Lost Secrets of the Rainforest - Final Rating

Written by Reiko


I am more ambivalent about Lost Secrets of the Rainforest than any other game I've written about on the blog here. Most of the games I asked to write about were ones that I knew something about before I started, and this one is no exception, since it is the sequel to the cheerful Ecoquest. You might think that making a sequel would be easier, since some ideas or characters or settings get carried over from the original game. Yet I find that a sequel nearly always struggles to live up to the bar set by its original. What carries over tends to constrain the sequel rather than letting it be its own thing.

I could expand that into a thesis with examples, but we're here to look at Lost Secrets, so I'll focus on why translating Ecoquest into a rainforest setting didn't result in a similarly charming experience as the original underwater game. I wanted to like it, and some things I did like, but others I didn't.

Puzzles and Solvability

Most of the puzzles were reasonably straightforward; like Ecoquest, the story is pitched around middle-school age, so nothing is deliberately tricky, and there are no dead ends as far as I know. However, I really struggled with several puzzles that felt arbitrary. There was nothing in the first game that was tightly timed, so the sequence in the camp where the goon would catch you if you were in the wrong place too long was rather jarring. I spent the most time on that sequence, having to restart over and over to test where I could go and when in order to get things done. It was tedious at best.

I saw this screen way too much.

I had the most trouble when I failed to find exits, but that's more an interface or graphical issue, so more on that in those categories. Finding the code for Slaughter's organizer in the jaws of the jaguar-skin rug was a rather misleading puzzle; I described the problem with having to interact with the tail specifically rather than the rug as a whole in the post where I encountered it. I solved that one completely by accident when wildly clicking around when I didn't know what else to do.

I'm not sure I can say any of the puzzles were particularly good, actually, although most were reasonable inventory puzzles. The most memorably interesting was the one about matching the bats with the leaves described by their classification names. Even this one seemed slightly arbitrary and/or dependent on external knowledge.

Scanning was too easy to forget about.

Like Ecoquest, there are also many places where points can be missed without getting stuck, like with optional dialog or using the scanner on objects of interest. Scanning seemed like it was going to be an interesting mini-game, but in practice it was just another tedious way to look for information on each screen, and easy to forget to do.

Score: 3

Interface and Inventory

For the most part, the interface, including the inventory window, was classic Sierra, and there's nothing wrong with that. The bright, clear menu icons and easy-to-use cursor modes are very familiar to anyone who has played a few Sierra games. The few devices (the scanner and Slaughter's organizer, mostly) were intuitive as well.

The usual Sierra menu bar...and an invisible exit off to the right.

However, something about the graphics made it hard to see where things were. I struggled in multiple places with overlooking useful items or failing to find exits from rooms. About Ecoquest, I had said this: "...many of the screens look cluttered (and not just by trash!), and it's often hard to tell which ways are exits. ...Some kind of cursor change over valid exits would have been helpful here, but I know that's not part of the usual Sierra experience."

I thought at the time that it was mostly a function of having to depict the three-dimensional underwater setting, but now I'm not so sure. There were no underwater screens in Lost Secrets, and yet I still had trouble with unclear exits in multiple places. In fact, on that very first screen, the exit to the right is not only invisible, it's invisibly split: walking along the plank is the only way to get to the fisherman on the other screen.

The category still scores well because once I knew what I had to do, I didn't have trouble actually doing it. The interface doesn't get in the way, but if I could improve it, I would have it provide a little more information about exits.

Score: 6

Story and Setting

While Ecoquest was a rather cliché "fulfill the prophecy" sort of story all the way through, Lost Secrets is more subtle about it. Well, on the one hand, it starts out similarly in the sense that Adam gets recruited by animals (this time literally kidnapped, in fact!) to help them with their problems. But then he has to go on a journey to find the treasure (Forest Heart's seedling, that is) on behalf of the human tribe as well as to help the animals.

Everyone knows what this is already.

On the other hand, there isn't really a prophecy, except that basically there is, because everyone (including the animals!) recognizes Forest Heart's amulet. So again Adam is put into the position of being the "chosen one" who will fix everything by using his ability to talk to animals. There are also certain things set up for him ahead of time, like the boat that takes him from the bat temple toward Cibola.

