Legacy: Dark Shadows Review — Part 2

Preview

Legacy:
Dark Shadows


Razbor
TBD
Forecast for September
2003
Platform: PC


Review by Randy Sluganski
April 15, 2003

 

 

 


click to enlarge - Legacy: Dark Shadows screenshotsLegacy: Dark Shadows is
easily one of the most ambitious adventure games currently in development.
Equal parts science fiction and horror – with
a mystery thrown in for good measure – LDS spans two different
periods of time and two different main characters.

The game begins in 1942 as reporter Jack Black undergoes a strange
occurrence during the Battle of Stalingrad and then leaps forward
to the distant future of 2138 and private investigator Ren Silver.
Something happened in 1942 that has had repercussions on a future
generation unaware of their tenuous hold on life.

click to enlarge - Legacy: Dark Shadows screenshotsThe alpha build we played
was – understandably – a bit
unstable at times, but it was more than enough to whet the appetite.
Legacy: Dark Shadows is a point & click lover’s dream game,
heavy on dialogue and inventory. The characters are 3D against a
2D background and will travel across over 100 locations divided into
14 chapters. Inventory is handled with a quick tap of the right mouse
button.

Almost everything in the game can be interacted with, even if only
to get a brief description. Though much of the dialogue is non-linear
(and there is a lot of dialogue!), certain dialogue choices will
trigger key events in the gaming universe. An entire new world has
been created for gameplay shrouded in a backdrop of political intrigue
amid a backdrop of a new Earth created from the ashes of a cataclysmic
war. This is not a quickie game for the casual gamer!

click to enlarge - Legacy: Dark Shadows screenshotsLegacy: Dark Shadows is a first-class production all the way and
it shows even in the alpha build. Professional actors have lent their
talents (lip-synching has yet to be implemented) and a music score
has been composed for the game. A resolution of 1024 x 768 with 32-bit
color and 60 fps adds a vibrancy to even the smallest of details.

click to enlarge - Legacy: Dark Shadows screenshotsThe sheer scope of Legacy:
Dark Shadows
is impressive and reminds one of a more fleshed
out version of Nightlong:
Union City Conspiracy
.
Equally remarkable is the amount of background material that Razbor
(www.razbor.net) has provided on the Legacy website.
This is one game that has the potential to please even the most discerning
adventure gamer. We’ll have more details soon, but in the meantime,
to learn more about Legacy: Dark Shadows:

Click here to download
an in-depth pdf file about Legacy: Dark Shadows.

Click here to download
a 146 MB alpha preview of Legacy: Dark Shadows.

click to enlarge - Legacy: Dark Shadows screenshotsclick to enlarge - Legacy: Dark Shadows screenshots

Randy Sluganski

Randy Sluganski

Randy Sluganski was a true adventure gamer and his passion for these games made him just as important as the developers and publishers of these games. Randy passed away after battling lung cancer for over 10 years. Randy can never be replaced but we would like to light a torch in his memory for what he did for us with his love of adventure gaming. We dedicate this site to the Memory of Randy Sluganski and his love for adventure games.