3 hours into "Martian Memorandum" and I've hit a reload record...

I think she wants something from me, as well...

I'm 3 hours into Martian Memorandum and I lost count of how many times I had to reload. Not only is this a game where you can die, apparently there's also a dead-end if you don't give the correct replies during a dinner date. I really felt like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day trying over and over again to sweettalk Andy MacDowell. Either she fell asleep, or emptied her wine glass in my face, and then I had no means to continue that conversation. So countless reloads later, eventually I got her to answer my questions, and I was able to follow another lead.

FYI: this screen sidescrolls...

Only to get a bit stumped there as well, by either being mangled by a dog or poisoned, over and over again. It took me a long time to realize I could actually move further to the right, and the screen sidescrolled. To be honest, I had to look this up online, because even the HELP function mentioned objects I just couldn't find in the scene. And even then it was tricky, because each time I tried walking to the right, I'd either get too close to the dog, or too close to that pool of red ooze. Tex just wouldn't walk to the spots I clicked. So I decided to try something and yes: I could move him directly with the arrow keys as well, and I could finally maneuver between the two danger zones. I did find a glitch though: when I tried to shoot my way through the door and into the wagon, a ladder would magically appear against the side. So I could have cheated my way forward if I really wanted to, but I didn't.

And to think I used to love dogs...

So after lots of trial and error, I found my next lead and wound up in a jungle somewhere. After being flattened by a log, drowned in quicksand, and eaten by a snake, I discovered some final pieces of information and then it became obvious I had exhausted all my options on Earth. All my remaining leads are all located on Mars, so now I have to sneak on board a smuggler shuttle (because the regular one is four weeks out of commission, naturally...). But not before my frustration rose even higher because I had to backtrack over the quicksand pit again! I hadn't memorized which stones were safe and which would sink, so it was back to the save/reload trial and error technique to get across.

I hated this sequence...

I've finally reached the location of the shuttle, and I'm betting I'll probably die a dozen or so more times before I'll actually reach the red planet. Wish me luck!

Classic time: "Martian Memorandum" playthrough!

New game!

I've started playing the second Tex Murphy game, Martian Memorandum, and I'm one hour into it.

Alexis Alexander, daughter of business tycoon Marshall Alexander, has disappeared. Daddy believes she has been kidnapped and hires me, Tex Murphy, to find her. That's a pretty simple case for a veteran private investigator as myself.

Tex's office doesn't look too shabby...

Don't be fooled, though! Finding Alexis isn't that easy. And it's mostly the old school user interface making it so hard. That, and the pixel hunting. Thankfully, the "HELP" verb works as a hotspot locator. Usually I try to avoid those, because I often think they make an adventure game too easy. But this time, I must admit it's pretty essential.

Haven't gotten her to spill the beans, yet...

Basically I go around trying to convince people to giving me information, either by choosing the right combination of dialogue options (thankfully if you fail and get thrown out, you can just visit them again and start over as if nothing happened) or by offering them a key item.

Ah, the (almost) ever helpful Stacy...

The list of topics you can question people about will slowly grow, and you can also contact your secretary Stacy through your comlink to ask for further information -- if she has something to offer, that is.

So this is San Francisco in 8 years time...

After one hour of gaming, I'm running around 2033 San Francisco reaching one dead end after another. My last lead brought me to the abandoned offices of a movie production house, and the local cops won't talk to me unless I help them find some evidence for a murder nobody knows anything about. Guess I'll have to retrace my steps and try to find out where I missed something...

"The Beekeeper's Picnic" - my Adventure Game Hotspot review!

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: "Its little blemishes show there’s still room for improvement, but these are more than made up for by the beautiful artwork, funny writing, and audiobook-quality voice cast. While the puzzles don’t hold much challenge, the writer’s commitment to providing unique and funny responses add even more charm to this cozy point-and-click adventure. Just be sure to set your expectations accordingly: Sherlock Holmes is retired here, after all, so don’t expect a dazzling mystery with blood spatters all over the place. Instead it’s the tale of a man finally trying to show his appreciation for his dear friend after years of rudeness and neglect. The story won’t go into the annals of literature with The Hound of the Baskervilles or A Study in Scarlet, but if you are in the mood for some lighthearted fun, The Beekeeper’s Picnic is good for a cozy afternoon of breezy adventuring with some honeyed tea and biscuits."

I finished "Old Skies" and yes... this is instant classic to me!

Sadly I had a different view when I visited Washington Square Park...

If you are a fan of Wadjet Eye Games, your zeal will be transformed into divine adoration after playing Old Skies. I reached the end in 15 hours!

Since last time, I finished chapter 4, which was basically an example of the proverb while two dogs fight over a bone, a third runs away with it. It was a very fun chapter, almost to the silly side.