About Ecoquest, I said this: "I also find the story less compelling because Adam himself, as the player character, has no particular character growth. He's already a precocious kid and knows a lot about the ocean and sea animals and the related environmental issues... If Adam weren't already this kind of person, he could never have fulfilled the prophecy. But it means the player is being encouraged to become more like Adam, so he's a role model rather than an avatar."

This is still true in Lost Secrets to some extent, albeit not quite as obviously because Adam doesn't give infodumps here: most of the information on environmental issues comes from the scanner, not from Adam. So Adam may be learning some factual information, but he's still already someone who will automatically help the animals and therefore has little character growth. The character arc would have been far more compelling if the main character had been someone who had had a bad experience with animals and started out fearful or angry, only to learn to appreciate them in the course of the journey and end up saving the day in the end, having seen the awful results of the destruction of their habitats.

In fact, the character with the most character growth here is arguably Llusti, the tribesman who upset the weaver and had to apologize to her. Adam is his usual friendly and helpful self throughout the game, while Slaughter and his goon are caricaturishly awful antagonists who are just there to drive the story forward. Paquita the bat is cute, but doesn't actually do very much, while Sinchi the shaman is the wise mentor.

How does this magnifying glass even get here??

While the story is less cliché, it also allows for more plot holes. In particular, I noted a lot of questions I had about the entrance to Cibola where Slaughter's magnifying glass was lost and the golden head had to be returned. The camp sequence also had some "adventure game logic" when the goon fails to recognize his boss's belongings among the things Adam is carrying when he's recaptured.

Score: 5

Sound and Graphics

I found the sounds to be reasonably atmospheric, although the music ended up rather repetitive after a while, especially the ominous piece that plays during the escape sequence from Slaughter's camp that I had to replay over and over. That piece has a continuous high-pitched rattle, like an alarm, playing under the intermittent rhythm, which really got on my nerves. It was such a relief once the goon was gone because the awful sound stopped and the area was mostly quiet except for some water sounds.

Some of the jungle screens have more cheerful, bouncy songs. Inside Forest Heart, there's a rhythmically harmonious song with bright percussion that sounds almost like a xylophone. Parts of the Lost City itself have a sort of abandoned, jangly sound, like wind chimes and squeaky doors, while the final island with the pool has music with a beautifully contemplative melody. That one was good, but I think my favorite was inside Forest Heart.

Graphics are generally bright, a bit cartoonish, even, and quite detailed. Adam himself isn't nearly as cute as in the first game. He's clearly older and his portrait is more detailed. Many of the animals are at least slightly anthropomorphized by wearing glasses or clothes or other human items.

Is this not the cutest thing ever?? (Adam from Ecoquest)

Cute, but not as cute.

I had trouble recognizing exits, though. In at least two cases, the only apparent indicator that there's an adjacent area is that someone walks offscreen in that direction, which is not really a reliable indicator that the player is also going to be able to go that way, since a character sometimes just needs to leave the area.

The most depressing area of the game.

Also, some screens are downright depressingly bleak, actually, especially the camp area. Overall, it's not nearly as cheerful a game as Ecoquest, which being mostly underwater at least still looked like water even if its plants had withered or its characters had issues. When the rainforest is clear-cut down to bare earth and the animals are being captured, we get screens with nothing much besides machinery, dirt, and dead animals, and it's rather depressing. We also don't get the smooth animations of characters swimming.

Score: 6

Environment and Atmosphere

Lost Secrets has plenty of atmosphere, but it isn't always a pleasant atmosphere. I mentioned Slaughter's camp, which is oppressively bleak due to his clearcutting and harsh destruction of the area. Even the starting location on the edge of the city of Iqitos, Peru, is pretty ugly, but later we get into the rainforest proper, and things look more interesting.

Only two buildings for an entire tribe to live and work in?

Some locations seem too small for what they are, like the tribal village. We only get about three screens, but those screens do a great job of capturing a glimpse of a busy tribe at work. We also make our way through most of Cibola itself very quickly, because the interesting part is the final building and the pathway to the island in the lake.

So many different types of birds and animals living in this one tree.

