[AndreaDraco83]

Yes, there is a movie opening the game, and even a diary popping up and summarizing the situation.

[dmeps]

Thanks. As for the diary, it is there, but movie... guess, I'm in possession of something pirate-produced. Or the Russians screwed it up again as they often do.

[wanna figure that]

Well...I have read most of the comments...from what I've understood there really is an Italian release with voice in English[thanks a lot Andrea].Perhaps the Italians haven't got the bad news so it has worthed the try to translate the story in italian[sub].
Still the graphics are well done and I really wanna know the end[from Wikipedia I've read that Mata Hari takes her clothes off in front of the soldiers,before they shoot her...but I don't know for sure that this would be the end of the game...at least a good epilogue should have been done].
As for the completely Eng release..I think that the game just hasn't the expected succes and the Eng version will cost money to finish it properly.So...STILL wanna try this AG.Maybe it has silly mini games and illogical things..but in my oppinion the 2 guys from Lucas Arts should have a word to say[I don't think they lied about that otherwise the game wouldn't look so appealing(I mean the partnership with Barwood and Falstein)].
Perhaps here isn't just a matter of patience...Maybe if a few memebers of AG contact the publisher...And try to convince them that the Eng release would be a good idea...plus the game is in hype for a long time.
We just have to give it a try and just apreciate the story and the effort to make this game.
And maybe we could play an English version of Mata Hari.[On 31st on Jan?].Maybe...
Have a good day.

[Little Writer]

So, who won a copy of the game yesterday?

[Marduk]

OK, I have a confession to make; until Squinky mentioned it on another thread I hadn't looked at this one.

I hadn't even seen the full sized version of the cover image until now, I'd only seen the thumbnail version and assumed it was somewhat in line with pictures I'd already seen of her and not realising quite how bad it was.

I still take the stance that it's acceptable so long as its depicting a true to life historical figure, however (as far as I can tell from what I've seen) it appears that we see little of her in her role as stripper/hooker throughout the course of the game. This renders the cover misleading with regards to the game’s actual contents. Appealing to the baser instincts of male players (which I find highly sexist in its own way) just to get them to play a game in which that character seldom appears dressed as such is something which I just can’t agree with.

Had I been around before and during WW1 I imagine I'd have disapproved of her lifestyle and her career choices (except for the espionage, which was cool). Today I'd still probably disapprove of those who put themselves in similar situations; degrading themselves, making themselves vulnerable to rape and STDs and exploiting horny perverts (the last being the least of my concerns as those pervs want to be exploited).

Weirdly, I still admire her use of her feminine whiles as a secret agent. I admire her intelligence and the way she used sexuality as a weapon. (Somebody, I don't remember who nor can I be bothered to search for the specific post, said that nobody had ever done this before, or at least not in the form of espionage. Not only is this an uninformed statement but the very height of naïvety).

(And I’m intrigued by her story; all of the contradictory accounts of her life, all the misinformation rumour and urban legends. I hope the game does her justice, in this regard).

I don't like the changes made from the 'teaser art', either. The costume still seems to be correct but something doesn't sit right, with me. She looks way too contemporary. That being said, even that needn’t have relied so much on sex as a means to sell the game.


Also;

Originally Posted by dtp Chris

Ok, this is one of the rare occasions where I actually feel like I have to comment:

1. The trailer is in black & white because movies at the time of Mata Hari were in black & white, but the game is of course fully coloured.

2. The box art on amazon is the European box art. To make Mata Hari a success, we decided to appeal for an as broad audience - also for impulse buyers at the P.O.S. - as possible.

3. The US cover might be totally different once the game is signed by an US publisher (which is close, but not yet there), since restrictions against nudity in public are much stricter than in Europe.

4. I hope, and honestly believe, that no one of you does not buy the game because he/she doesn't like the cover.

I'm a little offended by this.

