There are callings people cannot help but answer. No matter how
dangerous the path is, no matter how many people try to discourage
you, it is simply what you have to do. For Delaware St. John that
special calling is to bring peace to the spirits of the dead. The
psychic detective works with his partner Kelly Bradford to help ghosts
find relief from eternal torment.

Adventure gamers first
met Delaware in The Curse of Midnight Manor. Drawn to an abandoned
mansion by his recurring nightmares, Delaware
struggled to uncover the terrible history of the building in an effort
to free the restless spirits that dwelt within its walls. The second
episode took Delaware to Maine, where the detective came upon a town
that did not exist on any record. Once again Delaware had to face
the paranormal and try to understand the town’s secrets.

The third volume, The
Seacliff Tragedy, is continuing the story
from the first two episodes. The detective is once again haunted
by visions of the dead. Reaching from beyond the grave, a hundred
voices are compelling Delaware to investigate an abandoned amusement
park. The detective will not find peace until he gets to the bottom
of this new mystery and discovers what is troubling the spirits of
the dead.

A tragic collapse has killed over one hundred people at this amusement
park. Shutting down after the tragic event, the site has been abandoned
for four years. What is supposed to be a place of great fun and entertainment
is now home to terrible dark forces. What was the cause of the terrible
accident? What secrets are hidden within the walls of the Seacliff
park? Why is it that strange creatures and apparitions have laid
claim to this place? Delaware has to unlock the mystery. The detective
has to uncover the horrible secrets of the park. But his job will
be harder than ever.

Terrifying monsters known
as Shadow People guard the park grounds. Delaware will have to
defend himself against these creatures. If
he fails, he may lose his very soul. And the Shadow People are only
part of the nightmare. A stronger evil force lurks somewhere just
out of Delaware’s sight. It is waiting for the right time to
descend upon the detective. Delaware will need all his wit, psychic
skills, and intuition to live through the night.

Fortunately, the detective will not be alone in exploring the terrifying
park grounds. His partner Kelly Bradford will join him in the third
volume of the series. Where Delaware has his remarkable psychic talents
to help with his investigation, Kelly will have access to very special
high-tech equipment. Her thermal goggles and EMF counter will help
Kelly help Kelly identify areas of high paranormal activity. What
is invisible to her human eyes will be revealed through technology.

With the third volume,
Big Time Games will be taking Delaware St. John in a bold new direction.
Departing from the static backgrounds
of the previous episodes, Big Time Games is developing The
Seacliff Tragedy as a full 3D game. The implementation of the 3D engine means
that The Seacliff Tragedy will not be played entirely as a traditional
point-and-click adventure game. However, the game will still be played
from first-person perspective. Big Time Games also promises that “the
story and game play remain intact from the previous games.”

Judging by the first set of screenshots, it also seems to be safe
to assume that Big Time Games has maintained the eerie look and feel
of the series. The early depictions of the amusement park are promising.
In particular, the blurred view of the park through what we can assume
to be one of the Shadow People appears to be a nice effect.

The third episode is expected
to introduce a number of new features into the Delaware
St. John series. The inclusion of the Shadow People
alone should make things very interesting. Big Time Games president
points out that players “will control Delaware as he fends
off these life-draining monsters in order to investigate the remains
of Seacliff Amusement Park.” While it is unclear exactly how
Delaware will fight against the Shadow People, their inclusion might
mean a fundamental shift in game play. The third episode could possibly
deliver more of a survival horror gaming experience rather than a
pure adventure one.

The Seacliff
Tragedy is currently gearing up for a November 2006
release. While the game is evolving in a new direction, Big Time
Games seems to be dedicated to maintain the storyline and the atmosphere
of the previous volumes in the series. It looks like we will be in
for another dark and twisted mystery as we investigate the Seacliff
Amusement Park. It should be safe to expect plenty of creepy environments
and ghost sightings.

Relying on Delaware’s
psychic abilities to uncover the secrets of the park should prove
to be interesting. The trusty Voice Imagery
Communicator or VIC will also be available to take pictures and record
sounds as needed. At the same time, having access to new tools and
a second playable character through Kelly Bradford could bring new
depth to the series. Running away from the monsters stalking the
park and outwitting the evil forces will hopefully make for a delightfully
scary experience.

Players should also expect
to find out more about the greater storyline surrounding the series.
It is hard to say how the new features will
impact game play. But the preliminary information on the storyline
and the setting are certainly intriguing. The Seacliff Tragedy should
give us a welcome chance to explore an all new creepy and decidedly
haunted location. Here’s hoping we’ll be able to play
another successful episode of Delaware St. John this fall.