DVD’s and games to check out.

September 14, 2008

With all the high profile games and film releases coming around this month it’s time to take a look at those which have slipped through the net and not been covered by the mainstream media hype.

DVD - Where in the world is Osama Bin Laden?

This is one of those movies which really kept itself under the radar during its cinema release. What the film revolves around is Morgan Spurlock of Supersize Me fame finding out that he’s going to be a father so to follow in the footsteps of Bruce Willis to be the one man alone against the worlds evil. So he will hunt down OBL himself.

What the film really shows is initial pieces of comedy with a few funny sketches here and there showing Spurlock doing much the same as Borat, heading to the middle east and interviewing local people to find out the history of OBL himself. Unless you spend your life watching Fox News there will be some new information here but it does become apparent that Spurlock is presenting his personal political bias much like Michael Moore in the films direction. There is no question that this is an interesting film with a few bits of great comedy but it certainly isn’t Supersize Me - Part 2. The best way to look at this movie is to consider it a documentary you would find on National Geographic and not a comedy film as it was advertised in the trailers. It’s an interesting look at modern day events and as a documentary a great thing to see.

PC Game - Belief & Betrayal

The first of our adventure (point & click) trio, Belief and Betrayal is one of those games you remember even when point & click titles are not usually your thing. The story has you as a journalist working the family history of your uncles murder to find out it’s part of a big conspiracy requiring travel to some extremely religious cities. It’s not a spoiler to say that figuring out codes and playing through puzzles is required.

Where the gameplay itself is concerned the game is extremely easy to understand and operate. There are several different cursor icons making it easy to understand exactly what kind of action is possible when any on-screen item or location is highlighted. It is a much less complicated system that a lot of other games in the same genre where your stuck playing minesweeper clicking all over the screen without a clue on what your supposed to do. There’s the usual inventory system in play with several items to be selected and used in conjunction with each other at many of the different locations to progress. There are also several characters to play at different stages to add a bit of variety.

The graphics however are where the game is let down. While everything is presented in 3D there are some downsides. For example your character Jonathan Danter appears to not be connected to the ground he’s walking on in some locations. This is a little issue but it’s something which arises far too
often. The audio is top notch but it’s to be expected where character interaction is an essential component. Overall B&B is a fun game that will provide long enjoyment but only for hardened adventure game fans willing to forgive it’s problems.

PC Game - The Lost Crown (a ghost hunting adventure)

The second point & click title is set in a small coastal town where investigators progress through a spook story. It’s one of those games where in a quiet little town there are things best left alone.

Gameplay this time is a bit more confusing but adding more options. For example there are ghost hunting tools which are used to progress the story and while they are not as cool as those found in Ghostbusters they do perform what’s required. Most of the time it’s the standard enter the room and investigate everything inside before progressing to the next. The difference this time is the shock tactics used. There is something stated in the promotional material which might creep out the more cautious player and that’s the use of actual real-life ghost audio recordings (E.V.P.) which are used to good effect in the game but something some might object to the use of. Interactions with other characters are also a main part of working through the town but they don’t really provide more than a sounding board and a pause in the spooky occurrences.

It’s an unnerving game without a doubt. It could be the third or fourth most spooky title for a long time with only two titles getting a better shock value across. For reference the best to make anyone jump out of their skin at any point is Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Harbinger (PC - Dos) where going down any hallway in any direction makes invisible aliens jump out and kill you in a first person instant shock with accompanying sound effect. The second best was Men in Black: The Game (PC, PS1) with incredibly effective dark lighting, creepy sound and aliens coming out behind any door in a third person perspective. It’s said on the Lost Crown box that the gameplay lasts 36 hours but in reality there is a lot more there if you don’t find everything right away getting stuck is a real possibility adding hours or even days to the playtime. Overall Lost Crown is an interesting title but there is only a limited audience for this one so it’s best to be sure before buying.

PC Game - Nostradamus: The Last Prophecy

This is our final point and click title in this trio and it’s really the best. The story takes a few historical liberties where accuracy is concerned but it does touch on a few real events changing them to be playable with a story touching on a key player in royal events. The basic gist is using the prophecies of Nostradamus a family member must work their way through a great mystery. It’s hard not to go into detail on this one without spoiling it as anyone who’s watched the Discovery Channel would bring fourth their own bias before trying the games alternative version of the events.

Just like the other titles the general way the game works is not different with the players characters travelling through several locations solving puzzles based on astrology. With the huge amount of material available to work with it’s surprising to say that the story is quite tame compared to just how far out a story using the last prophecy of Nostradamus could have been. Unlike the other games where it’s easy to understand what is going on there is a lot of opportunities to get stuck with no idea of how to progress. The gameplay is an awful lot more complicated but in a way that is a good thing. The quickest way to find out how complicated an adventure title is to count how many different mouse cursors action types there are, in this case there are a mind-blowing eleven. Not exactly the usual move, action, pick-up and standard.

The graphics are second to none and could be among the best for any current adventure title. The sound is appealing and appropriate. Overall Nostradamus is a game that any adventure game player could buy without regret. Just not for a novice or those that could get a bit lost in history.