Previews/Interviews: • The Journey Down: Chapter One HD Preview and Interview Reviews: • The Lost Crown: A Ghost-Hunting Adventure • The Dream Machine: Chapters 1-3 • The Walking Dead: Episode 1 Adventure Lantern May 2012 Editorial If you scroll down a few pages, you will find Nick's was in tears. I sat back in my chair, shaken and lengthy review of The Lost Crown. Nick offers a amazed that a game could trigger such a response. No detailed analysis of the game, explaining why he was video game before or since Sanitarium has been able less than satisfied with the adventure. He describes to elicit as strong an emotional reaction from me. how the protagonist was unlikable and the sequences where you interrogate the ghosts felt repetitive. He I was hardly the only person to be moved by the scene identifies several technical problems regarding the in question. In his Gamesutra postmortem article for game's puzzles and navigation. However, reading Sanitarium, developer Chris Pasetto indicates that through the review, I got the impression that Nick's "when [Mike Nicholson, the game's art and design dissatisfaction goes beyond the individual design flaws lead] read his proposal to the design team, three of he eloquently explains. The fundamental problem is them nearly cried." In fact, Mr. Pasetto notes that that for him, the game failed to create a strong throughout the development of Sanitarium, the team atmosphere and an immersive experience. The game was "determined to create a main plot line that held the ultimately lacked the emotional impact that makes game together and evoked strong emotions in the players care about the story and the characters. player." Sanitarium was deliberately designed to have a strong atmosphere and elicit a visceral reaction. As The Lost Crown review got me thinking about my far as I am concerned, the team succeeded in spades. experience with a unique adventure game. When I decided to buy Sanitarium, I knew next to nothing Sanitarium is one of a handful of games I remember about the game. I was mostly drawn to the intriguing playing in elaborate detail. The adventure does have cover art. When I got home, I immediately started its share of flaws. Some of the game's puzzles are too playing. Within a few minutes, I knew I had come upon easy for a seasoned gamer and the action sequences something truly exceptional. The game opened at an can turn off some players. However, at least for me, asylum. The main character, Max, had lost his the game delivers where it most matters. Sanitarium memories. As you explored the decrepit building, you casts you into a strange and intriguing world full of quickly became aware of imminent danger. Max had to interesting characters. It tells a compelling story and it find a way to escape the asylum. He also needed to is brimming with atmosphere. Most importantly, it also discover clues about his identity. However, Sanitarium manages to elicit genuine emotion. Very few titles can was no derivative amnesia story. There was something make the same claim. Fourteen years after its release, immediately compelling about the game's atmosphere. Sanitarium remains one of my favorite adventures. Sanitarium's world was unsettling, but not necessarily scary. It was dark, but still managed to be alluring. The It is titles like Sanitarium that made me love adventure strange characters and the otherworldly setting drew games. They are the reason why I wanted to write me in and drove me to unlock the game's mystery. game reviews and publish Adventure Lantern issues in the first place. They are great testaments to the power I was alone at my apartment that evening. I played the of the adventure genre. Much like The Lost Crown game for several hours. By the time I completed the disappointed Nick, there will always be titles that do first two chapters of the adventure, I knew Sanitarium not meet our expectations. However, it is the possibility would be a game I would remember for a long time. of finding gems like Sanitarium that keeps me playing. However, I had no idea what was about to happen If you haven't already, here's hoping that you will find a next. I eventually reached a cutscene that was a game that will move you the same way Sanitarium flashback to the main character's childhood. I'll omit moved me fourteen years ago. the details to avoid spoiling this tremendously powerful moment for anyone that may not have played the Until next time, game. Suffice it to say that at the end of the cutscene, I Ugur Sener For all your questions and comments about the magazine, send an e­mail to: [email protected] To receive an update when a new issue is released, send an email to: [email protected]. Please make sure the subject line of your e­mail includes the word "Subscribe". Follow us on Facebook. Adventure Lantern May 2012 Contents News • News page 4 • Announcements page 5 • Upcoming Releases page 6 • New Releases page 7 • News from the Big Blue Cup page 8 This month has interesting news coming from every angle and for every taste. We have upcoming new IP from exciting mostly unknown developers, long absent pillars of the genre returning, and a few long time developers continuing to release games. Previews/Interviews • The Journey Down: Chapter One ­ HD page 10 • The Journey Down Interview page 11 The Journey Down is a classical point and click adventure game, full to the brim with puzzles, conspiracies, mystery and adventure! It is set in a fantastic fantasy world separated into two parts, the relatively normal section you live in and the mysterious land past the edge, where no one is allowed to go (except for some big corporations), rumoured to contain numerous Adventurer's Ravine fantastical creatures and phenomena. • The Lost Crown: A Ghost­Hunting Adventure page 16 Nigel Danvers is on the run and has decided to lay low in the quaint town of Saxton. Upon his arrival, he starts hearing weird things about the town, and quickly sets his sights on a local legend, the lost crown. The majority of his time in this 25­30 hour experience is spent unraveling the town's off­beat secrets, and tracking down the legendary lost crown. • The Dream Machine: Chapters 1­3 page 22 Using the time­honored art of claymation, every scene in constructed from clay and cardboard and animated with stop­ motion photography. These claymation visuals add a certain quasi­tangible feel to the atmosphere, while the colorful, evocative designs compliment the whimsical dreamscape setting. • The Walking Dead: Episode 1 page 25 The story has a diverse group of survivors trying to find shelter and continue surviving. Episode one kicks things off with Lee Everett climbing out of a wrecked police car and escaping from a horde of zombies. He meets up with Clementine in a nearby neighborhood, and then discovers some other survivors who take him to Hershel's farm, before eventually bunkering down in a pharmacy. Adventure Lantern May 2012 Quite a lot of exciting things happening in the world of the point and click adventure lately. This month seems to be categorised by having interesting news come from every angle and for every taste. We have an upcoming PWYW indie adventure bundle, the creators of Space Quest announcing that they want to make a spiritual sequel of sorts, so many great games that are approaching their due dates that I cannot even come up with a single one I am most excited for, and a ton of Telltale releases as well as the latest game from Amanita Design (Botanicula) debuting with the Humble Indie Bundle. ­ Jonathon Wisnoski Analogue: A Hate Story The sequel to Christine Love's Myst V: End of Ages Digital: A Love Story, the non­ The grand finale of the most famous, or linear visual novel Analogue: A infamous (depending on your personal Hate Story, has finally made it to opinion), adventure game series of all Steam (previous owners get given time has gotten itself a GOG release. It a key). The game is set thousands is pretty much more Myst, with the main of years in the future and has you difference being the environment; exploring the mystery of a long lost Which is rendered in full real­time 3D generational ship. graphics and allows the player to freely navigate through the world or stick with the classical and use node based movement. Bundle in a Box The long hinted at PWYW video game To The Moon bundle from Kyttaro Games has gotten The very well received indie a lot more details in the last month. In Adventure RPG, To The Moon, addition to getting a Spring release is getting a Steam release in the date it has also been announced that imminent future. Good news for the bundle will feature seven DRM­free everyone who loves Steam and adventure games and one never before previous purchasers as they will seen title. be given a Steam key free of Lone Survivor charge. Interview RPS conducted a two part interview with the developer of Lone Survivor, check it out if you are interested in an in­depth talk about Love Survivor. Adventure Lantern May 2012 Announcments Space Quest Spiritual Sequel Scott Murphy and Mark Crowe are back in action Thunder in Donford as Two Guys from Andromeda who have just From the developers of Hector: Badge of Carnage comes announced their plans to make the new Space Thunder in Donford.