Wednesday 20 March 2013

Game 30: Manhunter 2 - Rubbing the Heavenly Jewels

Manhunter Journal Entry 2: “I’ve figured out that there are two suspects that left the two men dead at the Bank of Canton. I’ve followed both of them through all the locations that they visited, even after they split up, collecting clues along the way. I still can’t put all the pieces of this convoluted puzzle together, but I keep discovering new leads and am yet to run into a dead end. What I’ve found is pretty horrific though (including some sort of mutant human corpse), and I dread what may be around the next corner. I can’t yet see how any of this could be connected to Phil, although one of the suspects did visit the Ferry Building where I believe him to be hiding out. I can only assume that following a path of chaos and murder will eventually lead to that evil man. Well, it’s time to stop writing and follow my next lead!”


I wouldn't want to lose this. "That robe over there! Yeah, the brown one!"

My first Manhunter 2 gameplay post had covered only as far as the Bank of Canton. I felt like I’d found everything I was going to find there, but then my experience with the first Manhunter game told me that was likely a false sense of security. Still, I felt ready to open up my MAD and see where the suspect travelled next after murdering Tad Timov in the bank and a second Dragon member on the pavement outside. I opened up the tracker and watched as the suspect left the bank area and travelled north east until they arrived at a warehouse. Its here that something surprising happened which made me realise I’d been misinterpreting things during my first game session. I’d questioned why the suspect’s marker in the tracker recording was both red and yellow, and it turns out I wasn’t looking at a suspect at all. I was looking at two suspects! I figured this out when the red and yellow markers got into a scuffle (at least I assumed that’s what happened) at the warehouse entrance and then went separate directions.


The yellow and red markers close together are two separate people

It’s at this point that I also remembered that I was able to change which marker I was following in Manhunter 1 by clicking on them, and the same applied here. The yellow marker was simply the city occupant I was following at the time! So now I had to decide whether to follow the suspect that entered the warehouse or to remain focussed on the other one that left the area. I decided to follow the suspect into the warehouse as that location would already be marked out on my map. I watched as they weaved their way through the warehouse, paused in a small room in the bottom left corner, and then made their way back out of the building. What did they do there? Time to find out! As soon as I opened up the map screen to look for the warehouse I noticed a flashing yellow marker that hadn’t been there before. I moved my cursor over it and was surprised to find it was Tad Timov’s apartment! Of course! I’d forgotten that discovering addresses of city occupants in Manhunter had then made their homes available to visit on the map screen. Since I’d found Tad’s profile on my MAD, I was now able to visit his apartment.


I thought Bat Vomit would have a cave somewhere!

I decided to visit Tad’s apartment before checking out the warehouse. It’s safe to say that Tad didn’t live in the nicest part of town, with strip clubs and graffiti covered buildings all around the entrance to his abode. I could find nothing to do apart from entering it, so that’s what I did. I got only the briefest glimpse inside before a vicious dog appeared in the fireplace and then charged at me, knocking me to the ground. The Murry’s then appeared to inform me that what occurred off screen was so disgusting even they wouldn’t show it! I restored and entered the apartment several more times, thinking I might be able to use an item in my inventory or find something in the room and get out before the dog could attack, but every attempt ended in my death. I figured I was missing something I needed to distract the dog, and therefore moved on to check out the warehouse.


I really hope I find some doggie biscuits somewhere

I entered the warehouse on arrival, as I could find nothing else to interact with outside. Once inside I came across a rather disturbing site. There was a large container with what appeared to be body parts swirling around in it. On the side was written four different types of “cuisine”, being face filets, flesh fries, finger food and poopsicles, and since flesh fries had an asterisk next to it, I could only assume that’s what I could see within this particular container. On the floor in front of the container was a “bloody clumpy of coarse hair”, which I figured must have been a result of the scuffle I’d witnessed on the tracker recording. Since I appeared to be able to do nothing with either the container or the hair, I moved on past it into the warehouse. Here I faced my first arcade mini-game in Manhunter 2. There were four robots roaming the container filled room, and my goal appeared to be to reach the door at the opposite end while evading them. It was made more difficult by the fact that the robots rapidly approached me if I ever got within their “line of sight”, so the trick was to hide between crates temporarily and to time my movements precisely. It took a while (I got crushed numerous times), but I made it through!


It's like Pac-Man...but with robots and crates of body parts all over the place!

The small room that the suspect entered briefly turned out to be an office. There was a large mallet leaning against the wall, which I was able to pick up. There was a schedule on the wall that read “Experimental station needs 5 crates – no New York shipment. Can’t make contact.” I’d noticed that the crate containing the flesh fries had New York written on it, but I couldn’t make any sense out of the schedule otherwise. The only other thing of interest I could find in the office was a message on the table written in blood. “Zac – me hurt me got it. Traiter mic me at den” What does that mean? Whose Zac? What did he get? Is Mic short for Mike? Is he a traitor? What’s the den? Why did the suspect come into the warehouse? Was it just so he could leave this message for Zac? So many questions! No answers! Tucking all this away into memory, I left the office, made my way back through the arcade mini-game (eventually) and left the warehouse.


Me dylsexic!

