Strange, and Sometimes True, Tales from the E3

Strange, and Sometimes True, Tales from the E3

By Randy Sluganski

Following in the footsteps of Jen, Darcy, and Ray makes me feel like the fellow who tags along behind the parade animals with a shovel, but, hey, no one ever promised that adventure gaming would smell like a rose garden.

Besides the wonderful give-and-take with the JA staff–and believe me, when we are all together, it’s like a gathering of Chippendale dancers and Victoria’s Secret models–probably my biggest thrill was being stopped on Hollywood Boulevard by a woman who mistook me for Harrison Ford. All right, that didn’t really happen, but–and make of this what you will–I did cruise Hollywood Boulevard with Al McDonald of Playing Games Interactive, and, believe me, this is one guy you just know has seen the inside of a Mexican prison.

This was the fifth E3 I have attended and, as concerns adventure games, it was the most disappointing in terms of quantity. The dire predictions we have been making the past two years have come true as the constant negative bleating from magazines and webzines about the death of the genre had their desired effect. Most games have a 12- to 24-month development cycle, and, as we all know, many adventure games have either been cancelled or placed on hiatus in the past year alone.

The most disturbing trend at the show, though, had to be the number of companies that are forsaking the PC in favor of the new console systems. This seemed especially true for the action/adventure genre, but, folks, the handwriting is on the wall and it is only a matter of time.

On a more positive note, we do know that there are numerous unannounced adventure games in various stages of development, as the combined voices of Just Adventure and our readers have been heard loud and clear. There also seems to be a tremendous groundswell of support for the adventure genre on the new Gameboy Advance, as Darcy will be discussing in a future article. It was an honor that companies like LucasArts, Microids, and Presto chose Just Adventure as their source to provide exclusives, and it is proof of the measure of respect we have earned not only in the adventure community but industrywide. In the weeks to follow, we will have trailers and demos that you will not find anywhere else on the Internet. Next year will be the return of the adventure genre in a big way, but as for now, I spent three days investigating every nook and cranny of the E3 and I saw games that even the JA staff doesn’t yet know about …

Arxel Tribe

Our first appointment was with Arxel Tribe’s Guillaume de Fondaumiere. (Guillaume did ask me to inform Just Adventure readers that all orders from Arxel’s online store have been filled.) Guillaume is a rising star in the industry, and he will be dragging the adventure genre along on his coattails. Secrets of the Alamut (which I am currently playing) and Casanova both looked fantastic, but as you have already heard, Hitchcock: The Final Cut was the game of the show. It actually incorporates 15 minutes of expository scenes from six Hitchcock movies (Psycho, Frenzy, Topaz, Torn Curtain, Saboteur, and Shadow of a Doubt) directly into the gameplay. We watched in awe as the main character entered a bathroom and, as he drew back the shower curtain, animation smoothly segued to the infamous shower scene from Psycho. If you are still not convinced of the potential of this game, then consider that this October, Universal Studios will conduct an intensive media campaign blanketing television, press, and radio with promotions for The Final Cut, and there will also be a press party that will be the talk of the industry. We will soon offer exclusive trailers of Hitchcock and Casanova for our readers.

(click images to enlarge)

Wanadoo

Sitting quietly across from the Arxel booth was Wanadoo (after visiting the Electronic Arts booth, though, Armageddon would sound quiet in comparison). Inquisition is an amazing graphic adventure set during the … well, you guess for yourself, and Arabian Nights is a beautiful rendition of Persian culture. (A little-known fact is that Wanadoo has also been involved in the development of Hitchcock and Casanova.) Wanadoo churns out more top-notch adventure games than anyone in the industry, and it is only a matter of time before they receive the recognition they so highly deserve.

Dreamcatcher/Cryo

Dreamcatcher joined the big boys this year and had a booth in the main hall with the Disneys, Konamis, and Electronic Arts of the gaming world. Their staff, as usual, was extremely gracious, and as always it was my pleasure to meet with CEO Rich Wah Kan and VP Marshall Zwicker. Lots of new games here.

• Jekyll & Hyde–More action than adventure, the demented, surrealistic graphics and ingenious plot twists are so visually appealing that adventure gamers will find this game hard to resist.
• Schizm–Who knew such beauty could come from Poland? We have been providing exclusive screenshots of Schizm since its inception, but it was a real treat to watch the faces of E3 attendees who were seeing the game for the first time. Look for this one in late September or early October, shipping on five CDs.

