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Old 07-06-2011, 10:25 PM   #1541
terhardp
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Alpha Polaris

Another title that had captured my attention thanks to the somewhat obscure setting to see in an adventure game. It has instantly reminded me on a certain movie that I like, and when I've read the story synopsis, this only kindled my curiosity.

Alpha Polaris is a solid adventure, despite some flaws. Actually, it's remarkably good all things considered. If I'm not mistaken, this is a first game developed by the team (Turmoil Games). All in all, it's a pretty mature product.

Altough the story and the setting is obviously inspired by the mentioned movie (I'm guessing that most people know which one), it's fitted nicely in the game. The story is somewhat slow at times, but there is constant level of tension present. There are several scary and disturbing moments. Those are certainly more in a "clever scares" camp rather than in "cheap scares" one, though not as scary (IMO) as "Scratches", for instance.

The story and characters is also rather good. Some of the characters are a bit shallow and cliched, and the story itself is maybe a bit too short. Still, the developers IMO choose a good backdrop for their story in terms of the mythology.

Technically, the game is suprisingly polished. The visuals are a bit bland sometimes, but the design is well concieved and the team captured the real essence of the setting. Speaking of visuals, I've particulary liked the cartoon-style close-ups that occur when the two characters are conversing. They are eye-candy and a nice touch to the game.

Voice-acting is also something that stands out in the game. All of the characters sound very convincing and in sync with their appereance and profile. The music is also very good - minimalistic and with nice "chilly" ambient feel to it.

The gameplay and the puzzles are very straightforward, and something that a seasoned adventurer shouldn't have much problem with. But some of the puzzles are a bit clumsy and don't seem logical at first, so I was stuck at times. But in general, they are rather simple, like in many adventure titles that are focused on the story, characters and atmosphere.

The shortness of the game may be its biggest flaw, but I think that the team used the somewhat limited space the game is taking place at to the maximum. Maybe a bit longer gameplay could brought a bit deeper scenario and more in-depth character profiles, but maybe it's actually better this way.

Verdict: 4 / 5
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