The rainforest setting was fantastic for depicting a wide range of interesting plants and animals as well as ancient ruins. Most areas are significantly more realistic than any of the underwater areas of Ecoquest, which showed most of its animals acting like animal-shaped people. In Lost Secrets, animals talk to Adam but otherwise mostly act like animals, except for the leaf-nosed bat handing out "visas."

Score: 7

Dialog and Acting

Nearly everything has a clear description, and I didn't notice any grammatical or textual errors in the text. In fact, a few objects have as many as three descriptions: a normal one triggered by using the eye cursor, a detailed description accessed by scanning it to identify its name and then looking up the name in the scanner, and an alternate description triggered by using the magnifying glass.

The only actual use for the magnifying glass.

Very few items say anything interesting with the magnifying glass, however. It appears near the end of the game but really only comes into play with one item, so it's a bit of a missed opportunity that the game didn't do more with it. There could have been additional information available when using the magnifying glass on the pipes or the tiles in the heart of the city, or on the statues or the fountain on the island.

One of the few voiced lines.

We get just a few lines of voice acting in Lost Secrets, which is nicer than none: Slaughter speaks right at the beginning of the game, and later Forest Heart speaks twice. I would have liked to have heard her speak more, but actually, while the text indicates she says more, having only a small part voiced gives weight to the impression of someone that is so old and weary that she can say very little out loud. Meanwhile, Slaughter is so unpleasant that I'm happy we didn't hear any more from him.

The environmental issues seem well-researched and realistic. Lost Secrets is less directly preachy than Ecoquest was: we see the effects of the problems more directly. As I mentioned, any extra information is generally provided by the scanner rather than by Adam.

Score: 6

That adds up to a final score of 3+6+5+6+7+6 = 33/60*100 = 55.

Nine people made guesses ranging from 45 to 62, but ShaddamIVth was the one to guess exactly 55.

So in every category except Puzzles, Lost Secrets ended up similar to or nearly as good as Ecoquest. The interface was the same. The story was less cliché but had more plot holes, so it was a wash. The music and graphics were good but not as pretty (the camp area was especially awful for both); the atmosphere was less silly but still intense; and the writing was similarly strong. But the puzzles were definitely weaker and the overall effect was just not as fun.

I really enjoyed Ecoquest and didn't have any trouble finishing the game, whereas with Lost Secrets, I had to force myself to push through the camp section and finish. I'm glad I did finish, because there are some great moments here and there, like flying on the eagle, and seeing Paquita's baby, but it was a slog to get there. Despite my troubles, I hope you enjoyed reading about Lost Secrets, and I should be back at some point in the future with Gateway II: Homeworld, which should be a much smoother experience.

EcoQuest CAP Distribution

100 points to Reiko

• Blogger Award - 100 CAPs - For blogging through this game for our enjoyment 

65 points to MorpheusKitami

• Classic Blogger Awarg - 50 CAPs - For blogging through Zombi for our enjoyment
• True Companion Award - 10 CAPs - For playing Lost Secrets along with me
• Villain Stupidity Award - 3 CAPs - For describing exactly why Slaughter is a stupid villain
• Goblin Comparison Award - 2 CAPs - For noting that the tiger puzzle was similar to one in Gobliins 2

13 points to ShaddamIVth

• Psychic Prediction Award - 10 CAPs - For guessing the final rating of Lost Secrets
• Aquatic Biologist Award - 3 CAPs - For knowing that Amazonian river dolphins are a real type of dolphin

10 points to Alex Romanov

• Psychic Prediction Award - 10 CAPs - For guessing the final rating of Zombi

10 points to Lisa H.

• Thorough Fan Award - 10 CAPs - For writing her own walkthrough for the game

10 points to Ilmari

• Puzzle Assistant Award - 10 CAPs - For providing hints on the timed camp puzzle

10 points to Leo Vellés

• Puzzle Assistant Award - 10 CAPs - For providing hints on the poultice puzzle

8 points to Bruce Brenneise

• Paint Expert Award - 5 CAPs - For providing info on paint used for background art
• Scanner Watchman Award - 3 CAPs - For warning about missable points with scanning