News @~This issue's news has a different slant, being a collection of @~previews downloaded from the Net by Arnie @~See also the screenshots section LucasArts' return to Monkey Island ---------------------------------- "LeChuck's back and he's deader than ever" LucasArts has announced The Curse of Monkey Island, the third in the Monkey Island graphic adventure series. Fans of the series can expect more of the same wacky humor and tough puzzles that were found in the earlier titles. This time out, Guybrush has to save the fair Elaine Marley from becoming LeChuck's undead bride. Of course, he immediately blunders and manages to turn Elaine into a gold statue. But hey, that's just his style. LucasArts anticipates a release date sometime in the 1st half of 1997. Phantasmagoria 2 ---------------- Phantasmagoria returns drenched in sex, blood and murder. Phantasmagoria. The mere word strikes terror in the hearts of adventure gamers everywhere. Either you were actually terrorized by the original version and spent more than a day or so playing in a dark room, or you are horrified at the thought of having to spend big bucks for yet another misconceived pile of wishy-wash. The wait, however, is almost over. Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of Flesh is on the scene, and we'll see where the bloodbath lies. An outpatient's garden of delights So long, asylum, he's out. One year and counting. He's traded in that straitjacket for a straight jacket, or at the very least a spiffy tee shirt. After a long history of trauma, Curtis Craig (played by Paul Stetler) is ready to face the world again. whole and hardy until the inexplicable starts happening. Talking rats, bleeding photos, these are not the products of a rational mind. A computer with a vicious mind of its own (well, that's a lot more feasible, especially if you're running OS2). But Curtis is cracking, that's for sure. The delicate mind that had found its rightful place goes haywire once again. Willing to do anything besides return to the torture chamber of the mental hospital, Curtis enlists his best friend Trevor in an investigation of his own family history, only to find that his memories are far more frightening than today's reality. Abused by his psychotic mother at an early age, abandoned by her suicide, haunted by the mysterious death of his father, Curtis' childhood was no Father Knows Best. Could his father's career at WynTech, a high-tech pharmaceutical firm have anything to do with the abhorrent chain of events? It all comes back to him in flashbacks presented by the Hecatomb, a supernatural entity from beyond, intent on stretching Curtis' mind to the breaking point. He abandons his gentle girlfriend Jocilyn for the company of the sex-crazed dominatrix Therese, and is drawn into her secret life of S&M club back rooms downtown. The murders begin, and the story unfolds. The woman behind the Flesh Mix one part kiddie games and two parts blood and carnage and what do you get? Designer Lorelei Shannon. The understanding of fear and its roots is the key to success in the genre of horror, and the ability to relate to childhood is certainly a step in the right direction. It's a time when we don't know that the monster is not under the bed. Shannon, with children's games and horror under her belt, has a very good take on what will make our skin crawl. She believes that what we see in A Puzzle of Flesh will be more than disturbing and I hope she's right. Shannon (whose pet rat is in the game) was very diplomatic about disassociation from the first Phantas. When asked why the game is not a direct sequel she states, "The main reason is that my writing and storytelling style is very different from Roberta Williams'. Rather than attempting to capture the same tone and mood as the first Phantas, which would have been unnatural for me, I decided to take it in a whole different direction." Lucky for us. I'll have the sex and violence on whole wheat, please. Hold the mayo. If Wal-mart was squeamish about the adult content of Phantasmagoria (they refused to stock it), it'll be interesting to see who might take their side this time around. The new Phantas has not been toned down in any way to appeal to the mass market. While the violence may be overtly less graphic, Shannon believes that the implication of horror may indeed be more provocative. Sexual content has been pumped up as well (unfortunate verb choice?), and runs the gamut from tender (with Jocilyn) to whip-and-chain S&M (with Therese). Shannon states, "Neither the sex nor violence are in any way gratuitous. They are an integral part of the story." She also placates the squeamish with the supposition that there is no sexual violence. Whips and chains, eh? Hmmm. Except for the final scene, the entire game is full motion video. And they intend to do this without compromising gameplay (I'll believe it when...). Tougher puzzles and many more playing hours than the original are promised, with difficulty in a range "between Phantas I and Gabriel Knight II." With fond ties to the more than quarter million sales of its