Puppet Motel, a great quirky little title, is what puts the
+ in Just Adventure+. Created by well-known performance artist Laurie Anderson,
it is intriguing and enthralling, and it obviously means to be. It follows no
specific path; rather you are allowed to roam from room to room, experimenting
with objects and exploring, which is one of my favorite things to do, so I was
right at home.

Laurie Anderson herself is involving and mesmerizing, and
Puppet Motel itself so engrossing several hours passed without my realizing
it. She is also the only performance artist, to my knowledge, to venture into
the realm of CD-ROM, which legitimizes her abilities further–it is obvious she
intends to push creativity to the edge. This is definitely art for the last portion
of the 20th Century, so drink up.

The nice thing about Puppet Motel
is there are no wrong moves. Anderson shows you her set for performances;
after she finishes, a completed shooting ducks game is rewarded with a bizarre
display, which is an outgrowth of the set she was on. Art, music and stories are
combined as you explore the various rooms. The game of it is to figure out what
is to be done in each room and complete it, then find your way back out, which
is done in a completely nonlinear style. There are puzzles to solve, but these
are more interactive art than anything. You don’t get to leave any of the rooms
until she’s done with you. The stories keep your interest, and you get to follow
Anderson through life’s foibles.

You begin in the Hall of Time, which is
your main navigation center. The rooms themselves are very cool, stylized pieces
of art, done by designer Hsin-Chien Huang working in coordination with Anderson.
In the hotel room, you get to find out just how many rooms there are, 33 in all,
and their names. Other than this, there is no particular beginning or end.

This
should definitely be listened to with headphones, which is also recommended in
the packaging! There are subtle nuances that would otherwise be missed, small
sounds and poetry conveyed using the flow back and forth from one ear to the other
to impart the message. The music is ethereal, Anderson whispering in your ear
unnerving, and she has a dark, soothing voice.

Additional movies can be
downloaded from the Voyager
site for use within Puppet Motel.

This is avant-garde art that
communicates well its messages and is a perfect change of pace for any adventure
gamer. Think of it as a big fat Playskool activity center for adults. By the time
I was done I didn’t want to leave. Overall score A.

System
Requirements (Mac): Any color-capable Macintosh

8 MB RAM, 12 MB for Power PC
13 inch or larger monitor
14 MB free HD space

2x ROM Drive recommended
External speakers or headphone recommended
System
7 or better