Back to the El Obscuro File! This time we’re taking a look at Psychotron,
a strange 1994 adventure from somewhere in the wilds of Texas.

This
is a truly offbeat game, which I appreciated. It’s sort of a short Mission
Impossible episode starring you.

The format is first-person with very
mixed media, from live-action video to computer-generated environments. The game
begins with your character meeting with the President of the United States, no
less (some rabid Texan), and the director of the FBI. The Director becomes your
key contact for the game. He gives you your assignment, which involves tracking
down a very strange government science project that has gone missing.

The
game consists of interacting and interviewing witnesses in the case (video) and
exploring the relevant environments for clues (graphics).

The game takes
up only about 50% of your screen, which is probably a good thing, as it makes
the videos look a lot better than if you run them at full screen.

The highlight
of the game is a sequence in which you have to play poker with a trio of Mafia
thugs. It’s a very tricky situation, as any wrong comment (or bet!) can get you
killed in a hurry.

This is one of the shortest games I’ve ever played,
but it was fun while it lasted. Except for the FBI Director, the acting is uniformly
terrible. The brevity and the bad acting are a shame, because if the creators
had taken their format a bit more seriously they might have ended up with a really
good game. I’d like to see a more ambitious game done in this format.

As
it is, however, Psychotron is an amusing bauble for a slow evening.

Final
Grade: C

If you liked Psychotron:
Watch: Winter Kills
Play:
Traitors Gate
Read: The Day After Tomorrow by Allan
Folsom

System Requirements:Oh,
come on, it’s a 1994 game. Don’t worry about it.