Shivers

The Good
This is a fantastic videogame. "Shivers" is a "Myst"-clone that utilizes the same technology of using still images to traverse locations. It is there that "Shivers" ceases to be a "Myst"-clone. Dropping the beautiful and ephemeral locations for a haunted museum, "Shivers" is a fun trek into a creepy and abandoned museum; it is up to you the player to find the right tools to capture the malign spirits. The puzzles, for the most part, and fun and entertaining - but the most fun is all that is in-between the puzzles. Simply walking around the museum, listening to the ambient noises and music, reveling in the lavish production design and chosen color palette is sheer joy.

The Bad
The puzzles are not logic-based like "Myst", at times they can feel just dropped in for the purpose of pacing and increasing the difficulty. Other than that, no complaints.

The Bottom Line
"Shivers" was released in 1995 right on the heels of the mega-popular "Myst". At that time, Sierra Studios, (the developer/publisher), had a slew of hits, including the "Aces" series and the burgeoning "Gabriel Knight" series. Sierra crafted a special adventure in "Shivers" that was a departure from the ephemeral atmosphere of "Myst". Much darker and macabre, like "Gabriel Knight" ,"Shivers" dropped the player in a Haunted Museum of the "Strange and Unusual". And that is where the game succeeds the most: the museum. For fans of classic scary movies like Universal's "Dracula" and "Frankenstein", this game will surely satisfy. The production design, music, and direction are clearly well thought-out and superbly executed; you'll wish you could actually walk through the museum. It is these elements that will make this title continue to be popular for years to come.

The Good
Adventure gaming took a slightly darker tone in the 1990s, with the introduction of CD-ROM technology and a willingness to target a older, more sophisticated audience interested in more then just cute mascots or damsel in distress storylines.

Shivers is one of these game's and, for the most part, the results are extremely well done. The early 1990s graphics, including some full-motion-video, may seem quaint today, but it was quite impressive when the game was originally published.

The game starts with you being "peer pressured" into spending the night at an old, haunted museum. The big and gaudy building has got a rather shady past, mostly due to the ethical lapse of museums founder.

The dangers of archaeology being used for unethical, even racist and elitist ends, is one of the ideas explored in the game. It is a pretty sophisticated plotline in a video game and well done.

The game creates an atmosphere that is creepy, with a truly eeiry look for the mysterious museum and it's exhibits.

The pre-rendered graphics are impressive and better then using all full-motion-video. Their is not tons of full-motion-video in the game, but the video and voice acting helps to tell the story, instead of being a distraction.

The game is hard! The story is engaging and well told, but even the most seasoned adventure gamers will struggle to get too far.

To survive the adventure, you must find a series of ancient jars and figure out how to set the right spirits free. It's a tricky proposal when items are not always in the same place and you cannot carry many items at once.

Hence, you spend quite a bit of time going back and forth with jars, holding one at a time, and hoping that you can help bring some peace to the ghosts and ensure that certain dark and sinister powers do not fall into the wrong hands.

The Bad
Shivers is a tough and somewhat unforgiving game. The puzzles are tricky in themselves, and made more so by the lack of a traditional inventory.

Where as most adventure games assume that you can hold numerous items at once, this game generally limits you to one item. Maybe it is more realistic, but it can feel like a cheap way to increase the difficulty level.

The Bottom Line
Shivers is a sophisticated, early 1990s adventure game, offering up tough puzzles, a creepy museum setting and some thought-provoking commentary on the dark side of archaeology. If this describes your type of game, then give it a try. It may just send shivers down your spine.

The Good
If you are expecting another Sierra whimsical fantasy, you’ll be totally surprised with Shivers. It is not played in 3rd person, but rather in 1st – another change for Sierra. This is a mystery that takes place in an old museum, complete with ghosts and all the atmosphere that goes with them. As you find books and other clues, the story unfolds gradually and ends with a punch.

There are numerous floors and rooms to explore in the museum. Hidden passages and secret rooms make it even more interesting. The scenery itself is beautifully done and the interface is easy to learn. The game will give you shivers at times, too. It is imaginatively spooky and suspenseful and this is reflected in the musical score, which is wonderful, and in the rich, realistic graphics.

I especially loved the “flashback” feature. You can review the cut scene movies as often as you like. Sometimes that’s the only way to find a clue you may have forgotten.

The puzzles are really creative and challenging. Rather than conversation or inventory based puzzles, you’ll need to use your skills in math, logic and common sense to solve the ones in this game. Some may even disturb your sleep!

Each time you begin a new game the locations of the illusive Ixupi spirits change. This means that even a walkthrough may not help you with your game. The game itself takes quite awhile to finish and you’ll be taking plenty of notes. (I filled up 2 legal pads with my notes and drawings!)

The Bad
You are only able to carry around one object at a time – a pot or a lid to catch an Ixupi. This means that you must remember where you hid the matching pot (or lid). Of course, this lengthened the game playing time, which is a good thing rather than bad.

The Bottom Line
If you have been looking for a great interactive puzzle game, you’ve found it! Shivers is one of the best, and hardest, games I’ve ever played. But it’s more than just puzzles. The story will keep you interested up until the very end. You’ll feel a great sense of satisfaction when you’re done.