I opened up my tracker to see where this injured suspect went next, and the answer turned out to be Hyde Street Pier. It seemed from the recording that they climbed down a ladder at the pier and entered something in the side of the wall. This is where the target signal was lost and the recording terminated. I opened up the map screen and set out in a north-west direction towards where I expected the pier to be. Once again I came across a flashing yellow marker that I hadn’t expected to find, and this time it turned out to be the manhunter’s apartment! There was no address that I could see on Peter Brown’s ID card, nor had his profile come up on the MAD. I can only assume it was on the back of the card. Regardless of how I know the address, I decided to check out the manhunter’s pad before paying a visit to the pier.


At least it looks like Manhunters are fairly well paid

Thankfully there was no dog waiting for me inside, so I was able to look around. Out the window I could see “The Transamerica Pyramid” and “Coit Tower”, but I could find no real purpose for being able to do that. However, inside one of the drawers I found a piece of cloth with a Chinese symbol, two fish and a ying yang symbol on it. It also had a note attached to it that read “Rub jewel of heaven”. I picked up the cloth, but had no idea what it could possibly be useful for. There was nothing else of interest in the room, although putting the cursor on the hammock informed me that “it is too early to go to bed”. I can only assume that at some point I’ll be coming back here to sleep the way I did in Manhunter 1, although on that occasion the apartment was my own. I left the apartment and made my way north to Hyde Street Pier.


I ain't rubbin' no jewels of heaven man!

The pier not only had the ladder going down to the beach, it also had a storage area behind a metal fence and a large ship docked close by. I was able to get a close up of the fence and some of the crates within, but didn’t seem to be to interact with any of it. Perhaps I’ll be able to cut the fence at some stage? The box closest to the fence had Medical Supplies written on it, but there seemed no way to open it or move it. I climbed down the ladder the way the suspect did and my view changed to a third person perspective. The pipe coming out of the wall was clearly where the suspect went when they disappeared off the scanner, but the blood dripping out of it suggested it wasn’t a great idea to climb in. Still, you never know if you never go, so I saved my game and hopped inside. Moments later a creature with large teeth killed me on the spot, spitting out my robe and a couple of the larger bones. Interestingly, the game over screen read “you should let a sleeping rat lie!” Was that thing actually supposed to be a rat? Perhaps it was a mutant monkey-rat!?


I know! I'll just stick my head into this pipe that has blood flowing out of it!

Before leaving the pier, I did one more thorough pixel hunt. I found something too, which was that I could interact with one of the pillars beneath it.  Pressing the magnifying glass on it caused my character to wade through the water and climb most of the way up it. My perspective then changed back to a first person one, and I found myself staring up through a hole into the storage area. Sadly, one of the crates was sitting on top of the hole, so I wasn’t able to climb up and explore. I’d already tried using items such as the mallet on the crate while looking through the fence, and I tried again here without luck. In the end I had no choice but to open up my MAD to see where the second suspect went after the warehouse. I’d followed the first suspect as far as the tracker recording went, and had literally run out of things to try along that path. Hopefully following the other path for a while would give me some answers.


Somebody help me! The brown will run straight out of this robe!

Cranking up the MAD again, I soon found out that the other suspect made their way over to the Ferry Building, which is where Phil Cook was seen landing his alien craft in the game’s introduction. They paused temporarily near the entrance before entering a room, where they paused again, then left the building altogether. I opened up my travel map, and found the Ferry Building to the east. Once there I found I was only able to enter the building as nothing else on the screen gave me any interaction features. Inside was a staircase leading up to three sets of locked glass doors. I thoroughly pixel hunted this screen as the suspect seemed to enter a room to the left, but I couldn’t find anything other than a sign saying “Attention!! Return the Viewer! Special Reward. By Order of the Orb Alliance” It seemed to me that the suspect had paused in front of this sign before entering the room, so I spent quite a bit of time trying things in front of it. I thought maybe Tad’s note (“The R3 is the L1 to R4”) might have something to do with it, but I couldn’t find anything in the message. Eventually I had to admit defeat and moved on.


I can only imagine how "special" that reward would be.

So where did the suspect go after the Ferry Building? The answer is some place called Embarcadero Fountain. The odd thing was that once they arrived there, they spun in a circle around a central point before entering a short passageway (of course I was watching this on the tracker recording). Once they reached the end of that passageway, the tracker recording stopped with a “target movement ends at this point” message. I suddenly realised that this was the only solid lead I had left as I’d not yet really been able to solve anything at all. There were no other suspects to follow so I really hoped something in the Embarcadero Fountain gave me another lead. I travelled there and found myself standing in front of a strange labyrinth of tubes and what looked like a square swimming pool. I clicked on the pool and watched as my character spun around a central point, just the way the suspect did, with the only difference being that my character disappeared down the little hole at the bottom to their death. Hmmmm…was I supposed to do something?!


I don't know art, but I know what looks terrible!

After a restore I noticed it said “Press <ENTER> to spinout” at the bottom of the screen, so I started pressing it. Apparently spinning out whilst descending down a slope causes you to move out towards the edge of the screen, so I had to try to time it just right so I’d spinout into the corridor off to the side. Not spinning out fast enough would result in me falling down the hole, but spinning out too much or at the wrong time would result in me launching out of the opening altogether. I made it after just a few tries, at which point I appeared in the corridor with a third person sideways perspective. There were controls at the bottom of the screen which described how to walk, punch and stomp, and I had to put them into use almost immediately. Bats began flying at my head and rats ran at my feet! Thankfully, punching and kicking them was very straight forward, and I reached the end on my first attempt.


Why does everything want to eat me around here!?

