Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective Vol. III - Final Rating

 Written by Morpheus Kitami

It's time to put the final pieces in place.

I now have the unenviable job to review not only the arguable worst game in a series, but as the guy who didn't even review (or finish) the last two games. If I am too easy on the game, I am being generous to a game I at first bounced off. If I am too hard, I am attacking a game I did not care for to begin with. So, let's do this with all the cards on the table, what I didn't care about in the past, why my rating is probably different from what Joe would have given, and where I think this went better than my experience with the first game.

Gabriel Knight - Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Investigator

Written by Michael

Time for us to sit down together again and talk about this game.

Glad to be back with you as we finish out another day in the life of Gabriel Knight, investigative author.  Earlier in this game day, I visited Dr. John at the museum, voodooienne Moonbeam at her residence, and then spent some time at the park.  There’s got to be more to this day.  The formula for the game seems simple enough: research enough until you find at least the one trigger that causes you to ask Grace to do research, and then the day ends.  So, I figure the best plan is to do as much research each day before returning to the bookstore.  From some of the comments I’ve seen so far, it seems some items can be done sooner or later, so I might be front-loading the game and taking away later tasks, and I’m certainly fine with that.

Well, that eliminates one possible solution...

Missed Classic: Dracula Hakushaku (ドラキュラ伯爵) - Predator and Prey

Written by Morpheus Kitami

Horror of Dracula seems to be the vague vibe that this game is trying to get across, where Dracula is clearly a charming figure yet no less an obvious predator.

Over the years vampires have been depicted many ways, sometimes straight-forwardly, like a monster, a predator or a demon, or sometimes metaphorically, like for disease or oil. Count Dracula, the name of this game in English which I would title it if I had the guts, depicts Dracula firmly as a predator. A charming predator who insists upon himself. His victims have little chance of escaping once they're within his spell.

But as I've played more of this game, I'm not so sure that this game came across this theme entirely intentionally. Dracula is only unique in being a vampire, predators like him roam the world, seeking women to hurt themselves. We've seen that with Jack the Ripper, but soon we'll see that these are not isolated characters in an otherwise hopeful world. I said that Dracula was darker than I expected in the first entry, and it's gotten darker still. So, be warned.

Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective Vol. III - The Spirpt is Willing...

Written by Morpheus Kitami

The cover to the original 1981 edition of the board game.

This one really isn't going to make any sense if you haven't read previous entries for this particular game, I'm afraid.

Now that we've seen all the cases the computer game has to offer, it's time to see how they played out in the original board game. I say original compared to the reissued board game, released about a decade ago. I'm sure the differences are minor, but still, it should be interesting. And of course, after that there's the final case, untouched by the computer games for reasons that I once knew but have since forgotten.

Gabriel Knight - Now Go Do That Voodoo That You Do So Well

Written by Michael

Oh, if only they knew what was coming in 30 years...

I’m back to start another day in the life of Gabriel Knight, gentleman scholar.  My last post ended at the close of the first full day, leading up to the wee hours of the morning, where a familiar ritual occurs, the paperboy arriving at the bookstore a mere second before my assistant Grace.

We learn nothing new because our convenient police source keeps us in the loop.

As is my usual ritual, I stumble out of the back-room bedroom, drink some coffee, and read the newspaper.  This is much like my own life, minus the now-extinct newspaper.

Wait, I keep using the word ritual.  Somehow, it seems appropriate when narrating this game.

Game 158: Alone in the Dark 2 (1993) - Introduction

 Written by Andy Panthro

The first Alone in the Dark game has a special place in my heart, with its blend of action, adventure and Lovecraftian horror it birthed an entire genre. For the majority of that game, your protagonist is slow, thoughtful and must use their brain to overcome the challenges of the house of horrors they find themselves in.

Somehow Gordon Ramsey has been here for a century!

Jack in the Dark, which I covered before Christmas, continues in this vein. A young girl trapped in a spooky toy shop, having to use her wits and the items she finds to rescue Santa Claus. It is holiday themed, and so less threatening and more lighthearted, but the creepy toys and being set during Halloween fit with the themes of the series.

Missed Classic 137: Dracula Hakushaku (ドラキュラ伯爵) - Introduction

 Written by Morpheus Kitami

When paying for games for 1994 was well and truly done and I got started on finalizing the year, I then went over the games I was on for the year, and my heart kind of sank when I spotted what my first three games were this year:

1. Necronomicon
2. Desire
3. Policenauts

Ah, nuts. It's not that I don't necessarily like playing Japanese games, but I am aware of my limitations and how draining it can be. I'm also not really that much on the train to playing Desire and Policenauts, which I view more as obligations rather than things I'm genuinely interested in even if I will give them a fair shake. I'll explain why when I get to those, but Necronomicon is definitely a game that's been on my radar since learning Japanese, since I like me some HP Lovecraft. And yes, I know that if you look at what I'm currently on, there are only three games that aren't Japanese, but it's only these three that are the sort of Japanese titles that feel like they're not quite adventure games that can feel draining. So, let's get into the first of basically nine such games I'll be covering.

