of the Druids
Developer: House
of Tales
Publisher: CDV Software
Entertainment
Projected Release Date: September 2001
Platform:
By
Audrey Wells
Download
Mystery of the Druids Demo (46 MB)
Mystery
of the Druids Trailer 1 (Brent Halligan) (MPG, 1:23, 13 MB)
Mystery
of the Druids Trailer 2 (Where Druids Dwell) (MPEG, 1:51, 17 MB)
When
my long-awaited preview copy of Mystery of the Druids came in the mail,
I could barely contain my anticipation. I had earlier salivated over screenshots,
and then the demo. I held in my hands, inside a neatly addressed FedEx package,
the first part of a game that I hoped would not fall short of my expectations.
Mystery of the Druids, developed by House of Tales and published by CDV
Software Entertainment, was everything I happily had looked forward to–and more!
I
almost felt as if this game was designed especially for me–I am a huge fan of
third-person mystery adventure games with a hint of the supernatural–and this
game fits the bill perfectly. I have a sneaking suspicion that I’m not the only
one who enjoys these types of games (think Gabriel Knight), so it is sure
to be a hit among third-person adventure gamers. Enigmatic puzzles, spine-tingling
cinematics, a compelling storyline, and an elegant graphical style all make Mystery
of the Druids an extraordinary adventure gaming experience. You play as down-on-his-luck
Scotland Yard detective Brent Halligan as he starts investigating a series of
murders known as the Skeleton Murders. Leads seem scarce early on–there is not
much to go on but a pile of bones–but when Halligan collaborates with anthropologist
Dr. Melanie Turner (who you also get to play), they find interesting things that
will send them both on an exhilarating pursuit involving a bloodthirsty Druidic
cult. Of course, the Chief Inspector wants “sensible results” and refuses
to believe anything involving the supernatural, leaving Brent and Melanie to fend
for themselves. Eventually, with the help of a renowned writer and historian Arthur
Blake, they will find that in order to stop the Druidic cult that is threatening
to overrun the world, they will have to defy some laws of science by trekking
through the boundaries of time itself.
Many of the locations in the game
are based upon real counterparts in England, such as Scotland Yard, Epping Forest,
and so on. Some are fictional, such as the mysterious place known as “Twelve
Bridges” that Brent and Melanie go to when they attempt to leave the present.
The graphics for the backgrounds are crisp and detailed. Cutscenes are smooth
and engaging, often spine-chilling once Brent and Melanie get more deeply involved
with the ritualistic cult.
The puzzles are nothing extraordinary, typically
involving inventory combinations or object usage in the environment. Oftentimes,
the hard part is merely getting an item you want from, say, a stingy colleague
or a beggar on the street. And even though Detective Halligan is an officer of
the law, he does not seem to mind breaking a few laws here and there to get what
he wants! There is some variety in the puzzles by way of combination locks and
other mechanical devices, however.
I am unquestionably looking forward to
playing the rest of the game (the preview version was only half of the game).
I am quite eager, in fact, because the game was very successful in creating a
respectable level of suspense. Mystery of the Druids is heavy on character
development and mysterious storytelling, and it has attractive graphics to top
it all off. Due for North American release in mid-September, I know I will be
looking forward to finishing what the game started!