The room at the end of the corridor was a horrific site to say the least. There was yet another corpse lying on a mattress, yet this one was grey and rotting. There was a message on the wall that said “me be man again someday”, which matched the inkling I had that this creature may not have been entirely human. Pixel hunting the room revealed a driver’s license next to the mattress, which I picked up, hoping to find an address that I could go to. Sadly, the license was badly damaged; meaning only the last name of the owner was visible (Stone). I wondered whether I might have some first names to try alongside Stone in my MAD, but decided to check out the corpse before putting any thought into it. The creature lying dead was definitely not human, at least not anymore! I immediately thought of the Mutant Pig-Monkey newspaper clipping again, but this thing looked more like a werewolf than anything else. There was a bottle next to its hand, which I picked up. Taking a closer look at it, the bottle said “REMEDY” on it, so combining this information along with the scrawl on the wall, it was pretty clear that whatever this thing was used the bottle’s previous contents to commit suicide.


The sex change operation ended in disaster

I’ll save my puzzling over what’s really going on in the recordings for my next post. For now I’ll simply say that I’m enjoying Manhunter 2 as much as the first one so far. Possibly even more for the simple reason that I understand the game mechanics from the outset and can therefore focus purely on figuring things out. I’m yet to really figure out the meaning behind very much at all though and am conscious of the many comments stating how illogical the puzzles are, but for now I’m just going to try to enjoy the challenge. In fact, just now while I was thinking about what Stone’s first name might be, I managed to solve it! I’d tried Noah (from the newspaper clipping) and Zac (from the desk in the warehouse), but neither worked. That message on the desk seemed interesting though! “Zac – me hurt me got it. Traiter mic me at den.” Could the traitor be named Mic? It would make sense since whoever was lying on this mattress was the “person” that had a fight with the suspect that wrote the message. I typed “mic stone” into the MAD and it worked! It’s moments like this one that make me love adventure games!


Um...Zac Stone?...uuhhh...Noah Stone?...hmmmm...Mic Stone! Yes! Damn I'm good!! It's hard goddamn work being this good!!!!

Session Time: 1 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 00 minutes

Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points: I've written a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it here before making any comments that could be considered a spoiler in any way. The short of it is that no points will be given for hints or spoilers given in advance of me requiring one. Please...try not to spoil any part of the game for me...unless I really obviously need the help...or I specifically request assistance. In this instance, I've not made any requests for assistance. Thanks!

58 comments:

  1. I've decided to play along with this one. This is exactly where I am now, though I did things in slightly different order and had serious problems realising that there wasn't a room full of bat vomit in the Bank.

    I'm enjoying it too. I love that you can see what happens in the MAD and see evidence of it happening when you enter the locations to help you slowly piece together what happened.

    I assumed the schedule “Experimental station needs 5 crates – no New York shipment. Can’t make contact.” wasn't actually a clue, but just giving you a sense of the consequences of your actions in Manhunter: New York.

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  2. Looks quite promising...

    Interesting that Mr. Brown has so nice apartment, but can still afford only a hammock.

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    1. It's probably a really nice hammock.

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    2. Hammocks can be really comfortable. I found an excellent hammock shop in Vancouver this summer.

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  3. For anyone interested, I've tinkered with the next two years entries on the playlist. 1990 and 1991 now have all games listed along with what their current status is (Accepted / Borderline / Disregarded).

    Once there are only three games left in 1989 (so after Mean Streets) we will discuss what's to come in 1990 and at that time people can start spending CAPs to give Borderline and Disregarded games an Accepted status. I've decided that for now on all CAPs must be spent prior to me reaching the year and not during it. This will allow me to properly order each year's games instead of playing them in alphabetical order.

    In the meantime though, there are a few games where I think it is doubtful whether they should be considered true adventure games. The following games drop down a category due to me marking them as "not undeniably an adventure game", but I'd be interested to see what you all feel about them.

    1990 - It Came From the Desert - Currently Disregarded (I played this as a kid and don't recall it being and adventure game)

    1990 - The Oregon Trail - Currently Disregarded (Apparently this was released for DOS in 1990!? Looks more like a simulation than anything else.)

    1991 - Castle of Dr. Brain - Currently Disregarded (It's obviously a puzzle game, but should it really be considered an adventure? I haven't played it. Corey?)

    1991 - Gobliiins - Currently Borderline (Same as Dr. Brain)

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    1. I loved It Came from the Desert, but I can't argue against it being disregarded.

      It's the kind of game that's hard to pin down to any particular genre, as it combines lots of different genres throughout.

      The overarching story is the most adventure like, with going to various places and collecting various objects and information, but most of the minigames interspersed into the game are action-based with a few strategy mini-games thrown in for good measure.

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    2. The playlist appears to be missing the first Les Manley game (Search for King) from 1990, although it does have the second (Lost in LA) from 1991. Not that I'd really want the Les Manley games to be played (although there are only few LSL clones out there), but it just appeared inconsistent to have the second, but not the first.

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    3. Gobliiins is another game from the same people who did Emmanuelle, though it is supposed to be a lot better. Why is it disregarded? 45+ votes on Mobygames and it has a wikipedia page.

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    4. Ack. Not the Castle of Dr. Brain! It must be included! Certainly it must be there for simple comparison to other later come adventure-puzzlers like Myst and 7th Guest. Unless this sub-genre is going to be skipped entirely I say it must not be omitted!

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    5. Canageek: It isn't disregarded, it's borderline.

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    6. I’d say that Dr. Brain and Gobliins would both qualify as hybrid adventure games, and because you haven’t penalised previous hybrids (Hero’s Quest), you shouldn’t penalise them either. Oregon Trail and It Came from the Desert are more tenuous cases, so I’d leave them as they are.

