The Daedalus Encounter

Il est indéniable que The Daedalus Encounter est le meilleur jeu de sa catégorie et pour une fois, la durée de vie n'est pas trop courte.

This game's true attraction is its genuinely creepy sci-fi-movie sequences, displayed with astonishing sharpness. As for interactivity, though The Daedalus Encounter flatters you into thinking you're the brains of the outfit, you're really just along for the ride.

"The Daedalus Encounter" är ett mycket bra äventyr. Inte för att problemen som man stöter på är särskilt svåra, eller ens inspirerande: det mesta handlar om att trycka på rätt knapp vid rätt tillfälle. Men det har en handling som hela tiden driver spelaren frammåt, som får en att hänga kvar för att veta vad som väntar bakomnästa dörr i det gigantiska skeppet.

Ett äventyrsspel som inte fängslar spelaren med trevliga gåtor och pyssel, utan golvar spelaren med bra grafik och ljud.

On the 3DO, the entire screen is filled with crisp, clean, smooth FMV --- sounds like I'm talking about beer --- and the interface only appears when you call it up. The 3DO version also has a better save-game system and additional scenes that were removed from the PC. (This version spans four CDs, the PC version "only" three). The verdict: An excellent puzzle game with FMV that's fun to watch.

Remember a game called Critical Path? Hated it, did you? Sure, it looked good, and it was a pretty cool idea, but it was way too easy and too damned short. Ever wonder why? (--Scott Wolf)

The gameplay is pretty thin, but at least the FMV was fun to watch. There are a few hidden things, so it's not exactly a case of 'play it once and you've seen it all'. It could have been better, but it could have been a whole lot worse.

Despite it's flaws, Daedalus supplies enough intrigue to engross even action gamers at first. How long you last depends on how interested you are in puzzles with a sci-fi twist. Daedalus is definitely worth a look.

Daedalus Encounter is an okay game. The game is mostly comprised of clear video, with hardly any interaction instead of action, there are puzzles. The story gets pretty cool and Tia is easy on the eyes. I just wish there was more interaction with the game. Daedalus Encounter is better if you have two people working at it. Think of the control in a similar way to pressing PLAY on a VCR. If you want to watch a cool story unfold and love video, this is one of the better games.

Schlechte Spiele regen mich gar nicht mehr groß auf; man härtet ja ab. Wenn jedoch ein potentiell gutes Spiel durch Anfängerfehler in den Sand gesetzt wird, dann schnaube ich innerlich ganz schön. Eine Video-Produktion, die meiner Ansicht nach Wing Commander 3 nochmal um eine Klasse übertrifft, wird mit Puzzles der Marke "Die versteht nur der Programmierer" verunstaltet.

The Daedalus Encounter ist eines der Spiele, die einfach zu früh veröffentlicht wurden. Was von der Story und der Präsentation her ein unterhaltsames Spiel hätte sein können, entpuppt sich als frustrierendes Erlebnis.

But the puzzles, wow, they sure were challenging, from determining just what to do, and then doing it once you have figured it out. The graphics, well what can I say? In these days you expect them to be good, but here Daedalus excels. All the time the background music calmly washes over you, but this is not to say there isn't a thumping soundtrack at times. If you enjoyed Entombed, or just like a good mind-bending puzzle, don't look past Daedalus.

The actors do a fair job considering the material, and Zack even has a few funny lines of dialogue. The gratuitous use of the "s---" word was probably done to merit a "mature" rating. Remember, 3DO was catering to the "adult" crowd, and you know how adults love to say bad words. In terms of audio, the game features some impressive mellow electronic music that nicely captures the desolation of space (or the desolation playing a boring FMV game). Daedalus Encounter comes on four CDs, but don't be deceived. The game is not very long and it can be finished in one sitting. Whenever you mess up, I like how the game automatically saves your spot and lets you pick up directly where you left off. I found Daedalus Encounter intriguing at first, but it couldn't hold my attention all the way through. Puzzle fans may find it a challenge, and FMV fans (all three of you) should get a kick out of the acting, but the rest of us are just along for the ride. And it's a pretty uneventful journey.

THE DAEDALUS ENCOUNTER represents a true missed opportunity. Here is a very good concept for a game, a good visual design, and even a decent format - all undone by shoddy craftsmanship, writing, and technical (non)development.