Necronomicon is the fourth collaboration between director Hajime Kanasugi and writer Ken'ichi Hirono, so, we'll start with their first collaboration. Not their first games, because there would be fifteen of those and I don't think anyone wants me to go through fifteen at once. And if I do that, I have to justify why I'm not playing games that are prequels to those, and frankly we still haven't played every Sierra game up until this point, so I'm just sticking to these. Because at that point I would be going into basically every single game developer Fairytale made up until 1994 and I don't want to do that just yet.

Side note, no, I don't know anything about them, they are as anonymous as someone posting here without their name filled out. But you don't make five games together without some sort of understanding.

Dracula Hakushaku, or Count Dracula, is according to a copy/pasted description online, Fairytale's own take on Bram Stoker's Dracula. This is the PC-98 box, which has been spread far and wide, no idea who originally uploaded it. Darkforce is mysterious, no idea what that is. The subtitle is "The Blood of Beautiful Girls is Dripping", which is quite creepy. Dunno what's on the right, but The Man Called DRACULA reminds me of a The Man From UNCLE novel about vampires. The game was released in 1992 on PC-98, a Sharp X68000 release soon followed and then the next year there was a FM Towns release. I'll be playing that one.

Gabriel Knight - The House of the Rising Sun

Written by Michael

I meant to post sooner!  Sorry to leave you hanging.

Welcome back to the Down Under Big Easy!  Last time, I laid out my plans for the next session.  Visit Grandma, do research at the drug store and Voodoo Museum, and visit my friend Mosely at a crime scene.  I ended that post back at Gabriel’s book store, having (seemingly) exhausted all avenues there for the time being.  So let’s throw on my leather coat and burn some rubber on the highway!

Police Quest: Open Season - Won!

By Alex

This is it, my friends, the last Police Quest: Open Season gameplay post. I am going to write a separate Final Rating because this one is long.

We left off the last post with Carey learning about a body found in Griffith Park, giving a bone he found at the crime scene to the coroner Sam Nobles after scaring off a dog using the mirror that a male prostitute broke off of Carey’s car . . .

Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective III - The Thames Murders (Won!)

 Written by Morpheus Kitami

What do you think Gregson would say about the tea at Scotland Yard that makes it worse than Mrs. Hudson's? 10 CAPs for the best answer.

Inspector Gregson is here, drinking tea made by Mrs. Hudson again. Guess it can't be that bad if he keeps coming here. Watson, knowing that they serve tea down at the police station, asks why he's here. Seems Inspector Lestrade sent him, a shocking course of events, as he's at his wits' end. "He didn't travel far to arrive there." We're to solve The Thames Murders, four, now five bodies found floating in the river. The latest is Roland Jaquard, stepson of Lord Astley Denham. He was a ne'er-do-well and a womanizer. His days spent being one of the finest Whist players in London, his nights spent in the drawing rooms of the finest families in London. "He wasn't a traveling chambermaid" quips Holmes. Then Gregson puts the names of murder dates of the previous victims in Holmes's notebook.

Incidentally, if you're not familiar with the time period, you could be surprised to hear that the Thames was pretty disgusting around this time, so hopefully poison can be ruled out.

Gabriel Knight - Witchy Woman

Written by Michael

Kids really don’t read books enough anymore.

Unfortunately, real life has kept Zenic from continuing with Gabriel Knight as originally planned.  We hope things get squared away, and we look forward to his return with his next scheduled game in 1994 (or perhaps even earlier). 

As has been the habit with Morpheus before, if anyone wishes to change their score guess for Gabriel Knight, or hasn’t made one yet, you can do so by commenting either on this entry or the introduction post, as long as you do so before I post again. 

My history with this game?  I played it once, about 25 years ago, before tackling the third game in the series.  I remember absolutely nothing, other than I vaguely remember visiting a cemetery at some point.  So, I’m starting fresh.  I owned the jigsaw-shaped box, and it got damaged during one of my many moves at the time, and eventually lost.  I’m sad about that, since there’s a collector’s market still to this day for that unique package.

Consulting Detective Vol. III - The Banker's Final Debt

Written by Morpheus Kitami

Haha, the person we pay rent to is a terrible cook, take that for giving us a good deal!

Inspector Gregson is having tea with Holmes and Watson. Glad the game remembered him, having Lestrade be a friendly figure felt like something out of bizarro world. Holmes is more interested in a crossword puzzle than the on-going conversation about a murder of a respected banker. After insulting their landlady's cooking, Gregson gets to the crime. The chief accountant for the Bank of England, Oswald Mason, was found murdered in his home at 10 o'clock last night by his wife. Holmes is being called in because Mason was doing important work for The Treasury, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer wants to make sure it isn't related.

I check the newspaper, it's April 11th, and Mason died yesterday, with a rather uneventful article in the paper. Not really much else I can do before finding evidence.