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    7. You forgot to list Elvira: Mistress of the Dark in 1990 (you have Elvira II listed for 1991). I consider it as much a graphic adventure as Hero's Quest to be honest, but should be listed as least as disregarded (I can put my 20points to the pool of 200 needed for it to be played if anyone is interested and Trickster puts it on the list)

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    8. You can't miss Les Manley!!!! I've experienced its torture, and now must the world! (Only game I'd consider an adventure from those would be Gobliiins, though it's really more of a puzzler with an adventure layout. Think the Lost Vikings meets Kings Quest. With minimal to no dialog.)

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    9. Gobliiins is now Accepted and Castle of Dr. Brain has been moved to Borderline.

      The other two are remaining Disregarded unless someone can make a strong case for them.

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    10. Neither Les Manley or Elvira: Mistress of the Dark meet the criteria to even be considered (neither are on the Wiki list and neither have 10 ratings on Moby Games).

      However, I agree that it would not feel right to play a sequel to a game when I didn't play the original. I may include any game that doesn't meet the criteria that has a sequel that does as Disregarded. That way there's at least a chance for them to be added to the playlist?

      Thoughts?

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    11. Certainly sounds like a fair idea to me, as you say it opens up the possibility of the games getting played if enough of us really want to see it happen. Would that also hold for sequels of games you've played as well? If for some reason didn't meet the criteria, though that seems less likely.

      All that said I'm happy to see The Castle of Dr. Brain move into Borderline turf if no one else wants to step up for it when the time comes I'll foot the bill to see it get played. :P

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    12. It's definitely an adventure game, and it's at least fairly well known as an LSL ripoff... The first as far as I'm aware. This said, I can't notice any other games on your list with a sequel listed but no original, at least with a glance - is it worth adopting a rule for essentially one purpose?

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    13. I’d prefer treating series more leniently, like Trickster suggested. After all, it’s not like they would automatically cram Trick’s schedule, if they become disregarded. It just means there’s more options to spend our CAPs on.

      As to Aperama’s concern that there would be only one case (Less Manly), well, Deimar already pointed out Elvira, and I just noticed 1992 is missing Nippon Safes , which has a better known 1995 sequel Big Red Adventure (with 13 votes in Mobygames and in the Wikipedia notable list, so it should be at least borderline).

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    14. The other upside of including prequels is that they are almost certainly going to be a cut above the rest, since they were good enough to get sequels. Perhaps you should bump them all the way to borderline due to that?

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    15. I see no huge problem of having them as disregarded on their own merit. As long as they're on the list, people can still pool points to get them accepted, even if it takes a huge number of points.

      Another point to consider; what about series' that changes genre? For instance, what if another Policy Quest adventure game gets made? Should the more action-oriented games be put on the list to keep the series whole? If there aren't any specific reasons to keep the series together I think each game should stand on its own feet.

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    16. "Policy Quest - a day in the life of a bureaucrat!" (sorry, couldn't help this).

      I think genre swapping should be enough reason for not making prequels/sequels potential games (even if I'd be tempted to get Trickster review early Zorks) - after all, this is a blog for graphic adventure games.

      I'd suggest amending the definition of a potential game with a simple recursive clause: "a game that 1) is listed on Moby Games as part of the adventure genre (excluding interactive fiction games) and a) has at least 10 votes or b) is a prequel/sequel of another potential game, or 2) appears on the Wikipedia Notable Graphic Adventure Games list." This definition would automatically exclude all the non-graphic Zorks and probably also Police Quest: SWAT -games. (I am not sure how necessary the reference to Wikipedia list is at this point - are there any games that are adventures according to Wikipedia, but not according to Moby Games? - but it's in the original, so I left it as it was).

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    17. Haha, I didn't even notice that until you pointed it out. And weirdly enough it still seems to fit somehow. :p

      Your suggestion seems to fit most scenarios at first glance. I think it's a better solution than automatically including earlier games in a series on a latters merits at least.

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  4. New Adventure Game that is also on sale! (Double the CAPS, double the fun!): Anodyne: "a retrotastic adventure game with nostalgic 16-bit era action-RPG feel and a deep story that takes you deep into human subconsciousness,"
    http://www.gog.com/news/release_anodyne

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  5. I've now updated the years 1992 and 1993 on the playlist. There are once again some questionable games that I'd like to discuss:

    1992 - Dune - (currently Disregarded) I've always wanted to play this classic game, but is it really an adventure game? I can't really tell from screenshots and many places list it as strategy.

    1992 - The Legacy: Realm of Terror - (currently Disregarded) This one reads like an adventure game, but the screenshots scream RPG. Anyone played it?

    1992 - WaxWorks - (currently Disregarded) This one really looks like an RPG to me with some adventure qualities. I've not played it though so would like to hear from others.

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    1. From what I know (which is what wikipedia tells me I know) having never played Dune myself, it's primarily a strategy game first, with a some miniquests that add in a small touch of adventure gaming to it.

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    2. Dune had adventure elements if I recall correctly, but there was a greater RTS like purpose to it (of course Dune2 went full RTS). You were building your army and managing resources at a higher economic/strategic element. You did go around to the various Fremen and chat/keep up relations. I would say its not really an adventure game but more strategy with adventure sub parts.

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    3. Dune was definitely strategy. I would say RTS with diplomacy more than adventure.

