Conspiracies

Details: Category: Computer; By CCGR; 01.Jun; Hits: 8483

System Requirements: Intel Pentium II 400 MHz or Celeron 466 MHz (1 GHz processor recommended) 64 MB RAM (256 MB Recommended) DVD-ROM 16 MB AGP DirectX 8 Compatible Video Card (64 MB recommended) DirectX 8 Compatible Sound Card Windows 98, ME, 2000 or XP 3 GB free hard drive space (30 GB recommended for faster level loading) Rated Teen

Backdrop

Welcome to the year 2063 where society is devastated and machines are dominating the planet. You are Nick Delios, private eye. The game starts off with you gambling some borrowed money away, which results in serious debt. So serious that you have to take some ?gray? jobs or go to jail. It?s an offer you can?t refuse because you are so broke that the water has been shut off in your home. If that?s not bad enough you have to rob from your fish tank to make a cup of coffee!

What kind of Jobs do I have to do?

To get out of debt you have to work for Dimitris Argiriou who you really don?t get along with. He ended your relationship with his sister Annita whom you still love. His job will require you to time travel back to 2019 to get a scientist to boost his pharmaceutical company. To make the game more interesting you also get work for your police friend Thanos Pekas. Pekas assigns you to a murder case of a small time criminal. Simple enough right? Little do you know you?re about to solve a case of galactic proportions and save the world doing so!

How do I save the world?

Talk to people. Everyone you meet has some information that can be helpful. When talking to people you have multiple choices on how you want to handle the situation. You can lie, be honest, be hot tempered, relaxed etc. Your responses will influence the outcome of the situation, so think before you speak. Explore your surroundings. Look everywhere, even in plant pots. There are lots of items for the taking. Many will be needed, however not all of them are. Your inventory space is limited so only carry what you think you will need. You will encounter dangerous thugs, robot dogs and deadly prison robots. You have unlimited save slots, so use them!

Puzzles?

Holy cow this game is tough. There are some logical puzzles, but many of them are just way out there. You will find yourself constructing bombs (explosive bras), hacking into computers, and figuring out access codes. There will be times when you?ll be trapped and need to find a way out, or you may find yourself outside a person?s house you need to get into. Many residences are high tech and have hidden devices, which are not easy to get to; some involve finding the right frequency to access them. Again look around and look everywhere.

Graphics

This is the first DVD computer game I?ve reviewed. There are lots of movie clips to build up the story. The game?s environment is 3D rendered but the detail is lacking. Many of the objects needed can be easily overlooked because of the low detail graphics. There were some glitches I encountered along the way. (Walking through walls etc.) The characters are 2D cut outs from movie clips so even those don?t look so great. The game seems to be low budget and it shows in this area. The acting is pretty good; you kind of feel for Nick a little as you play.

Sound

This game has real actors in it so the voice acting is good. The developers are Greek so if you do the English install you can tell it?s been dubbed over. The sound effects are decent and the background music loops add to the feel. There?s a bar you go to that has a band called Blues Wire. When you first enter it you get a video clip of their performance. I wasn?t into their music but some gamers may like it.

Interface

For controls you are stuck with the arrow keys. :( There?s a level where you have to escape from robots and not be seen. Anyways you have to move very quickly and WASD would have helped a bit. To make matters worse, that level is timed or very badly designed. Even when I was in the clear I would get Game Over messages. Very strange behavior at times, but for the most part stable.

Appropriateness

This game is rated Teen and should not be played by kids. There?s murder, gambling, drinking, drugs, sexual affairs and lots of swearing. One word sums up the plot of this game: Greed. 1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.