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Microids adds another entry to the otherwise stagnant adventure genre. Microids and The Adventure Company have been taking care of adventure fans for a while now, and thankfully, the fruits of their efforts have been good games. Still Life is such an entry that will certainly appeal to adventure fans, though the game surely won’t change the opinion of those that don’t particularly fancy the genre.
As with any adventure game, the story plays a pivotal part in engaging the player. Still Life certainly doesn’t disappoint with two though vaguely related different stories. The game begins with an introduction to Victoria McPherson, an FBI agent in contemporary Chicago. She gets deeply involved with her case, and particularly with her inability to solve them. This causes her to look through her childhood home, eventually finding the items of her grandfather. The grandfather and private detective, Gustav McPherson, is the protagonist of the second story line that takes place in 1920s Prague. The game switches between one story and another, but treats both stories well. The sense of importance is definitely conveyed, as is the apparent truthfulness to the source material.
As with all adventure games puzzles take up the bulk of the gameplay here. You’ll find the typical adventure staples, after all, Microids is a veteran developer. This means you’ll push boxes, solve some simple logic puzzles, use a variety of items, and explore the environments to move on. Still Life isn’t frustrating, though some parts are challenging. It is possible to run around for a bit lost, but the game generally lets you find your way quickly. If anything, one can complain that Microids made the puzzles too straightforward, though that will only annoy the most ardent of adventure fans.
The game’s visuals are satisfying though Still Life somewhat struggles to mesh artistic ability with technical competency. The backgrounds are all prerendered in typical Microids fashion. The size of the cities isn’t really conveyed by the game, but the actual locations look authentic. The rundown architecture in Chicago fits the game perfectly, and the same can be applied to Prague. The character models are all right, but animate awkwardly. Overall, though, the atmosphere is present.
The atmosphere is likewise present in the game’s sound. The background music changes depending on the game’s plot, and only strengthens the excellent atmosphere Microids has been able to present. The voice acting is generally functional, though nothing too extraordinary memorable. It is more than competent, however.
The Adventure Company and Microids are veterans in this genre, and their expertise comes though with the game. Still Life is generally enjoyable, with good quality puzzles and an excellent atmosphere. Still Life doesn’t venture far from the typical adventure formula but for what it is, the game is commendable. -- Jake Wilson, PGNx Media
---- Jun 21, 2005
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