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    4. Dune shall remain Disregarded then.

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  6. Here's a game that I don't know what to do with. Relentless: Twinsen's Adventure!

    It looks like a pure Action - Adventure game to me. If I start including games like that then won't others like Tomb Raider make sense for the list too?

    Mind you, I've not played the game (it does look very familiar though!), so I'm putting it out to you guys to advise me on whether it has a place on this blog.

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    1. You might know it by it's other name (Little Big Adventure). I got this game as a Christmas gift ("here son, you like those adventure games, don't you?") and was severely disappointed, when the gameplay involved mostly fighting, running etc. Never played it very much, but from what I saw, it was definitely an action-adventure. I'd advise not including it to the list.

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    2. I would say that when a game has fallen away from being able to be described as an adventure game with such and such elements, into a such and such game with adventure game elements, then it doesn't really belong here. Pretty much the entire 'action-adventure' category fits under this, after all there's generally a reason why the 'action' is listed first.

      The current playthrough is a good example. Manhunter: New York and Manhunter 2: San Francisco are Adventures Game with some arcade sequences thrown in. Codename: Iceman is an Adventure Game with sub simulation aspects shoe-horned in. Tomb Raider is a Platformer Action Game with perhaps some adventure game elements in there.

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    3. Glad you agree with me on this. I think it would be dangerous to set a precedent for that type of game.

      Relentless: Twinsen's Adventure is Disregarded!

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  7. This something I'll put in ROT13 even though you've passed it as you might need it again. It is also from vague memory and I may be completely mistaken. Gur ZNQ fubjf n cngu guebhtu gur pengrf vs lbh pna erzrzore vg jura lbh trg gurer.

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  8. 1994 and 1995 are now updated. That's as far as I'm going to go (better to spend my time playing games).

    I wanted to do it to give you all a clear idea of just how many opportunities there are to spend CAPs down the track. :)

    I've removed everything after 1995 and will add another year each time I complete one from now on.

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  9. Very interesting to see how much you enjoy this, and the first one. I never played these myself, but I have read about them, and have watched LordKAT's "Let's Play"...I had to stop at the minefield in Central Park. The game looked SO BRUTAL. But different strokes. I wonder if the ending of this one will be more satisfying than that of "New York."

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    1. Vg'f abg. Vg'f nabgure pyvssunatre juvpu va vgfrys vfa'g n ceboyrz rkprcg sbe gur snpg gung gurl arire znqr gur guveq naq svany tnzr. Zbfg nablvat.

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  10. *Glares at Lars-Erik's back as he rushes forward like a freight train*

    Samorost2: Samorost2, the sequel to free browser based game Samorost1 is a short point-and-click adventure in which you must help out a little space gnome as he searches for his dog, which has been taken away by aliens. Adventure full of surprising creatures and locations. Beautiful ambient music by Tomas "Floex" Dvorak.
    70% off, $1.49 USD, http://store.steampowered.com/app/40720/

    The Blackwell Legacy: When Rosa Blackwell's only relative dies after twenty years in a coma, she thinks the worst is over. This all changes when Joey Mallone, a sardonic ghost from the 1930s, blows into her life and tells her that she is a medium.
    75%, final price: $1.24 USD
    http://store.steampowered.com/app/80330/

    Broken Sword: Director's Cut: Paris in the Fall... a brutal murder at the Palais Royale. When Nico Collard is invited to interview statesman Pierre Carchon, she finds herself inextricably drawn into a terrifying conspiracy. One of the all-time classic adventures, multi BAFTA-nominated "Broken Sword: Director's Cut" pitches sassy journalist Nico Collard, and intrepid...
    75%, final: $1.24 USD
    http://store.steampowered.com/app/57640/

    Broken Sword 3: The Sleeping Dragon: An ancient conspiracy. A broken Code. An unsolved murder. Welcome to Broken Sword – The Sleeping Dragon, the multi BAFTA-nominated adventure. Once more George and Nico must travel the world, wrestling danger, and piecing together the clues that will unravel the secrets of the Sleeping Dragon. Powerful seismic events are shaking the world.
    75%: Final: $1.49
    http://store.steampowered.com/app/33610/

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    1. So, what do you think of my new format? Is it too long? Should I go back to just name and link?

      Amnesia: The Dark Descent: The last remaining memories fade away into darkness. Your mind is a mess and only a feeling of being hunted remains. You must escape. Awake... Amnesia: The Dark Descent, a first person survival horror. A game about immersion, discovery and living through a nightmare. An experience that will chill you to the core. 75%, final: $4.99 USD, http://store.steampowered.com/app/57300/

      Analogue: A Hate Story: BAWAHAHAHAHA, I am SO going to force Trickster to play this when he reaches 2012. I don't even know if it is an adventure game, but BWAWHAHAHAHA. 75% or $2.49 USD. http://store.steampowered.com/app/209370/?snr=1_7_15__13

      Deponia: Daedalic Entertainment, once called “Lucasarts from Germany“ by the GameStar magazine, invites the players into a fantastic comedy adventure that revolves around a crazy love story of Rufus and Goal. In Deponia, the world has degenerated into a vast garbage dump, in which the crotchety Rufus ekes out his sorry existence. 50% or $9.99 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/214340

      Edna & Harvey: Harvey's New Eyes: Shy schoolgirl Lilli is having a tough time at the convent. Only her imagination helps her to escape from the strict rule of Mother Superior. But when her best friend Edna disappears under mysterious circumstances, Lilli has to rise above her own and face a tough journey to not only get her friend back but also confront her subconscious... 75% or $4.99 USD

      Delete
    2. I wonder, does anyone read these little comments I put at the start of each post?

