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Platform: PC

Developer: Microids

Publisher: Microids

Genre: Adventure

ETA: Fall 2002  

Post Mortem

It's 1920s Paris and horrific ritualistic beheading has taken place in an upscale hotel room.  In steps detective Gus Macpherson, American and general good guy, at the behest of a "mysterious and sensuous" woman, whose sister and brother-in-law so recently became headless in said hotel room.  The police it seems are not putting much effort into the investigation.  And who can blame them?  They must have their hands full as it is a time of "clashing ideas."

I like the initial story but the almost artsy-fartsy description of the background -- "taking place at the frontier of magic and reality, between madness and sanity" -- kind of loses me.  Most gamers aren't art school grads.  They may not know art but they know what they like.  Which leads me to my next point.

The lead designer is Stephane Brochu, who also worked on Road to India. (A game that our own Mark Leung described as, "a fiscal buffer [for Microids] so that it can produce other more meaningful titles.")  Although Microids is emphasizing that Post Mortem (PM) will be their second adventure game in 2002 that may not be a good thing.  The first game was Syberia, receiving nearly universal acclaim from just about every PC gaming media around, including Armchair Empire.  Outdoing, or even trying to meet, the quality of Syberia will be a tough task.  I'm willing to give give Brochu the benefit of the doubt -- I just hope the team has learned from past forays.

Also from the Road to India team is Maxime Villandre, heading up the art department.  PM should look and play much like the Myst games: high definition pre-rendered scenes explored in a 360-degree manner.  Characters are modeled in 3D and rendered in real-time and there will be several characters to interact with (judging by the 3,000 possible question and answers).  Plus, you'll play as two different characters -- presumably Gus and the mysterious woman.

The conversation engine promises to be flexible, "designed to take some linearity out of the game."  PM is also aiming to provide multiple endings.

Multiple endings are always a bit tricky. The Pandora Directive did a great job incorporating the endings and making them make sense.  With strictly linear play, setting up an ending is a snap, but when the narrative can branch problems can be run into -- like those Choose Your Own Adventure Books.  It will be interesting to see how PM manages it.  Will we see a successful investigation?  A so-so ending?  A confrontation with the killer (or killers)?  Get the girl?

Post Mortem will arrive soon, Fall 2002. (Hopefully, alive and kicking.)

- Omni

(October 29, 2002)