"Old Skies" took me on a rollercoaster ride, alright!

Next came chapter 5. Oh man, this one brings back memories. Real life memories. It takes place right before (and after) an event a couple of decades ago of which I still remember where I was at the time (and always will; it was Disneyland in Paris). This case is a corporate conspiracy story. I felt some John Grisham vibes there. And just like with chapter 1, I had to make a very difficult decision. Which doesn't really affect the outcome, but it's more of a moral decision you carry with you. That's a very strange feeling, especially for people used to more straightforward games with obvious causes and consequences.

Chilling on the beach...

Then finally it was onto chapter 6, the last chapter. For some reason this chapter makes me think of Stephen King. Both him as a person, as well as his novel 11.22.63. And yet again Dave Gilbert succeeds in introducing a new gameplay aspect: yes, even in a time-travel story, you have to race against time once in a while.

Credit where credit is due! These people are artists indeed!

Wow. What an experience. There are many games from the 80s and 90s I've replayed often. I never really felt that urge with modern titles, moreso because there are way many more games to play these days, there's always a backlog, new titles coming out. But Old Skies? I have a feeling that's one I'll return to as well. This is just instant classic to me, and it should be instant buy for anyone who's serious about playing adventure games.

You can find Old Skies here.

I'm 10 hours into "Old Skies" and the game isn't afraid to mix drama with comedy!

This subject definitely has a peacock attitude

Chapter three of Old Skies brought me to August 18, 1923. A museum curator wanted to verify whether a favorite painting of hers was indeed painted by this famous painter. Color me impressed with the artwork that went into creating these in-game canvases!

Ah, young love...

Of course some more things went wrong, I got caught up in a type of Bonnie & Clyde scenario, and witnessed a twist in the story I definitely didn't see coming! Let's just say Old Skies isn't just a series of standalone time-travel missions... There's an overarching story as well, because... you know, butterfly effect and all that...

From the distant past to the... not so distant past...

I'm currently into chapter 4, in which two people are vying for control of a company. There's a change in tone in this chapter, and it seems to aim to tickle your funny bone after a more dramatic halfway-point event. It's another take on the time-loop gameplay, but at least here you're not repeating the same tasks over and over again. Instead, you take on more of a stealth role...

The further I get in this game, the harder it becomes to remain spoiler-free. Hence the shorter post this time! Rest assured, this is a story you really want to discover for yourself!

You can find Old Skies here!

"Brassheart" - my Adventure Game Hotspot review!

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: "Brassheart is a game of layers. It’s instantly and obviously brilliant on the surface, but just below that veneer are enough minor glitches, bugs and mistakes to take off some of the shine. Fortunately, beneath those are lots of fun character interactions and puzzles to make it well worth looking past its shortcomings. The story is interesting enough to keep you entertained, and the gameplay experience is classic point-and-click adventuring but with a thoroughly modern hi-definition look. It would be even better with a bit more polish, which prevents me from giving it a higher rating it would otherwise completely deserve. But I very much appreciate what it’s trying to do and believe most adventure fans will have fun accompanying Pola and Pascal on their world-saving journey."

I'm 5 hours into "Old Skies" and time is getting loopy!

Back to the Future taught me this headline will probably change...

I'm five hours into Old Skies by Wadjet Eye Games and I've just finished chapter 2!

You won't collect many inventory items in Old Skies!

After catching up with the guy that went awol in chapter 1, I returned to the present to prepare myself for the next assignment. This time, a famous boxer wants to travel back in time to the guy who inspired her, to ask him a question. That sounded simple enough, but it turned out to be anything but.

A cozy night to prepare for the big fight!

So we traveled to the year 1871. First of all we had to track him down, then he turned out to be a completely different person than we'd anticipated. Very different. So different, in fact, we had to activate an emergency protocol, rewinding time for a short period so I could try something again. But rest assured, these are short scenes and not as annoying as other time-looping games where they have you replay entire sections over and over again. I really don't like playing those, and I can honestly say I never once felt like I wasn't having fun with Old Skies!

These close-up scenes are really gorgeous!

These scenes are actually part of the fun. They are very well written, and Fia's personality really comes to the fore in these extreme situations. They are also part of the puzzles, and usually come down to discovering the right information, which you can then use in the correct dialogue options. It takes some figuring out, and even some time-hopping between two different dates, but it all happens with the right amount of humor and doing so gives a great feeling of accomplishment.

New York museums have always astounded me...

So after a lot of unexpected stuff went down in 1871, I returned back to the present, where I was put on a third assignment which took me to the art gallery. The curator wants to find out if an anonymous painting truly belongs to this famous painter in the 1920's. Yet another era to visit, no doubt with its own challenges!

You can find Old Skies here!