      Fatale: Explore a living tableau filled with references to the legendary tale and enjoy the moonlit serenity of a fatal night in the orient. Fatale offers an experimental play experience that stimulates the imagination and encourages multiple interpretations and personal associations. -75% OR $5.49 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/27050/

      The Graveyard: The Graveyard is a very short computer game. You play an old lady who visits a graveyard. You walk around, sit on a bench and listen to a song. It's more like an explorable painting than an actual game. An experiment with poetry and storytelling but without words. 75% OR $5.49 USD

      The Path: There is one rule in the game. And it needs to be broken. There is one goal. And when you attain it, you die. Six sisters live in an apartment in the city. One by one their mother sends them on an errand to their grandmother, who is sick and bedridden. -75% OR $5.49 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/27000

      There is a bundle, but it actually costs MORE then each game by itself, so I'm not going to list it.

      Delete
    3. Blackwell Unbound: The year is 1973. The sound of a lone, ethereal saxophone drifts over the Roosevelt Island promenade, while a series of accidents plague a midtown construction site. The citizens of Manhattan take no notice of these events, let alone think they are connected. 75% or $1.24 USD

      Blackwell Convergence: A new film opens to rave reviews, despite its bloody history. A beautiful uptown office remains unoccupied, despite its prime location. A downtown artist berates himself for selling out, while a Wall Street investor congratulates himself on a job well done. Just normal life in the big city? 75% or $1.24 USD. http://store.steampowered.com/app/80350

      Blackwell Deception: Street psychics. Their blinking neon signs are everywhere, promising love and wealth and happiness. They make a fortune preying on the gullible and milking them dry. So when these victims begin dying and leaving confused spirits behind, it can only take a genuine psychic (and her wayward spirit guide) to clean up the mess 75% or $2.49 USD

      Do you want all the Blackwell games? (including The Blackwell Legacy from post 1) http://store.steampowered.com/sub/13237/ has a package that is $1.22 USD cheaper then buying them one by one.

      Delete
    4. Machinarium: Machinarium is award-winning independent puzzle / adventure game developed by the makers of popular web-games Samorost and Samorost2. A little robot who’s been thrown out to the scrap yard behind the city must return and confront the Black Cap Brotherhood and save his robot-girl friend. (Hey, I own this one from a humble indie bundle): -70% or $2.99 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/40700

      Botanicula: Botanicula is point'n'click exploration game created by Jaromír Plachý and Amanita Design. It’s about a bunch of five friends - little tree creatures who set out for a journey to save the last seed from their home tree which is infested by evil parasites. The original soundtrack and sound effects are created by Czech alternative band DVA. 75% or $2.99 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/207690/

      You can get both of these, plus Samorost2 and the Machinarium Soundtrack for $1.47 USD less then the cost to buy them one by one. Note that the soundtrack costs $1.49, so you are effectively buying 3 adventure games at full price, and the soundtrack for $0.03. http://store.steampowered.com/sub/15624/

      Delete
    5. "Analogue: A Hate Story"

      This is the to Digital: A Love Story. As far as I know, both are considered interactive fiction. No adventure game style puzzles to solve.

      Delete
    6. sequel* (missed a word above)

      Delete
    7. Hey, Ilmari: Once I'm done with Lars-Erik, you are next!

      Hamlet or the Last Game without MMORPG Features, Shaders and Product Placement:
      Hamlet or the Last Game without MMORPG Features, Shaders and Product Placement is the original point-and-click adventure game based on twisted William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Solve logic puzzles and fight with monsters to uncover secrets, punish all the villains and rescue the princess. 65% or $1.74 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/222160/

      and I was too lazy to list it above:
      Broken Sword 2: The Smoking Mirror: Widely acknowledged as one of the best point and click adventures ever written, the game pitches intrepid adventurers George Stobbart and Nico Collard into a mysterious escapade of intrigue and deceit, in which they must overcome powerful forces and antagonists who will stop at nothing to fulfill their evil ambitions. 75% off, $2.49 USD

      You can get all 3 Broken Sword games in the Broken Sword Trilogy pack, one of the few decent bundles out today. $1.73 USD less then buying them one at a time.

      Delete
    8. Wow, you're really putting a lot of time into this! I don't mind being pushed down the list when it's through effort. :p

      I do wonder if actually having all the sales in the comment section is the best way to promote adventure games though, with all the sales nowadays it could get a bit messy. Or maybe it doesn't matter?

      Delete
    9. Zenic: You suck, I was hoping we could trick him into playing it, then get trapped and tortured by the horrible anime plot.

      Trickster: Can you give Zenic five CAPs of mine for actually taking the time to find my joke? Thanks.

      The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav: Face your Destiny! In Andergast, whose inhabitants are considered to be notoriously superstitious, King Efferdan awaits a state visit from high-ranking dignitaries. For centuries the kingdom has been at odds with neighboring Nostria, but now first steps are being undertaken toward a lasting peace. 50% off or $9.99 http://store.steampowered.com/app/203830/ Trivia note: The Dark Eye is also the name of a German tabletop RPG.

