One of the joys of the E3 is the opportunity to meet developers
from around the world. Language barriers often prohibit effective
email exchanges so a face-to-face encounter is a great way to not
only get to know someone, but to also better grasp the meaning of
those idioms that have you scratching your head in an email.

It was in these circumstances
that I sat down to Starbuck frappucinos with Riccardo Cangini of
Artematica.
Riccardo is a very pleasant, unassuming gentleman who both speaks
and understands a little English. As for me, the only Italian I speak
or understand is ‘large pizza with pepperoni and anchovies.’ But
somehow the language of adventure games is universal. By the end
of our hour-long meeting we understood each other like lifelong friends.

Riccardo could not wait
to show me his newest game – Martin
Mystère: Operation Dorian Grey and JA readers are sure to
be thrilled with the results.

Martin Mystère
is actually the name of a detective who is an expert at archeology
anthropology and computers. He does not investigate
police cases, but instead attempts to solve the great enigmas of
the universe such as the existence of Atlantis, who built Stonehenge
and even the true identity of Santa Claus. He is in many ways an
Italian version of Indiana Jones.

Extremely popular in parts
of Europe, he has not only appeared in hundreds of comics and graphic
novels, but also his own television
show. Great care is taken incorporate realism and facts into the
fictional Martin Mystère stories. His adventures have also
appeared in North America under the Darkhorse comics label.

Now starring in his first
adventure game, Martin Mystère
is sure to have strong appeal to fans of both the Gabriel Knight
series and Indiana Jones without the action elements. In fact, Martin
is actually an American by birth and though many of his adventures
occur in Italy, he lives not far from New York University where he
is often a lecturer. He is also one of those rare comic characters
who ages throughout the years.

Operation Dorian
Grey is an old-fashioned point-and-click with 3D real-time characters
set against a pre-rendered background. The plot’s
central theme is ‘what if there were a machine capable of transferring
an older man’s mind intact with all his memories and sensations
into a younger man’s body?’ We don’t want to reveal
anymore of the storyline, but there will be over twenty other characters
in the game including Java, a Neanderthal man who returned with Martin
from one of his adventures and now serves as his assistant. Java
cannot speak and communicates through a series of grunts that are
only understood by Martin.

Transition between scenes and character movement is effortless.
The version we played had not yet incorporated all of the voices,
but for the final version the dialogue will be recorded by professional
actors. The interface is point-and-click with a right mouse-click
allowing you to choose your option: take, use, talk, etc. We did
play through much of the first scenario and were impressed by the
ease of the interface.

As you can see for yourself,
the graphics are stunning in their attention to the minutest detail.
If I have any complaint at all
(and I can’t believe I’m saying this) it is that – and
maybe this is owing to the developer’s heritage and their previous
adventure game Druuna – Morbus Gravis
– the female characters are in serious need of breast-reduction surgery.

Artematica’s ultimate goal is to create a 3D adventure game
with an old-fashioned feel that will appeal to a larger audience.
Martin Mystère: Operation Dorian Grey is indeed what adventure
gamers have been clamoring for and this is their opportunity to show
support for modern interpretations of the ‘good old days’.

Please take time to
read an interview with Riccardo Cangini in issue #15 of The
Inventory,
which can be downloaded here.