[orient]

I'm partway through chapter 2 of Mata hari. I thought the first scene of the game in the ball room was devastatingly boring, but now I'm enjoying; the puzzles are logical and rather easy to figure out, so I haven't become stuck or frustrated. The English voice acting is pretty good and the graphics are really nice (although the artwork could have been a little higher in resolution if you ask me - it's not as clear as say, Secret Files 2).

The travelling back and forth and the accompanying mini-game doesn't bother me (in fact, I kind of like it so I never use the "safe trains"), although the constant jumping between countries does seem a little spontaneous and odd, even if it is fitting for a spy game. There's a nice variety of non-playable character scattered around, which breathe a bit of life into the environment, even if sometimes they are awkwardly standing by themselves.

The one thing that threw me off was the dancing mini-game...the difficulty is really inconsistent. The first dance was quite easy to "win", but the second dance I performed was ridiculously hard and it took me a good 6 or 7 try's. Then, the third dance was really easy :-/ I don't know if the difficulty simply depends on the "inspiration" you find, but it should really start off easy and slowly get harder.

Other than that...the animation isn't great. It's rather limited, with people simply "appearing" instead of opening doors and Mata herself only has a select few pick up and reach animations, but it doesn't really detract from the game. I'll certainly be playing till the end.

[terhardp]

I have finished the game a few days ago. I'm generaly satisfied with it, especially with the great music and voice acting. Graphically, I found it pretty average, but I must admit that the overall design is very good and authentic. The puzzles weren't that great, IMO, but I usually prefer the story-driven approach to too complex puzzles. Overall, my verdict would be 3 of 5.

[Keregioz]

I'm playing it right now. I'm a few hours into the game and I must say I'm not impressed. The dialogue is well written but so far the story fails to keep me interested.
So I wanted to ask you guys that have finished the game, will there ever be a bigger story surfacing or it will all the game be a collection of little missions/quests? I'm in chapter 3 and there's still no sign of a story in the game. It seems like a terribly wasted opportunity so far, really boring.

[AndreaDraco83]

Well, the bigger picture starts to form in the third act, if I'm not mistaken. I strongly suggest to play the game trying to achieve an high Espionage score, and not just because of the different ending, but because finding the secrets hidden within the game also helps the story, giving it a really nice depth.

[outcast]

I usally like all adventure games more or less, but this game was the worst adventure game i have ever played. It was just so dull, the only thing good about it was the graphics and music. I just sat at the ending and wondered why i had wasted my time on it. The caracters where boring and the story was even more boring. Nothing really developed for the whole game.

[3rdFloor]

I'm still unsure whether to buy this one or not. I watched some gameplay videos of it on YouTube and the music and atmosphere look amazing. I almost bought it on Steam the other night because it's only $20.

[orient]

Originally Posted by Keregioz

I'm playing it right now. I'm a few hours into the game and I must say I'm not impressed. The dialogue is well written but so far the story fails to keep me interested.
So I wanted to ask you guys that have finished the game, will there ever be a bigger story surfacing or it will all the game be a collection of little missions/quests? I'm in chapter 3 and there's still no sign of a story in the game. It seems like a terribly wasted opportunity so far, really boring.

Honestly, if you're not enjoying it by now then you're not going to be enjoying it by the end. Nothing changes. You do the same type of thing, traveling back and forth, talking to people - and I didn't feel the ending was worth the 9 hours I spent playing.

I wanted to like this game - and I sort of did at the start - the concept was there, but who knew a tale of seduction and espionage could be so dull and boring

[Keregioz]

Originally Posted by orient

Honestly, if you're not enjoying it by now then you're not going to be enjoying it by the end. Nothing changes. You do the same type of thing, traveling back and forth, talking to people - and I didn't feel the ending was worth the 9 hours I spent playing.

I wanted to like this game - and I sort of did at the start - the concept was there, but who knew a tale of seduction and espionage could be so dull and boring

Yeah, I also think that not much will change. I really wanted to give it another chance but to be honest from the time I posted that question I couldn't bring myself to play it again. Hard to believe that one of the persons who is responsible for Indy4 designed this game.