      Edna & Harvey: Harvey's New Eyes: Shy schoolgirl Lilli is having a tough time at the convent. Only her imagination helps her to escape from the strict rule of Mother Superior. But when her best friend Edna disappears under mysterious circumstances, Lilli has to rise above her own and face a tough journey to not only get her friend back but also confront her subconscious... 75% or $4.99 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/219910/

      Deponia: See Above

      Chaos on Deponia: With this long-expected sequel to the critically highly acclaimed and lavishly praised Deponia, the player enters round two. Chaos on Deponia turns out to be even wackier than its predecessor and instantly puts the player under its spell. After the events on Deponia, it seems that Rufus came to his senses. 25% or $14.99 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/220740/

      A New Beginning - Final Cut: A New Beginning - Final Cut is a cinematic adventure-thriller done graphic novel-style. In this charming and witty adventure, earth is on the brink of impending climate cataclysm. It's essential to travel the world in order to spare mankind and save the whole from this terrible fate. 50% or $4.99 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/105000/

      Or, if you are an idiot you can get the Daedalic Bundle for $79.99 US and pay almost TWICE the cost of buying each game one by one: $44.95 USD. No, really, take a look: http://store.steampowered.com/sub/19219 WTF

      Delete
    10. You know what should die in a fire? Prices ending in $0.99 or $0.95. Murder them like Canada did the penny.

      Lars-Erik: That would be my Asperger's obessiveness coming through. You should have seen me when I was younger and would sort CCG cards. Star Wars, Magic, Pokemon, Digimon. I never really played the games, I just loved sorting them into binders. I am also reading webcomics at the same time. Most of the time is finding the adventure games, as they put a lot of caff in the search results.

      To the Moon: Dr. Rosalene and Dr. Watts have peculiar jobs: They give people another chance to live, all the way from the very beginning... but only in their patients' heads. Due to the severity of the operation, the new life becomes the last thing the patients remember before drawing their last breath. 60% off, $3.99 USD. http://store.steampowered.com/app/206440
      Wow, that sound kinda fracked up.

      The Journey Down: Chapter One: In a shady corner of Kingsport Bay, at the outskirts of St Armando, Bwana and his trusted sidekick Kito struggle to make ends meet at their run-down gas station. Little do they know that they are about to be thrown into a spine-tingling adventure that will take them far from home and right into a twisting plot of corruption and danger. 75% $1.74 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/220090
      Hey, we've talked about this one before. I hope you guys will give me a review.

      Penumbra Overture: Penumbra:Overture is a first person survival horror game, emphasizing on survival and problem solving instead of mindless violence and gore. Played from a first person perspective and powered by a 3D engine utilising cutting edge technology, Penumbra is a substantial advancement of the genre. 75% or $2.49 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/22180
      I know it says survival-horror, but man, look at those screenshots. Does that not SCREAM adventure game?

      Lucius: When Lucius was born on the June 6th, 1966, nobody expected him to be anything other than a normal little boy but everything changed on Lucius’ 6th Birthday, when his true calling was revealed to him. Equipped with supernatural powers, take control of Lucius as he begins his blood filled tour of horror through his own house, using Hell’s... 66% (Shouldn't that be 66.6%?) $8.50 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/218640
      What is it with modern adventure games being creepy?

      Delete
    11. Ok, time to take a break from Steam Sales to list....GREAT OLD GAME SALES!
      These count for extra points right? Is there a 'both qualified sites in the same day bonus' for scoring both in the same day? 4x the CAPS instead of 2x right?

      Lars_Erik: I agree, since they are so short term. The one a week GoG sale isn't too distracting, but even listing these takes forever due to the spam rules. To bad Trickster is using Blogger or he could manually release me for spam jail. Hey, Trickster, will you give me 1 CAP for each outdated sale of mine I delete? :D

      Alone in the Dark 1, 2 and 3! A suspicious suicide. A chilling curse. A malevolent power. Finally, a wicked dark secret. This is Derceto, a legendary Louisiana mansion where, against your better judgment, you're drawn into a world of shadows to explore the darker side of Jeremy Hartwood's imagination. buy for $2.39, you save $3.60: http://www.gog.com/gamecard/alone_in_the_dark
      This is the original Alone in the Dark trilogy, not the recent game of the same name.

      Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare: Edward Carnby and Aline Cedrac are about to face their worst nightmare! Out to avenge the murder of their friend and colleague, they arrive on Shadow Island only to discover that it is held in the grasp of an evil force. buy for $2.39 you save $3.60
      http://www.gog.com/gamecard/alone_in_the_dark_the_new_nightmare

      Or you could get the series for buy series: $10.18 and save $1.80, but um, that is more expensive then buying each one by itself.

      Delete
    12. And now it is time for....MORE DARK ADVENTURE GAMES! Because we've never seen THAT before!

      Dark Fall: Lost Souls: The Eerie World of Dark Fall: ‘Welcome’ to Dowerton; a once picturesque rural village, hidden away in the English countryside. Like many villages, Dowerton has been tainted by modernity and economic failure; sallow youths hide in the shadows, losing their minds to chemical slime, while others simply disappear into the woods, never to be... 75% $3.24 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/46750

      Next, from Steam Greenlight:
      Miasmata: Miasmata is a first-person survival/adventure game, developed from the ground-up by brothers Joe and Bob Johnson. You play as Robert Hughes, a plague-stricken scientist on a journey to discover a cure. Your adventure begins on the shores of a remote and mysterious island. 50% $7.49 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/223510

