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Stuart · 03-08-2011, 07:33 PM

I just finished the game and have to say I loved it!

Although I still have a few "modern classics" to play (such as Still Life) I have no hesitation in calling this one of the better adventure games of the last decade (IMO of course).

The premise was very original and kept me hooked all the way, even though I kind of figured out what was happening about half way through.

I liked both main characters. I had a fear that Sam would be unlikeable but I found her likeable and not over the top. I really enjoyed David's character - gloomy and dry, but a charm and dry wit to him.

I have a few complaints - one is that the game probably could have been drawn out more. It took me 9-10 hours to beat and they could have added a little more location-wise, maybe some of London or

Spoiler:
extending the magic trail Sam follows in the early stages of the game to get the gold coins. This was a fun part of the game!

A couple of minor complaints. One, the hotspots were too slow to appear when I pressed spacebar, making toggling a bit frustrating. And secondly the run animation took a bit long to trigger.

Graphically I loved the game. The character models and animations weren't perfect, and the "mini faces" next to the subtitles were somewhat ghastly, but the backgrounds and locations were beautiful and evocative. Oxford is a lovely place and the art direction added a bit of mystique to it.

Sound-wise, it is among the best adventure games ever. Even though a certain tune is overused a bit early on, the music and voice acting were excellent. Having played some very good games but ones that suffered from dodgy voice acting (Secret Files 2 and Chronicles of Mystery: Tree of Life) due to shoddy localization, I was unsurprised but happy to see that Gray Matter had professional voice acting.

The magic mini-game was easy but unique and fun. Surely people complaining about it would rather have it than more of the same old "combine crowbar with rope" puzzles? Speaking of which, there was very little "inventory brainstorming", the game flowed quite seamlessly which is probably another reason it is quite short as it seldom leaves you confused.

The closing stages?

Spoiler:
The last level in the Daedalus Club seemed a little short and out of nowhere. I loved all the links to Alice in Wonderland though. When I saw all the different rooms under the club and all the hotspots, I was perplexed and expecting hours of problem-solving but it turned out to be quite easy in the end.

The very last sequence could possibly have been drawn out more but largely made sense. I saw it coming a long way off. What is clear to me is that Laura's ghost did haunt the house as there were a few things I doubt Angela could have done. For example, why would Angela have written the word "Imposter" on the machine? That had to be Laura, no one else could get in the private lab except the cook/housemaid who seemed only to have good intentions.

Two other minor things that spring to mind.

Spoiler:
David's old consulting room and the spare room upstairs - were these originally intended to be in the game? I loved Dread Hill House but wanted more of it unlocked as the game progressed and expected these two rooms to be opened considering they had hotspots.

And the mobile phone - what was the point of collecting so many numbers? Hardly any of them were used, I was expecting to be using the phone a lot more

The game has decent closure and doesn't demand a sequel but there is enough left open for one to be possible. The life of a magician like Sam could create many more side-quests and unique possibilities.

I wish there were more adventure games with original premises like this. The game often moves at a slow pace but the mood, ambience, and suspense of what is going on is so engrossing that I didn't care at all. I really hope Jane Jensen makes another new game soon and one that doesn't take so many years to make!

03-08-2011, 07:33 PM	#382
Stuart Replicant Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Great Britain Posts: 203	I just finished the game and have to say I loved it! Although I still have a few "modern classics" to play (such as Still Life) I have no hesitation in calling this one of the better adventure games of the last decade (IMO of course). The premise was very original and kept me hooked all the way, even though I kind of figured out what was happening about half way through. I liked both main characters. I had a fear that Sam would be unlikeable but I found her likeable and not over the top. I really enjoyed David's character - gloomy and dry, but a charm and dry wit to him. I have a few complaints - one is that the game probably could have been drawn out more. It took me 9-10 hours to beat and they could have added a little more location-wise, maybe some of London or Spoiler: extending the magic trail Sam follows in the early stages of the game to get the gold coins. This was a fun part of the game! A couple of minor complaints. One, the hotspots were too slow to appear when I pressed spacebar, making toggling a bit frustrating. And secondly the run animation took a bit long to trigger. Graphically I loved the game. The character models and animations weren't perfect, and the "mini faces" next to the subtitles were somewhat ghastly, but the backgrounds and locations were beautiful and evocative. Oxford is a lovely place and the art direction added a bit of mystique to it. Sound-wise, it is among the best adventure games ever. Even though a certain tune is overused a bit early on, the music and voice acting were excellent. Having played some very good games but ones that suffered from dodgy voice acting (Secret Files 2 and Chronicles of Mystery: Tree of Life) due to shoddy localization, I was unsurprised but happy to see that Gray Matter had professional voice acting. The magic mini-game was easy but unique and fun. Surely people complaining about it would rather have it than more of the same old "combine crowbar with rope" puzzles? Speaking of which, there was very little "inventory brainstorming", the game flowed quite seamlessly which is probably another reason it is quite short as it seldom leaves you confused. The closing stages? Spoiler: The last level in the Daedalus Club seemed a little short and out of nowhere. I loved all the links to Alice in Wonderland though. When I saw all the different rooms under the club and all the hotspots, I was perplexed and expecting hours of problem-solving but it turned out to be quite easy in the end. The very last sequence could possibly have been drawn out more but largely made sense. I saw it coming a long way off. What is clear to me is that Laura's ghost did haunt the house as there were a few things I doubt Angela could have done. For example, why would Angela have written the word "Imposter" on the machine? That had to be Laura, no one else could get in the private lab except the cook/housemaid who seemed only to have good intentions. Two other minor things that spring to mind. Spoiler: David's old consulting room and the spare room upstairs - were these originally intended to be in the game? I loved Dread Hill House but wanted more of it unlocked as the game progressed and expected these two rooms to be opened considering they had hotspots. And the mobile phone - what was the point of collecting so many numbers? Hardly any of them were used, I was expecting to be using the phone a lot more The game has decent closure and doesn't demand a sequel but there is enough left open for one to be possible. The life of a magician like Sam could create many more side-quests and unique possibilities. I wish there were more adventure games with original premises like this. The game often moves at a slow pace but the mood, ambience, and suspense of what is going on is so engrossing that I didn't care at all. I really hope Jane Jensen makes another new game soon and one that doesn't take so many years to make!