Two Recent Interactive Movies
            Black Dahlia and Tex Murphy Overseer

                 Reviewed by Stefan Herber

Every month I purchase four or five computer leisure journals, the
majority of whose writers have, I suspect, just come out of
nappies, There is always an extreme bias toward the latest and
prettiest Wolfenstein 3D clone as well as strategy games that
involve explosions, driving big tanks etc. RPGs are invariably
panned; but the writers' main hate is the interactive movie. It
has to be said that in some cases this is justified but a more
mature reflection on two recent games, "BLACK DAHLIA" and "TEX
MURPHY OVERSEER" may not be amiss.

I wasn't too optimistic about "Dahlia"- the same firm made that
abomination called "Ripper" a few years ago. This time everything
is right - very right. The story is based on an unsolved series of
serial murders in Cleveland just before the 2nd World War; the
background to these has been very carefully recreated. The authors
have constructed a fictional story based on the Nazis' obsession
with the occult to explain these. The acting is first-rate,
locations are lovingly created, puzzles are fiendish (there was
one I simply could not solve despite a step by step solution and
had to resort to a cheat code) but logical and the plot gripping
and involving. There are 3 endings (all fortunately based on one's
actions at the very end) with the correct one being the most
downbeat I can recall in a computer game, or for that matter in
the cinema. Gripes? The latest release in the UK still requires a
patch from the net and on two copies different CDs failed to load
(poor production quality?). However I fail to see any adult with
the vaguest interest in adventure games or murder-mystery not
getting totally involved.

And so to Tex Murphy. We have seen him before in several games;
for the record he is a Bogart style PI in post nuclear San
Francisco whose cases start as straightforward PI stuff and
invariably turn into major save-the-world missions. It's been
panned in certain sections of the press and notably came out on
budget for its first release in this country (normally a bad
sign.) But it's not bad - much easier than Dahlia although I was
severely stuck for a while particularly in the middle of the game.
The video sequences are far too long and often unnecessary and in
one or two sequences I was very annoyed about the way that
crouching or rising was essential to find key items. I also must
have missed something- although I completed it I still only ended
up with 3655 out of 4000 points. But at budget price it's worth a
look, and will certainly while away a few hours.

The only question now is what to play next.









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