Anacapri: The Dream hands-on archived preview
There has been a considerable amount of interest in Anacapri: The Dream on various adventure game sites, particularly now that the game appears headed for release this spring. I had not played the first game from indie developers Silvio and Gey Savarese, A Quiet Weekend in Capri, and that game seemed to meet with mixed reaction, so I wasn't sure if this level of anticipation for Anacapri was warranted. After playing through a preview beta version of the new game, I can see that it is.
While I was playing, I had to keep asking myself, is this really an independently produced game? There are some minor flaws, sure: a few grammatical errors, a weird thin box that appears around hotspots, and the voice work is a little lacklustre. These are minor snags, however, and some should yet be corrected in the final version, so let's get onto the good.
More of a spiritual successor to Quiet Weekend than an actual sequel, Anacapri is a first-person, photorealistic slideshow game with a story that revolves around a powerful but dangerous black disk. Players assume the role of Nico Fredi, an expert in ancient civilizations, who has been called in to help a colleague search for this mysterious disk. Legend has it that this disk, made out of obsidian found on the island, has either special powers or a curse upon it. We're not sure which at first, and whether this is a colourful superstition or not, you will need to find it to complete the game.
In a way, the story is also a little bit of a history lesson about Capri itself. Over the years, many have come and claimed the island as their own: the Greeks, the Turks, the English, and to a degree the French. From the look of the slides that make up the game, Anacapri is a beautiful place. I can see why these groups would be interested in possessing it. But here is where the real history ends and the made-up history of Anacapri begins. In the game, each of these prior invaders wished to possess the disk; some were successful, some not. However, at some point the disk went missing, and in present day it is considered lost. Depending on which villager you talk to, you are either being implored to find the disk again or advised to flee the island, as many of the locals have already left in their superstitious fear of the disk.
You'll get a pretty good workout on this particular adventure, as there are tons of places to explore. The game reportedly features over 8000 images, and you'll need to keep moving to see them all. I was really happy about that, as the pictures used are so beautiful that you want to keep wandering the streets to see more. This is, of course, where various stores, abodes, and churches of Anacapri can be explored up close. As a quaint, picturesque city, the images in the game develop a portrait of a lovely town full of history, architecture, and in this case -- adventure!
The game also features a number of cool effects that increase its visual quality. The first provides gamers with the opportunity to view a scene as a panorama. In most screens you can only move or turn in node-based format, with no smooth panning. However, from time to time you have the opportunity to observe a 180-degree view of a vista in front of you. In these areas you can click down or up, and left or right to survey the scene in great detail. It is not quite a free-panning perspective like the one in Myst 4, but it does allow the gamer to more fully observe a larger panorama than a single slide could provide. There are also a number of subtle effects, like lights that actually sparkle and signs that light up, that help bring the world to life and demonstrate a sense of craftsmanship about the game. These touches add another layer of quality to the game's graphic design and are a nice reward for players who take their time to explore.
Most of the puzzles I encountered involve a combination of exploration, inventory application, and character interaction/information gathering. I was very surprised by how many characters there are, and each seems to hold a bit of the information you need to complete the game, so it is important to talk to everyone you meet. A number of these interactions result in acquiring the objects that you will need later in the game. You'll also find that Anacapri is not a small place, and some of the challenges depend on you getting through the city to a designated place in order to meet someone or gather needed objects.
Whether navigating around the island or dealing with the various obstacles, Anacapri has a brilliant interface. It is so complete! Not only are instructions for how to play the game included at the beginning, but a number of options are allowed during gameplay. Using a right mouse click, you can access the game map, a recording of every conversation you have had, and an inventory where you can examine and use objects. In the game itself, there is almost no learning curve at all. Movement is simple point-and-click, with an arrow indicating the directions you can move. If there is a hotspot you can interact with, the icon changes to a hand or an eye to indicate what can be done there. It's all very simple to manage and works great.
The soundtrack seems to be made up of mainly ambient sounds for the majority of the environments. However, a few do have composed music, and each track offers a unique sound. Some are a little too upbeat to create the right kind of ambience, sounding more like what one would hear at a western saloon. Happily, none of these are looped, so they play once then fade away, which is a wise move.
Having played through quite a few hours of the game now, I am really impressed by what I have seen so far, and I'm now very excited about this game. The unique setting is wonderful to explore in its own right, and the game is full of extra little touches that help it to transcend being just another independently produced edu-game. Here's hoping the full game can deliver on the promise of the preview version, and that the developers are able to secure a publisher in time to meet their targeted release, because I'm eager to play more.
