If you've read the initial press releases about the game, you know the 2 things that will weigh your appreciation of the game: first off, it's basically a sci-fi fable. Or a enfabuled science fiction game. Or a metaphysical display of a bunch of metaphors. (GET ON WITH IT!!!) Yeah, so there's these animals that can walk and talk and seem to have come out of a LaFontaine tale. And you play as a fox. The other thing that assures the uniqueness of the story is that the house who developed it (New World Computing) never developed another adventure game but this one. Not even a sequel - and, man, does this game cry out for one, unlike many other far-fetched game series, devoid of all thought and content. First things first. What really dazzled me in the game was the wonderful story environment; the concept of the story is one of the most original I've ever seen, and it does have its share of thought-provoking ideas. The human race has disappeared off the face of the Earth, leaving naught but some traces of concrete and ruins of buildings. The world is now populated by races of humanoid animal races, that can talk, have 2 arms and 2 legs - organized in more or less a vaguely pseudo-feudal tribal manner. Thus, we have the 'Fox' tribe, the 'Boars' tribe, the 'Elk' tribe, etc. so on, so forth. The social status is based on a very simple structure reminiscent of the Middle Age: first, the King, then, his court, then, his guard, and, last and definitely least, the commoners. Each tribe, and animal race, has his own special cultural niche; actually, this is just the exacerbation of qualities we associate with these animals. Cats, for example, are a mysterious race, with a deeply mystical sense and highly protective of their own (at least, that's what says here). Dogs are socially dependent and submissive, always adrift without a leader (or, in animal terms, an owner). Boars are aggressive, filthy, nasty beasts that are fiercely competitive and downright rude. Rats live in secluded communities, usually underground, avoid contact with other races, and are devoted scholars, dedicated to their libraries and scrolls (yeah right!). Foxes are smart, agile, furry and sentimental. And also excellent puzzle solvers (did I mention that you play as one? yes, I did...). All of these races are "ruled" (except for Boars, who have a long-time feud with the Elk) by the Forest King, the Elk king, who serves as a sort of impartial judge on matters between the tribes. I won't tell you the story just yet - this is one of the really cool surprises about the game. As graphics go, the game is very well designed: a user-friendly interface, really simple and elegant - divided into verbs, following the then standard adventure interface. The graphics are enchanting, if a bit on the 'quiet' side - which seems to be one of the main problems of the game, but more on that later... When playing, you switch to a isometric 3D engine that is reminiscent of the Ultima VII games. The perspective is a bit too oblique, though, and so objects tend to hide the background, sometimes with irritating effects. The AI pathfinding is excellent, though, and the game works wonderfully well, no bugs, fully automatic. Now the main score for the game: the story is wonderful; I've seen reviews claiming that it isn't original - but I've never seen anything quite like it. Although there are some plot-holes, and the dialogues sometimes are a bit dry (not on the excellent intro, mind you), the sheer conjunction of this fascinating world should appeal to gamers of all ages. I was only 14 when I first played it, and the game still remains one of my fondest source of PC memories since then. The characters are also endearing, which helps to make a "connection" to the game. The music is also very well done, adequate to each scene; I wouldn't call it as memorable as, say, Dune's (Cryo's original game) or Kyrandia 2's soundtrack, but it still hangs on its own pretty well. Sounds are far and few in between, and boring at that, but the game has, in addition to its unique premise, another thing going for it, and probably even more unique: excellent dialogue actor speech! Back in 1994, this was rare - and still is - but this game sets new standards. Even though I never got my hands on the CD-ROM version, the intro has full speech and it's absolutely great, done with great professionalism; the voices come out clear, we feel the characters personalities coming alive and the voices are just plain hilarious. If you ever have the chance to play the CD version of the game, you're a happier man than me.

The Bad

But not everything is peachy-daisy. The story, although unique, seems to be over-simplified, and the ending, while still mysterious, leaves a door open for continuation that leaves us with a certain sense of frustration. Because there is NO sequel (nor will we ever see one, probably). And, of course, the gameworld, although full of potential, ends up being a bit 'dry', because there is a lack of true interaction. Sure, there are plenty of tribes and characters, but you often feel like you are being pushed along the storyline, and although there are many characters running around in the game, you can speak to much less of these than you would expect. Also, there are NO alternative solutions in the game - so everything comes off too linear and objective.

The Bottom Line

I've seen this game marketed as a game 'for the family'. Personally, I hate it when a game I like gets classified like that; this isn't some Saturday matinee that you can sit down and get the kids to drool at. It's a serious story, but told in a light and entertaining manner. All taken, the game excels in storytelling and concept, and fails in true interaction and long-term value. But, what the heck - I still find myself playing it with true joy, and there's enough of a roller-coaster ride and funny situations to make it worthwhile for serious adventurers and as enchanting as ever for younger people. And don't worry about that mud - it'll come off your fur quite easily. ;-) Highly recommended.