[AudioSoldier]

http://www.igo.ampednews.com/gamehub/1751/reviews/490/

Wrote this for Amped IGO, which is basically the new IGO, having just merged with Amped.

Score: 7.2
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Emerging from the creative talent of Hungary-based Private Moon Studios, comes AGON: London Scene, an adventure game that effectively begins the travels of Professor Hunt and his episodic adventures. This is just the first in a planned fourteen episodes, and falls under the global title of AGON.

AGON and the London Scene center on the activities of Professor Hunt who dabbles about the London Museum he works at one rainy evening. The game takes place in the early twentieth century and effectively makes use of this period setting with some authentic looking areas. This include offices with furniture that wouldn’t look the least out of place in an antique sale, and Hunt’s sideburns and get-up is suitably early 1900s.

London Scene begins well as a picture of a rainy London street with a man on horseback is artistically painted, and subsequently transforms into full 3D. The tune accompanying the cutscene is excellent and fits with the game’s theme perfectly. We’re no connoisseurs of music, but appreciate a good melody when we hear one, and London Scene’s orchestral score is admirable. However, music is largely left for the cutscenes, which is a disappointment.

Once the opening cutscene is over, London Scene truly begins and the game pans to a first-person view, from which much of the experience is conducted. Although we generally prefer adventure titles of the third person, point and click nature to the style Private Moon has adopted, it’s virtually undeniable that this game is suited to the first-person viewpoint and clever control scheme the Hungarians have produced.

A large reason for this is the immersion factor. Disregarding the odd cutscene, you, as the player, feel as Professor Hunt would. Everything is seen from your eyes and Private Moon has gone to great lengths to make this apparent, as objects in the game world are rarely commented on by Hunt himself. It’s up to the player to notice the important details. Letters too, must be read, instead of the ubiquitous have-the-character-read-it-to-the-player style of play. It’s a refreshing change, to be honest, and the control system, once accustomed to, works well.

Hunt’s viewpoint is controlled with the left mouse button. You simply hold it down and move from side to side to soak in all there is to see. Moreover, movement is indicated by an arrow icon that once clicked, automatically has Hunt move to the next frame. Screens dissolve in Myst fashion and the only time we felt annoyed by this frame-by-frame procedure was when climbing and descending a flight of stairs. Also, navigating around objects such as a table can be slightly wearisome, but there’s a price to pay for everything, inevitably.

Other maneuvers include picking objects up, or taking a closer look at them, as well as interacting with characters. To be honest, London Scene is easy enough to be completed by anyone, adventure aficionado or not and it’s the time you to take to soak up the period atmosphere that will determine how long the game takes to finish, rather than how difficult you find the puzzles.

When talking to a character – of which there is one throughout the duration of London Scene – the game switches to a cutscene. Both the cutscenes and in-game scenes look picturesque indeed and it’s impressive that a small company like Private Moon can produce such a fine looking title. Attention to detail is also admirable and Hunt’s office alone has numerous books that can be picked out and observed, often with comical responses from the good man himself. Voice acting is a mixed bag, and it certainly doesn’t meet the standards of the music, although it far outshines some others of the ilk.

The plot itself is hardly touched upon in London Scene, although it does seem to shamelessly rely on mystical tales of folklore and such, and is hardly the most appetizing of narratives. Problematically, you may find yourself confused as to what the game is actually all about as the story is introduced to the player via two pieces of paper that are displayed in text that is frustratingly difficult to read. Events unfold so quickly from here on end that it’s a struggle to understand what actually Hunt is on the search for. Ultimately, this proves to be one of the game’s most galling factors and coupled with the distinct lack of challenging conundrums means London Scene doesn’t walk away with our unanimous approval.

Furthermore, London Scene doesn’t last more than a couple of hours, and the locations on offer are limited to four or five. Considering this is only a minor cog in what we hope will be a fully fleshed out adventure series, it doesn’t really matter, but the repetitive looking museum locales will certainly weigh on your enjoyment of the game.

However, London Scene’s aesthetics go a long way to making this a worthy purchase, and if you’re on the look out for a series of episodic adventure offerings, AGON is just about your only bet, currently. It should also be noted that we reviewed a boxed copy of London Scene, accompanied by the subsequent two episodes. The three episodes come on a single disk and once completion of the first episode has been attained, it’s possible to move on to the next.

Most people will probably look to download the games – since the boxed copy is only currently retailing in a select few European countries – and you can procure them at $9.80 each, which is a bargain. However, despite the low price, London Scene is not quite an offer you can’t refuse, largely thanks to a plot that isn't well laid-out and that will have you replaying sections just to understand. It’s a promising looking series, nonetheless.