Post by Leonia on May 10, 2006 0:16:28 GMT -5
With the recent passing of the last American survivor from the Titanic disaster, let's go back in time and revisit it...say, 10 years ago.
Why 10 years? Ten years ago, before the film "Titanic" sailed into theaters, there was an adventure game called "Titanic: Adventure Out of Time", that was released to the PCs in 1996.
So is the story in Adventure Out of Time better than the movie? (Story, 9/10):
You play as Carlson, a disgraced British secret agent who survived the sinking and failed to complete an important mission for your spy agency that led to World War I, the Russian Revolution, the Great Depression, Hitler's rise to power, and World War II. During World War II, a blitzkreig attack sends you back into time, back to the Titanic before she sank. Despite breaking a few rules of space and time, this unexpected turn of events mean one thing: a second chance to avert all the chaos that plagued the first half of the 20th century.
Are Jack and Rose in the game? (Graphics, 8/10):
NO! Go rent the movie if you want to oogle either of them.
For a game that was released 10 years ago, the graphics have aged well. While not every room from the actual ship is accessible in the game, the ones that are have been faithfully recreated, making it one of the few games I've played that truly makes one feel as if they are actually exploring the Titanic itself.
Sadly, the graphics don't fare as good for the characters you have to talk to onboard the ship. While pretty to look at, the way they talk and move their heads can either unnerve you or put you off. Or both.
What about Celine Dion, does she sing in the credits? (Audio, 8/10):
The best way to describe the music is that it's somber. Depressing, almost. The voice acting and the sound effects, on the other hand, are excellent. You can disable both sound effects and music if you choose to.
Do you get to shoot stuff? (Gameplay, 9/10):
This is an adventure game, through and through. There's stuff to pick up and puzzles to solve.
The main objective of the game is to complete the mission, and get off the Titanic when she sinks. (Sadly, that's one thing you're unable to change. The ship sinks one way or the other.)
The first part of the game is event-based -- until you've triggered an important step in the game, time is basically stuck in the same place. If the pocket watch says 10:15 PM and you haven't solved that cipher in your steamer trunk five hours later, that pocket watch will still read 10:15 PM. Fortunately, the puzzles in the game are relatively easy, and a few have alternate solutions, so you're never really stuck for long. There are also a few side diversions from the story, such as sneaking into a photographer's stateroom and developing a few pictures, or fencing with one of the passengers.
The second part of the game, however, becomes crucial -- not only because at that point, there are a multitude of things to do, but the ship is sinking and you've got to get off the ship with whatever's in your possession. In this point of the game, It is very easy to get caught up in the various subplots going on in the Titanic, from rescuing a baby, administering antidote to a sick passenger, and playing blackjack to obtain a lifeboat pass.
Anything else?
There are several endings in "Adventure", which lends some replay value. People who are fascinated with the Titanic lore and history buffs will probably get the most out of this game. However, the game might be hard to find due to its age. Bargain bins or eBay may be your only choice if you want to track down this game.
Final Verdict: 8.5/10
Why 10 years? Ten years ago, before the film "Titanic" sailed into theaters, there was an adventure game called "Titanic: Adventure Out of Time", that was released to the PCs in 1996.
So is the story in Adventure Out of Time better than the movie? (Story, 9/10):
You play as Carlson, a disgraced British secret agent who survived the sinking and failed to complete an important mission for your spy agency that led to World War I, the Russian Revolution, the Great Depression, Hitler's rise to power, and World War II. During World War II, a blitzkreig attack sends you back into time, back to the Titanic before she sank. Despite breaking a few rules of space and time, this unexpected turn of events mean one thing: a second chance to avert all the chaos that plagued the first half of the 20th century.
Are Jack and Rose in the game? (Graphics, 8/10):
NO! Go rent the movie if you want to oogle either of them.
For a game that was released 10 years ago, the graphics have aged well. While not every room from the actual ship is accessible in the game, the ones that are have been faithfully recreated, making it one of the few games I've played that truly makes one feel as if they are actually exploring the Titanic itself.
Sadly, the graphics don't fare as good for the characters you have to talk to onboard the ship. While pretty to look at, the way they talk and move their heads can either unnerve you or put you off. Or both.
What about Celine Dion, does she sing in the credits? (Audio, 8/10):
The best way to describe the music is that it's somber. Depressing, almost. The voice acting and the sound effects, on the other hand, are excellent. You can disable both sound effects and music if you choose to.
Do you get to shoot stuff? (Gameplay, 9/10):
This is an adventure game, through and through. There's stuff to pick up and puzzles to solve.
The main objective of the game is to complete the mission, and get off the Titanic when she sinks. (Sadly, that's one thing you're unable to change. The ship sinks one way or the other.)
The first part of the game is event-based -- until you've triggered an important step in the game, time is basically stuck in the same place. If the pocket watch says 10:15 PM and you haven't solved that cipher in your steamer trunk five hours later, that pocket watch will still read 10:15 PM. Fortunately, the puzzles in the game are relatively easy, and a few have alternate solutions, so you're never really stuck for long. There are also a few side diversions from the story, such as sneaking into a photographer's stateroom and developing a few pictures, or fencing with one of the passengers.
The second part of the game, however, becomes crucial -- not only because at that point, there are a multitude of things to do, but the ship is sinking and you've got to get off the ship with whatever's in your possession. In this point of the game, It is very easy to get caught up in the various subplots going on in the Titanic, from rescuing a baby, administering antidote to a sick passenger, and playing blackjack to obtain a lifeboat pass.
Anything else?
There are several endings in "Adventure", which lends some replay value. People who are fascinated with the Titanic lore and history buffs will probably get the most out of this game. However, the game might be hard to find due to its age. Bargain bins or eBay may be your only choice if you want to track down this game.
Final Verdict: 8.5/10