• Beyond Atlantis 2–This sequel follows a female Egyptologist who is attempting to uncover the secrets of fabled Atlantis. The absolutely stunning graphics alone make this a must-have purchase.
• From Dusk to Dawn–What more do you need to know than the fact that this game is based on the cult horror film and is being developed by the master of computer horror–Hubert Chardot (Alone in the Dark)?
• Dune–Of the three Dune games currently in production, this one looks to be the best. Mission-based with many adventure elements, this action/adventure should recruit many new fans to the Dune universe.
• Zorro–Exotic action/adventure based on the legendary, romantic sword-fighting hero. The Zorro character at Dreamcatcher’s E3 booth was bragging how the women were all checking out his nice butt, but I think they were really laughing at the big letter Z that someone had carved into the seat of his pants.
• Nancy Drew–The eternally young Nancy Drew will return not once but twice in Treasure in the Royal Tower and The Final Scene. Megan Gaiser, President and CEO of Her Interactive, also confided to Just Adventure that Nancy Drew will soon appear on Nintendo’s new Game Boy Advance!

Cryonetworks

Cryonetworks had a strong line of online adventure games on display, and once they are up and running in the United States, I think American gamers are in for a real treat.

• The Fog features a new episode every month and is set in 1888 England. You will investigate a series of gruesome murders culminating in a showdown with the infamous Jack the Ripper. The Fog has the potential to be a huge hit in North America.
• The 4th Prophecy is a massive, medieval RPG/adventure offering hundreds of quests in the tradition of Diablo and Ultima.
• Prison 781253645 was a pleasant surprise. You are a prisoner in a maximum-security prison who must survive by all means necessary until you can escape. This novel idea has a gritty, realistic approach that will appeal to players bloated by the glut of similar online fantasy worlds.

Microids

Talk about a special treat; Olivier Fontenay, Executive Producer of Microids, honored me with a first-in-the-world demonstration of Amerzone 2. But the name has now been changed to Syberia. Syberia is not a true sequel to Amerzone, but it does employ the same graphics engine, plot devices, and development team. The projected release date is during the second quarter of 2002.

So what did I see? How about over 150 screenshots and animations of the most beautiful graphics ever created for an adventure game: a futuristic world colored by tinges of nostalgia. For those already drooling, and since we cannot yet post screenshots, how about a plot synopsis?

A company seeks the services of an eccentric Swedish toymaker. A visit to the toymaker’s quaint village finds a community devoid of humans but populated by automated mechanical men whose attire consists of top hats and coattails. As in Amerzone, you will discover schematics of strange creatures and machines and again you must travel, this time to France, Germany, and Russia. But let’s not give away too much of the plot this early in the game’s progress!

Microids was also showcasing Road to India (which I have just finished playing). You play as a college student whose fiancée has been kidnaped by Kali worshipers. You must now travel India to find your future wife before she is devoured as the main entrée of a sacrificial course. A must-have for adventure gamers who love exotic locales.

Last but not least was the strange and mystical Druuna–another point-and-clicker that we will be discussing in future months.

LucasArts

As everyone in the world knows by now, JA scooped the world with news of two new (as yet unnamed) adventure games. What you don’t know is that PR Director Tom Sarris also promised to provide JA with the results of an adventure gamer survey recently conducted on the LucasArts website.

As for the Playstation 2 version of Escape from Monkey Island, I spoke with one of the developers and was promised that we can expect a higher pixel count (better graphics), a removal of bugs that plagued the PC version (her words, not mine), better player control, and easier Monkey Kombat. I will go out on a limb here and predict that if the PS2 version of EFMI sells well (and LucasArts admits that they do not know what reaction to expect from the console crowd), then this time next year we will see both new adventure releases announced for multiple platforms and not just for the PC.

CDV

CDV is a German developer little-known in North America, but that will soon change. Mystery of the Druids (which I am currently playing) is a surefire hit that should be popular with fans of the Gabriel Knight series. Neo-Druids are sacrificing human beings in an attempt to invoke the powers of darkness. Now Scotland Yard Detective Brent Halligan and his female companion must investigate these gruesome murders.

Grom is set in 1942 Nazi Germany, and special units are searching for the remains of an ancient Tibetan civilization that possesses a weapon capable of eliminating entire nations. Now Colonel Grom must find this legendary civilization first and protect it from Nazi exploitation.

CDV also has a line-up of adult-oriented adventure games like Lula 3D, which we will be discussing in a future column.

