Overall 9.1 Graphics 7 Sound 10 Addictive 10 Story 10 Depth 9 Difficulty 6
9.6
Underrated Lost Classic mattk1982
In 1998, I originally played this on my parents PC, and loved it. Now in the age of PC Emulators, I'm stoked to once again play one of the best, and most original interactive movies of the early 1990s. The game is set in the year 1899, 10 years after the Bram Stoker book was set, and for the most part, VIACOM did an excellent job at expanding on the incredible world of Stokers classic. The player assumes the role of Alexander Morris, an American in London, who also happens to be the brother of Quincy Morris who was killed in the novel. Once in London, the fun starts, as you interact with several characters from the book, such as: Jonathan Harker, Arthur Holmwood, Abraham Van Helsing, Renfield, and Count Dracula himself. That in itself scores bonus points for the concept of the game.
For the most part the SEGA-CD version and the PC version are the same. Albeit a few graphical differences, as the Sega-CD, didn't quite have the processor or the graphics card that a PC did in 1993. But its a small and almost unneeded step down. The game is in the genre of Interactive Fiction. As you point and click your way across London, not only will you come across many problems, your actions will have consequences of those around you. Which kind of adds a real life feel to a video game, another great touch for an already great game. Since its an Interactive movie, there are no levels, or linearity, as the story is told through movie clips. Well again the Sega Cd is kind of choppy in the animation, these scenes are very well written, and capture the suspense perfectly. The only complaint I have is some of the scenes you can only watch once, and its frustrating, as they often give clues to help you out in the game.
The sound is really well done too. The game starts with an excerpt of Carl Orff's O Fortuna, which is a great Gothic operetta to open up a horror game. Everything else in the game ins crisp, clear, and gives a great representation of Victorian London. You get to hear pub style music at the bar, horse hooves clip-clopping as you traverse the streets by carriage, and other suspenseful music as you roam out at night. And the voice acting is superb as well.
During the game you'll come across a lot of puzzles, which are all vital to your progress. And for the most part they are straight forward, if your new expect to get frustrated on a few of them. The good news is they are all trial and error, but if you don't save frequently expect to be starting over a lot. The game itself is rather short, but the amount of events in the day to day aspect can be overwhelming at first, so newbies should expect to spend a good 5 hours or so playing it. But trust me its time well spent. And once your done, its fun to go back and try different things at different times, as there are multiple outcomes.
So if your a fan of the horror genre, classic literature, or come across this game, I highly recommend playing it. Its fun to sometimes look back and see what the precursor to our modern systems looked like. And if you've ever read and enjoyed DRACULA, its fun to see another take on it, so in a way it is an unofficial sequel. Try it out, you will not be disappointed, and on my scale i give it a solid 9.6, as like a fine wine this game has aged well. Enjoy...
Matt
Graphics 7 Sound 10 Addictive 10 Story 10 Depth 9 Difficulty 6
Review Rating: 3.8/5
Submitted: 02-23-14
Review Replies: 1
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