"Now let me ask you this, Mr. Tex Murphy: have you ever had it in your occasion to search for a missing person?"
Tex's adventures date back to the brave but ill-conceived Mean Streets in 1989; it was not until the third game in the series that Tex Murphy became a recognizable name in PC gaming.
It's important to set the stage, in order that the reader may properly understand the context. In 1993, I saw a poster for Under a Killing Moon in my local computer software store, advertising it as an "interactive movie." My friends and I rolled our eyes because we instantly recognized FMV as being synonymous with bargain bin crap. Night Trap, anyone? The store clerk informed us it was going to be on four CD's, which was an absolutely ridiculous thought in those days. Wasn't the point of CD-ROM to eliminate disc-swapping entirely?
Needless to say, UAKM destroyed every preconception of FMV, with well-integrated cut scenes and above-average acting. But a revolution in FMV wasn't enough for Access; they also rewrote the book on 3D gaming, which some designers still can't figure out eight years later. Solving puzzles involved looking for clues, literally, under every nook and cranny. Sometimes it seemed a bit frustrating to have to look at things from the right angle in order to see what you need to find, but in retrospect, it was an unheard-of realism factor.
Instead, Access put all of their energy into adding new features and providing the best private-eye storyline they could, and the result is pure gold. The story involves a simple missing person case that blows up into a massive government conspiracy, as our hero stumbles clumsily through the entire mess. It is one of the best detective stories ever told, and it is supplemented by a cast of lovable characters (many of whom are familiar from UAKM) who are all well-cast and well-acted. The human element of the game, anchored by the wonderful Chris Jones as Tex, cannot be overstated.
Both of these games are brilliant, and choosing between them is no easy task. I almost wanted to make them share this spot. But in the end, I chose Pandora Directive over Under a Killing Moon because the replayability element still seems so fresh six years later. It is the best FMV adventure game ever produced, one of the truly immortal detective games, and the #15 adventure game of all-time.
Last time: Seeing the games as completely equal, I picked Under a Killing Moon to fill the #15 slot and left Pandora off. Playing through both of them this time around made it obvious that this is the one more deserving of this honor.
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