      Adam's Venture Episode 1: The Search For The Lost Garden: Adam's Venture is a new action & exploration game. Brought to life from a third person perspective with the Unreal 3™ engine, adventure gamers are in for a real visual treat. Set during the 1920’s, Adam’s Venture delivers a unique combination of action oriented gameplay with classic puzzle solving, that takes you on an epic journey to... 66% $1.69 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/108100

      Adam's Venture Episode 2: Solomon's Secret: Adam Venture is an action explorer hero; adventurous but using his wits rather than resorting to violence. Brought to life from a third person perspective with the Unreal 3™ engine, adventure gamers are in for a real visual treat in combination with family values storytelling. 66% $1.69 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/210390

      Adam's Venture Episode 3: Revelations: Adam’s Venture is an adventure game franchise that is focused on non-violent gameplay set in the early twenties of the 20th Century. With state of the art Unreal 3 graphics providing colorful and lifelike 3D environments, a gripping storyline and many puzzles to solve varying from easy to difficult, Adam’s Venture supplies everything... 66% $1.69 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/214310

      Save a whole $0.66 when you buy all of them: http://store.steampowered.com/sub/15249/
      Man these bundles are lame.

      Delete
    13. Hey, trickster, I have an idea; What if I were to just list the names of each game in one post, then link to a spreadsheet with the sale info? Would that still get me CAPS? It would keep the comments a LOT cleaner.

      Stacking: From Tim Schafer’s Double Fine Productions, explore a vintage world inhabited by living Russian stacking dolls as you jump into more than 100 unique dolls and use their special abilities to solve a wide variety of puzzles & challenges. 50% $7.49 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/115110
      Wow, that man does NOT have a normal brain, does he?

      Sherlock Holmes and The Hound of The Baskervilles:
      Help Sherlock Holmes, the famed detective, investigate the legend of a supernatural hound on the fog-shrouded moorland in England of the 19th century. Immerse yourself into the dangerous world of diabolical curse and discover the truth of the monstrous creature. 60% or $3.99 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/209230
      Oddly enough NOT part of the Sherlock Homes bundle.

      Dracula Origin: Dracula: Origin reveals the dark origins of the Dracula curse. Once the ardent defender of Christendom, Dracula loses his faith in God when he is abandoned by his one true love after she marries. Dracula then makes a pact with the Prince of Darkness, and becomes a vampire. 60% $3.99 http://store.steampowered.com/app/11050


      The Void: When one gives up living and using his soul, he can’t only lose the soul but can also devote it to death… Before souls completely die they stick in The Void – an odd space between life and death. There is an outside chance to survive in The Void and even to come back from it. 50% $4.99 http://store.steampowered.com/app/37000

      Delete
    14. Alright, I really should be doing other things, so I'm taking a shortcut here. Also, I want breakfast.

      Midnight Mysteries Collection:
      Midnight Mysteries
      Midnight Mysteries 2: Salem Witch Trials
      Midnight Mysteries 3: Devil on the Mississippi
      Midnight Mysteries 4: Haunted Houdini

      The bundle is $4.73 USD cheaper then buying each game, and the final game is 66% off. http://store.steampowered.com/sub/15239

      The Sherlock Holmes Collection is 60% off, while only Sherlock Homes vs Jack the Ripper is on sale (Also 60% off) if you buy them one by one. That means you can get all of them for $13.99 USD vs $57.94 USD normally. 5 games for the cost of 2 (one if it is vs Jack the Ripper, which is normally $20) http://store.steampowered.com/sub/2696/

      I've STILL not gotten around to finishing the one I bought. I should get on that, shouldn't I?

      Delete
    15. Ok, this is important. I have Jolly Rover and can't get past the knocking puzzle. If you don't have good timing, just skip this stupid junk game that was fun up until that DUMB puzzle. Repeat a sequence my ass.

      Jolly Rover: It be the golden age of pirates! Dogs of the sea! Quite literally. Our swashbuckling sausage-dog star is Gaius James Rover, son of the famous clown Jolly Rover, who died from a blow to the groin from an improperly loaded joke cannon. $5.99 USD http://store.steampowered.com/app/58200


      DONE! I AM FREEEEEEEEEEEEEE OF MY OBSESSION!

      Delete
    16. 1 hour 45 min or so. *headdesk* (I was taking breaks to read other things). I hate how I can't leave things unfinished once I start them sometimes.

      Delete
    17. To The Moon really isn't much of an adventure game. There's almost no puzzles to solve. It's fairly short; probably about 4 or 5 hours.

      Having said that, I can't give this game enough praise. I got it in an indie bundle awhile ago and found it to be one of the best stories I've seen in a game in a long time. Really, really worth the small amount of time and effort to simply go through it once. It's sad, happy, exhilarating, and has an ending that pays off.

      Awesome "game", even if it doesn't really tax your brain.

      Delete
    18. Canageek, I' used to think you must work for GoG, but now I've decided you're on retainer for both GoG and Steam. Honestly, are these just automated. BHy the way, I do read your little comments at the beginning.

      Delete
    19. Same here, I also dislike the 0.99 and 0.95 purchases, especially since my credit card gives me rewards by the dollar and won't let me add 5 cents to the price.

      Delete
    20. Draconius: I wish, given how much money I currently make. Trickster's rules clearly state I can't post these for CAPS if they are paying me.

      If I'd automated it then I wouldn't be adding in little comments within them, now would I?
      I think next time I'll set up a Google document then just toss the links in there, faster and would only take 1 post.

      Delete
  11. "Experiment Volunteer" sounds like a really terrible job. :/

    ReplyDelete