Interplay

Interplay had some nice surprises in store for adventure gamers, namely, Galleon, RLH, and Rubu Tribe. The good news is that Interplay easily had the strongest line-up of games at the E3, but the bad news is that many of them are currently for console only.

Rubu Tribe is pure puzzle-solving adventure in which the survival of your prehistoric tribe rests upon your ability to overcome environmental obstacles and life-threatening situations. The cooperative aspects of Rubu Tribe reminded me of an updated 3D version of the classic Lemmings.

RLH (a.k.a. Run Like Hell) is an action/adventure with the emphasis on action, but this game rocked. As professionally produced as any Hollywood science-fiction movie, RLH features the voice of Lance Henriksen (Aliens, Millennium) and is nonstop excitement and suspense. I had to RLH to keep from being pried away from this game.

The real treat, though, was Galleon, a pirate-themed action/adventure with the emphasis on adventure. Join Captain Rhama in a race against time to locate an ancient artifact. Galleon is a cross between Redguard and Tomb Raider and will be a must-have for fans of those two games.

Here, There, and Everywhere

Charles Cecil and Tony Warriner of Revolution Software shared some exclusive information on Broken Sword 3 (more on this in the future) and also asked Just Adventure if we would conduct some surveys of their fan base. Need we tell you our response?

For years I have been preaching that adventure gamers would love to purchase collectible figures from their favorite games and finally someone has listened. Myst and Riven fans should be ecstatic with the picture below. These collectibles will be available at a local hobby shop, or you can stop by Diamond Comic Distributors for more information (let’s hope they correct the spelling of Ribbon).

A quick stop to THQ and a clandestine meeting with Asam Ahmad, who showed me a sneak preview of Zanzarah: The Hidden Portal, an adventure game that is very reminiscent of The Longest Journey. We will have much more on this game as it progresses toward its expected release in the first quarter of 2002.

Empire Interactive had a closed-door preview of Ghost Master, but I have a knack for sniffing out these hidden adventure games! This paranormal project is centered around B-grade movie themes and seems to be strongly influenced by Ghostbusters movies. Empire has promised JA readers some exclusive information on this adventure/strategy title.

Sega was showcasing Shenmue 2 and Sonic Adventure 2. The first Shenmue is easily the best adventure game ever created specifically for a console system and was responsible for introducing thousands of younger gamers to the adventure genre for the first time. Sonic Adventure 2 mixes puzzle-solving with the fun and frolic of the blue mascot and his friends. Who says all adventure games have to be plodding, laborious affairs?

Shoebox has purchased the European rights to The Real Neverending Story and is aiming for a fourth quarter 2001 release. Developer Siggi Kogl’s opus looks to have taken on a decidedly darker tone as opposed to the sprightly, humorous version we first previewed two years ago. Shoebox was also previewing two adventure games aimed at teenage girls based on the heroine of a popular series of books named Wendy, who, along with her horse, seems to be the German equivalent of Nancy Drew. It is doubtful that either The Soren Mystery or Sarah’s Big Dream will find distributors in North America. Troll Tales is based on a popular German cartoon series and is a humorous puzzle/adventure game reminiscent of the Smurfs.

From Korea, Wizard Soft had an interesting horror/adventure game titled Whiteday in which a young boy must escape from a haunted school. Sofnet was spotlighting Zaphie 2, another horror/adventure sequel. Zaphie 2 occurs ten years after the events of the original as a teenage boy has just been declared sane and released from an asylum. Don’t expect to see either of these games available soon in North America.

Nate Wells (System Shock 2, Thief) of Crave was kind enough to give me a private screening of The Lost. This survival horror/adventure game is based on Dantes’ Divine Comedia (honest!), and the player must descend through the nine circles of Hell to save the soul of a daughter who has committed suicide. The Lost has a claustrophobically spooky atmosphere, haunting music, and characters that would do Clive Barker proud. The demo alone was so intense that I was secretly glad Nate had left the lights on. Bad news: console only. Good news: The Lost is a game worth buying a console system to play.

Simon & Schuster gave me a sneak peek at Darkened Skye, a gorgeous action/adventure that is quickly becoming known as “the Skittles game” as the different scenarios are extensions of the Skittles commercials seen on television. The game’s heroine, Skye, receives her mysterious powers from different-colored Skittles she finds distributed about the land. It all sounds ludicrous until you see this wonderful game in person.