predecessor, the psychological thriller angle and the rich and complex plot, A Puzzle of Flesh is one of the most anticipated adventure releases in recent memory. Let's hope it provides at least a pound of flesh. Return to Krondor ----------------- 7th Level is still wrapping up Return to Krondor, still based on Raymond E. Feist's Riftwar Saga and still eagerly awaited by the fans of its predecessor, Betrayal at Krondor. As you may recall, Betrayal at Krondor was produced by (ahem, not to beat a dead horse) a rival company which forsook its license; the latter was pounced on eagerly by 7th Level; it will be interesting to see what has evolved. The game takes place in the mythical world of Midkemia. The player will as usual be represented by a team of characters, including James aka Jimmy the Hand, William ConDoin and a promising, young Keshian sorceress named Jazhara. While investigating a bizarre and grisly murder, the party discovers that the man responsible, a sinister and malevolent mercenary named Bear, is working to destroy an extremely powerful and important religious relic called the Tear of the Gods. In order to save Krondor and, in fact, all of Midkemia, the party must race against Bear to retrieve the Tear and return it to the protection of Krondor's city walls. Of course, Bear has powerful allies. But so do you, since the game includes a fully controllable 3D combat system, player-controlled camera angles for a tactical advantage, an auto-mapping feature and an auto-journal to keep track of all significant events. 7th Level's proprietary authoring technology, Top Gun, will be combined with Windows 95's DirectDraw, DirectSound and Direct3D features to present us with complex environments in a product native to Windows 95. Included will be dozens of fully navigable 3D environments, including city streets, sewers, ancient temples, deep forests and more. And there are sheep; gamers just love sheep inclusion (after all, what is a metaphor? To keep sheep in. Groan). Lands of Lore II: Guardians of Destiny -------------------------------------- Polish up that tainted birthright, Westwood Studios. When we think of what Westwood Studios must be doing these days, a picture springs to mind of a quiet beach, a macadamia tree, pineapple fights and a small cluster of people working on the next seventeen generations of Command & Conquer as the rest look on - sitting on their lounge chairs and wondering how to spend those immense bonus checks. Right. Instead, like everyone else, they're losing sleep, meeting deadlines, trying desperately to get Red Alert out the door and crafting the sequel to the highly acclaimed Lands of Lore. Almost three years in the making, Lands of Lore II: Guardians of Destiny is yet another in the batch of adventure/CRPGs on the burner for imminent release. Still striving for a realistic environment unseen by human eyes, elven programmers are busily at work with their little hammers and nails crafting New Technology they believe will transcend all that has come before. At any rate, it'll probably transcend its daddy, Louis Castle, Vice President of Creative Development says, "Our goal was to create an experience which truly delivers on the promise that fantasy gamers have always longed for_(timely shipment???) - a game that will put them into the Lands like never before. Guardians of Destiny is made of exceptions, which drove the programmers crazy, but which gamers will love. For the first time you will see creatures and people of the Lands behave more realistically than ever before." Players will take the role of Luther, the cursed (two syllables) son of the Sorceress of the Dark Army, who is under the possession of the bane of many sons of sorceresses - the lethally vile, accursed (three syllables) birthright. Luther will explore the fully-rendered 3D 360-degree traversable world in search of the ..dum-de-DUM-dum.. Ancient Magic which will release him. As Luther evolves, he gets smarter, but so of course do his enemies. Advanced AI makes the population think and react intelligently. They will retreat from missile fire, look for cover, withdraw when critically wounded, send for reinforcements and order take-out. Over 80 spells and special effects will explode from your screen in tremble-producing high resolution as you decide to raise the dead (the Lazarus Spell), summon warrior imps (The Spell of Imp-potence) or just whip up the occasional lightning storm (The Thor-Thpot Thpell). A dynamic lighting system allows torches to flicker, bonfires to blaze and magical devices to pulse with energy. If you've ever aspired to shape-shifting, here's your chance; you will be able to change into different forms as the game progresses. Each metamorphosis will empower you with different abilities and affect interaction with the world. Beast, lizard or plumber; the choice is yours. The sleaze factor is also yours to choose. In a gaming style indigenous to the cyberpolitician, you can still win the game even if you lie, cheat and steal your way through. Hmmm, let's keep this one away from the "boys at the top." - o -