Quick preface: this game was one of the many, many disappointments
I experienced firsthand on the Atari Jaguar. At the time
I absolutely hated it.
Still hate it on the Jaguar. I like it on the Genesis,
however. The game works well within the Genesis' capabilities.
It's not the most technically impressive but the graphics
are enjoyable. The in game sounds are sparse but decently
done and informative. I rather like the music when it's
playing.
This game is mostly about puzzles, and somewhat about
the story. There's very little action, but that's ok.
As evidenced by the popularity of the GTA series,
the exploring angle goes a long way. And personally I
get sucked into storied pretty easily.
I've heard good and bad assessments of the controls. I
like them. They behave predictably and reliably for a
puzzle game. They take a little getting used to but not
much. The scheme is pretty easy to remember.
I find the cut scenes amusing, drawn in a really primitive
style to make them fit on a cartridge. But they work,
and they kind of harken forward to the latest big deal
in graphics, cell shading, because of their cartoony look.
What I didn't like was the trial and error until I learned
what to expect from the game. I also didn't like some
puzzles tha required a bit of backtracking to complete.
But the screens load fast enough so that even at its worse,
the game doesn't drag too badly.
If you like stories and puzzles, this is a worthwhile
game. If you like speed and guns, forget about it.
2008 ben langberg, all rights reserved.