TDK had a nice selection of action/adventures on display. In Pryzm: The Dark Unicorn (PS2), a unicorn (Pryzm) and troll must form a reluctant alliance to rid their mythical land of a curse. Pryzm is guaranteed to be a huge hit as it follows in the afterglow of Shrek and precedes the film release of Lord of the Rings. In Casper Spirit Dimensions (PS2), the player guides the friendly ghost through phantom dimensions and portals while using Casper’s ghostly powers to defeat the wicked Kibosh. Anyone who has played any of the previous Casper games is well aware that they lean toward puzzle-solving. Shrek (Xbox exclusive) is a must-have that every adventurer will want to find in his or her Christmas stocking. Following the events of the movie, Shrek’s misadventures now send him to four new worlds and 36 missions with his famous fairy tale friends. Expect Shrek to be released around the same time as the home video version of the blockbuster film.

A quick prayer meeting with Mike Wilson of G.O.D. (Gathering of Developers), and over communal wine he dropped a hint that Nocturne 2 is in development! (This one’s for you, Linda Shaw!) After prying that scoop from Mike, I felt obliged to stay and watch the Boxing Nuns and Karaoke Catholic School Girls.

Remember Point of View from May’s State of Adventure Gaming? Digital Leisure is negotiating for the distribution rights, so we may see this adult adventure game on store shelves soon. Digital Leisure experienced minor success with Tender Loving Care, and it is nice to see that at least one publisher has the guts to distribute adult games in a world of Mario and Sonic clones.

Jacqueline Collard of Disney made my day on Friday when she slipped me the prequel to the upcoming Atlantis and promised to provide JA with information on upcoming Disney titles. Disney surely had the most unlikely product at the E3: they are working on a game that will see famous Disney characters like Mickey, Donald, and Goofy team up with characters from Squaresoft’s Final Fantasy series.

More children’s adventures: Compedia was showing the teenage-themed Julia, Eclectica had The Emperor’s Seal, an action/adventure set in ancient Rome, and Humongous had new installments of Spy Fox and Freddie Fish.

Unknown: Journey of Resurrection by Cyberscape Graphics is an interesting game that allows you to reexperience your past lives in order to succeed in your current life. A unique premise and puzzle-solving should appeal to the adventure gamer.

At Infogrames, I conversed with the gentleman who tested the new Alone in the Dark for all of the different systems. We will soon be contacting him for his inside thoughts on the resurrection of this honored classic. He did vow that it has stayed true to the spirit of Hubert Chardot’s original vision.

Konami was showing Silent Hill 2, and while the on-floor demo looked and played too much like the original, Konami has an excellent reputation for producing quality products. This sequel has the player assume the role of a grieving husband who receives a letter from his deceased wife beckoning him to meet her in the small town of Silent Hill. No word yet on a sequel to the exceptional Shadow of Destiny.

At Fishtank, I spoke with a member of the Call of Ctuthlu development team. COC seems to have evolved into much more of an adventure game than was originally intended, and while it has a wildly evocative atmosphere, it still seems more action-oriented. Of course, enquiring minds needed to know about Simon 3D, and while I was told that the bugs have been removed and a search for a publisher continues, the answers seemed strangely evasive.

In the very early planning stages is Wallace and Gromit from Marjacq, an adventure game based on the hugely popular award-winning claymation shorts. Let’s hope some astute publisher grabs these playful characters before they run afoul of Mr. Sluggo.

Ray and I were treated to a private showing of Electronic Arts’s Majestic. While the premise is interesting, this full-motion-video online game will need to evolve beyond the gimmicky phone calls and fax messages if it hopes to attract a captive paying audience.

Last and certainly least was Ubi Soft’s shameful display for Myst 3. Tucked away from the main foot traffic were two small monitors manned by the pleasant Presto staff, while overhead a 10-foot high screen blared a trailer for Ubi Soft’s new Rayman game. Can’t get enough of that Rayman. Does anyone in the United States actually own a Rayman game?

Off to the side was a small door that beckoned one forth to discover the Myst Experience. Inside the room were the books from the Ages of Myst seated on four podiums. A light mist swirled about the floor. Get it? The Myst (mist) Experience. Maybe my harsh laughter was why I was asked to not take a picture. And if you think I’m exaggerating, then be here in a few weeks for an article blowing the whistle on Ubi Soft’s attempts to shut down Myst-related fan sites on the World Wide Web.

While the adventure pickings were slim this year, there is much to say for quality over quantity. Next year, though, let’s hope that this column is twice as long.