fantasy VIII
The question everyone asks about the Final Fantasy series is how
can it be a final fantasy if they’re on their eighth installment? I don’t
care how many they come out with just as long as they continue to make
these awesome products. For those of you who never tried Final Fantasy
VII–get out there and buy it. It has no bearing on FF8, but
it’s a blast to play. Final Fantasy VIII has been in development
since early 1998–but I could be wrong. I have been watching pictures,
sample .AVI files, and articles all cropping on various web sites as little
teasers. Of course, everything is still in Japanese because neither the
game nor the demo has been released in English. Regardless, the art alone
looks to be record-breaking.
Everything I’ve seen has been for the PlayStation, but rest assured the
folks at Square will produce a copy for the PC. But I have to go on what
I’ve seen. The cinematic sequences are improved along with character design
and movement. When playing FF7, you will notice that there are
at least three different models for all the characters–one for fight
scenes, one for just walking around, and yet another for the cinematic
scenes. If you’re like me, you found the polygons of the “just walking
around” models a little annoying and unbelievable. They’ve fixed
this in FF8. The change from cinematics to actual game play is
much smoother and the models blend almost perfectly. There are new summon
spells, totally new characters (with new weapons, of course) and a totally
new story line.
Information on this title is limited, but Squaresoft’s titles have consistently
been best-sellers and I am confident that FF8 will not disappoint.
Drakan: Order of the Flame
This is the game I am probably most looking forward to. It’s a fantastic
combination: “two great things that go great together.” Drakan
is the story of Rhynn, a feisty warrior woman who teams up with Arokh,
a bad-ass fire-breathing dragon. There is no legacy to live up to here,
no continue stories, no genre bending. It’s the first game of its kind.
It combines your standard, hack and slash, puzzle fighting, kill-all-the-bad-guys
style (similar to that of Mask of Eternity or Tomb Raider)
with a new aerial, fire-breathing, if-it-moves-eat-it style.
As one who adores dragons and swords, I find this game incredibly intriguing.
I’m chomping at the bit to see how this blend of styles and characters
affects the outcome of the game and this style of game in the industry.
I also dream about the multiplayer. Flying around roasting opponents from
the seat of my trusty fire-breathing steed. Oh, it makes me drool.
One of the things I am the most happy about with all of the adventure
games discussed in this article are the new, better-looking people. GoldenEye
may be an incredible game, but the people look so fake! Drakan
looks like it will put more realism into fight scenes and their characters
along with an incredible story line. It will feature full 3D enhancement,
probably allow you to switch between keyboard and joystick use for the
highest level of control, as well as the standard colored lighting and
other special effects that go along with 3D enhancements. Psygnosis really
only has two areas that they need to keep a close eye on with this one.
It needs to make sure that this doesn’t become a Rhynn-fest. And by that
I mean that the whole success of the series should not hinge on
a scantily-clad, sword-wielding, giant-lizard-riding babe. It has the
appearance of a game with so much more than just sex appeal, but is that
an illusion or reality? The other possible stumbling block would be the
concept. This game doesn’t have a huge following, isn’t in a series and
will have to stand on its own merits alone.
So far, game magazines can’t get enough of this new title, and as long
as Psygnosis is able to jump the hurdles instead of run headlong into
them, I’m sure the game will be a best-seller.
Final Thoughts
Well, those are my four. My picks for the top four adventure games of
1999. I’ll be willing to bet they all win some kind of award–at least
one per game. They all have hurdles to get over. They all have to carry
on a legacy of some kind or are trying to do something completely new
… and sometimes both. Just remember that games are made by people. People
are imperfect. We’re all people–think about it.
