Under a Killing Moon

The Good
The moment I took a step into my office, the smell of a cheap parfeume started to tickle my nose. Yeah, there she was, sitting on my working desk, lovely as alwas, with legs to die for. Another customer for sure. Uhh if she was only more, but sure will try to work our diplomatic relationship a bit better than is. She saw me some coverup story, and wanted me to find her father, presumably dead, but missing. I smell trouble all the way, but I took the case anyway. It was my ticket out of my paperwork. I took my old trusty .38 and accidently threw it out my window. Damn, I guess I'll be off the gun in this case. But that won't be enough to stop hard-boiled p.i. like myself, nope baby.

I couldn't feel more like a detective than when starting this game. A big case was warming up, and there was only me to left. A hard-bioled from up 40s, the only old fashioned detective in 21st century, not to mention how effective. I wouldn't need much close, only a set of about dozen fedoras with the same shoes. When something suits you perfect, detective rule No1. is - stick to it. Many rules there are in a p.i. line of work, but you must know them all and live by them all.

This game is third in a row where you play Tex Murphy, 21st century detective with a touch of class from old 40s. Following steps of your idols like Philip Marlowe & Sam Spade you use their kind of investigation, confident and always solving a case. Tex Murphy has some great cases solved as you could see if playing "Mean Streets" and "Martian Memorandum". But this time, the game gets totally new fedora to try.

I played this game five years after it came out, but you couldn't pull me off my chair even if you wanted to. Acting is absolutely great, and this adventure game gives you freely walking/running through the streets of San Francisco in the run down part of city, through your office and other rooms and places. That Tex Murphy (played by Chris Jones) is really something. I take my bow to Access Software for this game. You feel like your in the movie, or better, a part of that virtual reality scene. It's time for you to feel how Humphrey Bogart or Robert Mitchum felt as in Philip Marlow role, and tell it out loud 'Who said I can't be a good p.i.?'.

The Bad
Not a damn thing against this one (pardon my french).

The Bottom Line
You ever wanted to feel p.i., solve couple of mean mysteries and got a hot chick as a reward? Well, first two you can get the moment you start the game. The last one, well, you'll see how you affect women. Music is really amazing, like from Perry Mason mysteries. If you ever appreciated adventures or detectives, try this please, you won0t regret it, I guarantee with my p.i. word on it.

The Good
The presentation...WOW! When I first got my hands on the the demo way back when, I was COMPLETELY blown away. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Just walking around, opening trash cans, etc. was too cool for words. This is an A+ production, and you can tell the creators really put their best into it. It was hard, too...give this one to "the guy who can beat anything without any help" and watch him cry like a baby. Nice to see some returning characters from the old games, too.

The Bad
Like I said, it is hard. REAL hard. Like the previous title, it is far too easy to miss something, only to have it bite you in the rear later on. I suppose the greatest reason for the challenge was in the perspective, at the time, gamers didn't really "think" in the 3-D. You really need to comb each and EVERY inch of EVERY location if you want to succeed.

The Bottom Line
A landmark in gaming, setting a new benchmark for years to come. Hey, it's Tex!

The Good
Story: You are Tex Murphy, the star of Access's previous games, Mean Streets and Martian Memorandum. You are down on your luck, living in what is called "Old San Fransico" among mutants and by chance asked by the antiques dealer to find a missing jade crystal. This then leads to other parts with the main plot leading up to a plan to kill off the world and make the better people of the world in a space station a-la the James Bond movie: Moonraker.

Menu: Neat orginised tabs at the bottom of the screen is your menu.

Graphics: At that time I had never seen anything like it, it was like Myst, but you could walk around in Myst style graphics. So real, so fluid. The characters were done good as well, shot against a pre-rendered 3D graphic backgrounds. They reacted with what you said in well thought out conversations that are full of humor. locations range from the streets of San Fransico to the halls of a space station. Crisp and clear, the graphics will hold for a long time.

Sound: Brillant, the music was good as well, the sound from footsteps to the glub of Pug, the mutant's head in the water cooler.

Gameplay: The game stretches for about 7 days (Game time) and each day brings new clues, new mail and new people. The puzzles are well thought out but are a bit too easy in some cases. You can look in any direction and even move up and down, opening and closing stuff is done by a simple click and is accommpanied by an well drawn animation. You can also inspect stuff in your inventory, accommpanied by a crass comment. You collect a lot of stuff over the course of the game, inculding a "Giger Pet" a mini green raptor. The gameplay is interesting as well, in one part you have to doge a security system while collecting vital information. Characters are well developed too, some of the acting is a little weak in the knees.

The Bad
Some of the FMVs had been shot seperately so one person would freeze while another still remained moving. A few of the sounds were a little bit off colour in terms of the volume being a bit too low and it was too easy.

The Bottom Line
Very good, very fun, buy it.