Lighthouse is one of those older games that is often spoke highly of. I have just finished the game, and I am glad to say I was not disappointed.
I played this on my Win 98, 640 X 480 resolution and 32 bit color. I had the 2.0 version and it loaded up nicely. I downloaded the patch (Light20a.zip) and got ready to play.
The graphics were slide-show type, and you play in first person perspective. The interface was easy to use, but be forwarned there are only 20 save slots. The inventory was fairly straightforward. There are 4 inventory items at the bottom of the screen that are ready for use, the rest are kept in a 'bag'that you can transfer items between.
You start the game off by responding to a desperate plea from your neighbor, Dr. Krick. He had to leave suddenly and left his infant daughter alone in the Lighthouse. You check your own surroundings first, then head over to start the adventure. Little by little the plot unfolds. There is a paralell universe that the Doctor has tapped into by way of a portal between the 2 worlds. The 'other' world is threatened by a Dark Being, and our world may be at risk as well.
This is a very challenging game. Many of the puzzles are mechanical and inventory based. The world you explore is complex, with different ways of travelling between the sites. There are flying machines, a submarine, portals, and an underground train. Part of the challenge is learning how to use these machines and fixing
them when necessary. The game in non linear - you can go back and forth between the worlds and sites as needed to get what you need. There are many hidden dangers, the Dark Being and his minions are trying to stop you from finding the items you need to cause their demise. Dying is a real hazard, so you need to save often.
I did have one big gripe about this game. Some of the puzzles involve operating machinery using very fiddly controls. I managed to get through them, but not without a lot of time and trouble. I came very close to sending out an SOS for some saved games. There is an on board hint system that is somewhat useful, but thankfully the UHS hints helped fill the void.
In summary, despite the danger of dying and a few touchy machine controls, I would recommend this game. The story line is well done and your goals are clearcut. It is a long game to play, and one of the puzzles (a lock box of sorts) kept me amused for quite a few nights.

Thanks for the review, Colpet. I think you've nailed down Lighthouse's strengths and weaknesses with great accuracy. I also think that you enjoyed the game more than I did!

I second the fiddley controls problem. Did you ever try using the arrow keys when operating controls? I've heard that this eliminates some of the frustration, at least on the pod elevator (I only learned this, of course, AFTER I had finished the game).

Did you manage the sliding tile puzzle? I think it's the hardest slider I've encountered -- even harder than the one in Timelapse.

I discovered that the arrow controls worked as well after I finished with the submarine controls. The arrows did help me out in the volcano, though . Thanks to TallyHo, I now enjoy sliders, and this one was a doozy. I think it took me about an hour!

Best thing about Lighthouse - Lyril
- and the fact that the game can be played in Linux using WinE.

Worst thing about Lighthouse - the second half of the game.

That's my opinion anyway.