Consulting Detective Vol. III - Watson Steps In

 Written by Morpheus Kitami

As could be expected when Joe announced a hiatus on his contributions to the blog, someone else had to step in to play Consulting Detective Vol. III. I was the most enthusiastic...in the sense that I was the only one who really offered. During the playthrough of II, I tried the DVD version of I, which ended badly, but this time that isn't an option, and most importantly, since then I've had a renewed sense of appreciation of Holmes thanks to the Russian version starring Vasily Livanov. As such, whenever I'm stuck, I'll ask myself, what would he do? Er...what would his character do. Also as is usual when I take over a game, you may change your score guesses at no penalty. Without ado, let's begin.

Holmes' Introduction

Holmes introduces London as an unpleasant city full of danger lurking behind every corner, but that there are people who can help the player. Firstly, we have the daily newspaper, a source of invaluable information regarding our cases. Then, we have the Baker Street Irregulars, a group of vagabond schoolchildren who perform tasks for Holmes. In game, as you may recall from previous games, these guys basically just perform actions instead of Holmes or Watson going there, lowering your score. (Higher is worse) Then, the Baker Street Regulars, various doctors and reporters Holmes knows and can gather clues from. Some are vital to the success of a case, others are often just a source of clues.

Also, for readability's sake, I'm going to be putting in bold the names of people or places you can visit. At least the first time.

Discussion Point: Game Plots

Written by The TAG Team

How to keep track of it all?

There's been some games with some pretty convoluted plots, some with simple ones.  Which are the ones that stick out in your mind?

What's your favorite plot?  Is it something simple, like a man in outdated clothing styles trying to hook up with many ladies?  Or perhaps something more complex, like a college student discovering the role of magic in the world and having to bounce between the ordinary and the mystical in order to restore balance to the universe?

What was the best premise for a game?  Or the biggest let-down?

Companions of Xanth – Final Rating

By Ilmari

Looking at the discussion in the comments section of the game and especially the messages from people who have actually played the game, one might expect Companions of Xanth to receive a rather disappointing score. A surprising contrast to this atmosphere of dislike is provided by Digital Antiquarian’s take on the game, since there the game was portrayed in a more positive light, especially in comparison with the book series it was based on. I am not yet sure where I will land on this spectrum, and there’s only one way to find out, so let’s begin scoring!

Our readers are always ready!

Missed Classic: Valhalla - Abandoned

Written by Morpheus Kitami

Welcome back to Valhalla, the game I started back in April and kept putting off continuing for other games because it wasn't quite the right time for this kind of mapping. Considering I was putting off starting this game for a while, that tracks. It's not quite the game that's taken me to the longest between starting and finishing as far as posting it on the internet goes, but it's getting close. This is feeling like a lot of effort for not a lot of content.

Police Quest: Open Season - What’s a Guy Like Me Doing In a Place Like This?

By Alex

It’s been a while since our last post. I can only blame real life for getting in the way. I haven’t played since the session that this post covers, but this is a long one with a lot of good stuff I’m sure you’ll enjoy, so thank you for your patience.

Before we begin, playing a game set in L.A., it’s hard not to think about the fires engulfing that city and metropolitan area as we speak. Heck, being an American, it’s hard not to think about this. Or being a human. I’m sure all of your prayers are with those affected as are mine. If you’d like to donate, here are a few links to pages with additional links to a whole bunch of charities right there on the ground here (more local) and here (some more big-ticket charities but also a bunch of local ones.

It’s going to feel weird trying to crack wise in light of this, but I shall do my best.

Companions of Xanth – Won!

By Ilmari

Last time, I had just arrived at the gates of the castle of Good Magician Humfrey. I asked Jenny, my new companion, how to get in, and she suggested using her cat, Sammy, to find a way in.

Sammy kept pawing the wall, and checking it, I wound a loose brick, behind which I could find a switch. Flipping it opened the gate and let me in.

Companions of Xanth – Ogre, Ogre and Dragon on a Pedestal

By Ilmari

I bet that “sail” is meant to be taken literally

Would this do the trick?

Apparently not

Discussion Point: The Best Presents

 Written by The TAG Team

Now that the holidays are over, let's talk about the loot you've gotten over the years.  Remember when you were a kid, opening up presents on Christmas, Hanukkah, your birthday, or another occasion?  How about the joy of being given a big box, the mystery (and perhaps anxiety) over what might or might not be in it?

Did it ever turn out to be a game?  Or some new, upgraded hardware to play those games with?  What was the best gift like that you've ever gotten?  Or, if you're a better person than we are, the best game or hardware you've given someone else as a gift.

Regale us with "los regalos" from holidays past in the comments below!

Companions of Xanth – Faun and Games

By Ilmari

What was my goal again? It seems that for a couple of posts I’ve just been going through various parts of Xanth, without any clear idea where I am heading. There was some sort of prize I was supposed to find out, and I had to look for the Good Magician Humfrey… Really, neither of these plot points have had anything to do with the challenges I have been facing.

This one’s the next one in line