STILL LIFE ReviewIntroduction:This is a traditional point and click interface 3rd person adventure game. Left click does the interacting bits and the right button brings up the menus whcih contain, logs of conversations (all of them), items which has a combiner, use and look options for items. It also has a documents section where you can read up on case files and documents/books you pick up along your travels.
I have not died in my time playing but there is some points where you will want to save and reload mainly near the end.
There is just one action sequence in the game and the rest is just point and click adventuring. It is a "pure" point and click game albiet that one small exception of a small action puzzle which is easy enough for most.
There has been a murder and you are a field agent FBI. You are on a journey which will take you from old Prague to modern Chicago. Trying to solve the new murders and researching the old murders that your grandfather was working on in Old Prague. The game is split into two parts which intertwine between the two main characters we have a attractive young FBI field agent who is investigating some murders and the second is the Grandfather of the female main character which is set in old 1930's Prague.
The Characters:The story is played by two main characters, a young lady and a middleaged gentlemen. Each character has there own time period in which the game is played. This gives the game some diversity in both time periods and characters have been developed well. The switch between the two characters is seemless and can also be a bit unexpected at times.
There are some delighful characters like your partner who throws up at each crime scene. The prostitutes in old Prague are shall we say interesting. Then Victoria's dad, who is way over the top playing the good old dad. The Killer who shall we say is very cool looking.
Victoria has got a really dirty mouth some would say. I personally thought the she was great. You gotta hear the sayings that she come's up with
The Puzzle's:There are some good puzzles which range from old favourites like water meters, tile puzzles and some other interesting ones. There are a good amount of puzzles as well and the different time periods show the diversity between them. An unusual puzzle which doesnt seem to be any use in the game i feel is the cookie puzzle.
There is one action sequence which can be tricky but can be overcome with a few trys.
Graphics:The game is run with the resolution of 800x600. It has anti antilizing ability there is a detail slider if i recall too. The actual gfx are very well done and are very vibrent and with good shades and tones. The characters have good poly counts it seems "details of characters i mean here". The backdrops are well drawn and blend in perfectly with the forground. The animation is also well done although there is a slight problem of when Victoria's character runs as it sort of shows a stuttering in a very slight way when the running animation is used, walking is fine though.
The Cutscenes in the game are spectacular. Very professional and very dramatic which is designed to reward the player as the game progressors through the game.
The Sounds and Music:The sounds are good there are sounds for footsteps which reflect where you are. The ambient sounds are good as well with the good fountain sounds and birds in the Park. The ambient music is also good which sets the scenes well and are very creapy sometimes when dramatic moments come to be.
It is fully voiced but there are subtitles in the game and they do take up a chunk of the screen i feel. The voices are well acted and are very easily understood and clear. I am not sure you can disable the subtitles though.
The story:There has been a murder and the young FBI agent named Victoria McPherson. She is up to the 5th victum which is where you start the game. She has no leads and you must help her find some. The first thing is you must meet up with your partner which is waiting inside a building where the murder has been commited. Later in the game Victoria manages to get into some scraps with people and has to do some things sometimes with little regard to procedure. When she remembers her Grandfather's old storys about when he was a private dick she see's some similarities between the case her grandfather worked on and the recent murders.
Later into the game you play her grandfather. You are hired to track down a serial killer a bit like Victoria. Theres some good character interaction here. Good plots as well to keep you enticed. Travel between sewers, scrapyards and the city oh and dont forget the maze.
Conclusion:A very well worth while game to invest your time in. The only problems i found was a puzzle or two where hard but should be ok to get past by a serious adventure gamer. The production values are very very good and i was enjoying all the smooth visuals and the great sounds and atmosphere. The two characters you get to play was also a great feature to this game. The populance of the time periods were colourful and entertaining and definately worth talking to everyone you can meet.
With its great story, amazing characters and puzzles and its very adult theme with lot's of gory scenes this is a game that deserves the M rating and i recommend this game to you if you like this sort of thing. Warning though, not for the squeemish.
Pros:Great graphics
Great sounds
Great story and character development.
Great Cutscenes which rewards the player.
Cons:Just a slight problem with running as the animation doesn't appear smooth.
Might be to gory for some as it deserves its M rating.
One small puzzle where its like a action sequence which can be tricky.
Played on:Amd XP1900+
Geforce 4 4200Ti 64DDR
512 DDR ram
Soundblaster Live 5.1 OEM
19" Monitor
mini review by skeeter.---
Hope this is useful. It is my first review and im not usually into this sort of stuff but thought i would try to contribute Gameboombers so here is my first contribution.
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