Caleb Bressler
Staff Writer
The shooter-style video game is currently the ruling genre in the computer game market. While the audience for these games is large, there are also members of the population
who enjoy games that are plot and character driven and incorporate mystery, suspense and logic – in other words, the Adventure Game.
Some shooter games have been incorporating elements of adventure games, with heightened plots and better graphics, which appeal to more extensive audiences.
However, even so, the “Adventure Shooter” still is not a substitute for the real thing.
When I was young, many adventure games, such as “Myst” held a mystique; I was too young to play them, but had captured glimpses of the games while someone else had been playing.
The games contained worlds that I wanted to explore; hidden passageways, ornate mansions and shady paths leading to unknown worlds.
When I finally was able to play these games, I found that playing a great adventure game is really quite an adventure. While there are not many truly
amazing adventure games, if you can find even one, it really is worthwhile to play.
I have found that the best adventure games tend to be older games. They are more playable, and simply have a better design and elements than some of the newer adventure games.
However, newer games also have good points; the list below includes a little of both.
“Titanic: Adventure out of Time” is the epitome of a wellcrafted adventure game. The story is detailed and wellplanned, characters are developed, navigation is expertly designed, and the game takes place onboard the majestic ocean liner, Titanic.
The game is in first-person, the main character a spy onboard the ship. The overall spy-themed plot is hedged by a number of different dramas aboard the ship.
The plot and dialogue are some of the most sophisticated I have come across in an adventure game. The game came out in the 1990s, so while it is definitely
older and has difficulty running on newer systems, it is a great accomplishment.
“Myst”, also a product of the ‘90s, is less known now than when it debuted. “Myst,” a cross between traditional fantasy and sci-fi, began the “Myst” series of computer games.
“Myst” is another first-person adventure game, where a character finds himself on a small, empty island and must discover what happened. “Myst,” is definitely a game worth playing, with interesting environments, an often unsettling soundtrack and a mystery.
Updated versions of “Myst” were put on the market later, such as “Real Myst,” which incorporates daytime and weather changes into the game. “Myst III: Exile” is another excellent example of a well-crafted adventure game.
The game has beautiful environments and graphics, an exceptional soundtrack and features Brad Dourif, who appeared in “The Lord of the Rings” films. Similarly to Myst, the game takes place on a number of different islands, where players must collect symbols to unlock the final “world” after finding themselves trapped by the villain.
Another style of adventure game is the “third person adventure game.” Instead of employing a first-person interface, third person adventure games involve navigating a character through the game. “Nibiru: Age of Secrets” and the “Sherlock Holmes” series feature this type of third-person approach to adventure gaming.
“Nibiru” is an espionage style game, revolving around a mysterious Nazi scheme involving the ancient concept of Nibiru. The game has nice graphics and an ample number of locations, including Prague, France and Mexico.
One of the game’s main downfalls is the main character, who is unfortunately, a very unpleasant fellow.
The “Sherlock Holmes” gaming series has employed numerous different types of gameplay throughout the series, including both first and third person references.
The games also switch genres depending on the game; “Nemesis” is a traditional-style mystery, while “The Awakened” appears to be a grotesque, horror game.
The “Sherlock Holmes” games can be, however, inordinately tedious, lacking the excellent design of some other games.
Despite that many adventure games are criticized, they are some of the most rewarding kind of computer games. A truly excellent adventure game is, like most things, rare. When one is found, however, it is definitely gold to be treasured.