[3rdFloor]

Originally Posted by Keregioz

Hard to believe that one of the persons who is responsible for Indy4 designed this game.

Yes, but Hal Barwood is overrated anyway. Let's face it, the guy did ONE great game, but that was almost 18 years ago. After that, he went on to do Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine and the PS2-exclusive RTX Red Rock.

I have yet to play Mata Hari and I'm delighted he's making adventure games again, but frankly I've never understood how he managed to reach God-like status with a single hit game in his pedigree.

[AndreaDraco83]

Originally Posted by DeadWolf

I have yet to play Mata Hari and I'm delighted he's making adventure games again, but frankly I've never understood how he managed to reach God-like status with a single hit game in his pedigree.

Well, in my opinion, even if he isn't up there with the likes of Jane Jensen, Roberta Williams and Ron Gilbert, he was nonetheless responsible for LucasArts' most accomplished title (I reiterate: strictly in my opinion ), and for that he deserves a fair share of praise.

With that being said, I really liked Mata Hari for its story of the its character. It is by no means perfect, but it is way better than many other adventures that nowadays seem to have a sure following of fans, like Secret Files or Art of Murder.

[3rdFloor]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

Well, in my opinion, even if he isn't up there with the likes of Jane Jensen, Roberta Williams and Ron Gilbert, he was nonetheless responsible for LucasArts' most accomplished title (I reiterate: strictly in my opinion ), and for that he deserves a fair share of praise.

With that being said, I really liked Mata Hari for its story of the its character. It is by no means perfect, but it is way better than many other adventures that nowadays seem to have a sure following of fans, like Secret Files or Art of Murder.

Agreed. I simply believe that gamers jumping into Mata Hari expecting Fate of Atlantis greatness shall inevitably end up feeling disappointed; numerous posts in this thread seem to suggest that at least.

And that's an interesting comparison you make there. I loved both Art of Murder games despite their numerous shortcomings, so perhaps Mata Hari wouldn't let me down in this regard. After all, a well-researched historical background blended with interesting characters is something I always like.

[orient]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

With that being said, I really liked Mata Hari for its story of the its character. It is by no means perfect, but it is way better than many other adventures that nowadays seem to have a sure following of fans, like Secret Files or Art of Murder.

I can't speak for the Art of Murder games, but I can understand if someone were to prefer Secret Files over Mata Hari. That's because there's something missing in Mata Hari that, in my opinion, Secret Files does relatively well: giving a sense of adventure. There's some excitement in Secret Files, whether it's the gameplay scenarios or the lovely cut-scenes. There's no excitement in Mata Hari. You never feel threatened (although you should) and because you're just traveling between the same 5 or 6 places the entire game, there's no sense of progression. In a game like Secret Files, when you jet set across the world to a new location, it gives a sense of progression and accomplishment that, in my opinion, is completely missing from Mata Hari. It gives you a mission that sounds interesting, but does nothing to make it interesting. So I can understand why a lot of people might dislike it.

[AndreaDraco83]

I understand your point, orient. Better: I even agree with you about this location-related sense of progress and excitement, but this doesn't excuse, in my opinion, the sloppy, dull writing of said games - a thing that, on the contrary, Mata Hari did exquisitely right

[Ascovel]

Originally Posted by DeadWolf

Yes, but Hal Barwood is overrated anyway. Let's face it, the guy did ONE great game, but that was almost 18 years ago. After that, he went on to do Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine and the PS2-exclusive RTX Red Rock.

I have yet to play Mata Hari and I'm delighted he's making adventure games again, but frankly I've never understood how he managed to reach God-like status with a single hit game in his pedigree.

Infernal Machine was quite excellent. And I was fond of Desktop Adventures as well.

[orient]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

I understand your point, orient. Better: I even agree with you about this location-related sense of progress and excitement, but this doesn't excuse, in my opinion, the sloppy, dull writing of said games - a thing that, on the contrary, Mata Hari did exquisitely right

Very true. The writing in Secret Files is wonky. Poorly translated.