Nostradamus: The Last Prophecy

The Good
Kheops Studio has brought us a dozen or so adventure games over the past five years based on the life and times of famous historical figures. Thanks to their games, people like Cleopatra, Captain Nemo, Leonardo Di Vinci and Long John Silver are more familiar to us than they were before. So it is no surprise that they would make a game based on Nostradamus, the 16th century astrologist, astronomer and scholar.

Actual people from his lifetime have been incorporated into the game including Catherine de Médicis (King Henri II's queen consort), Jean Aimé de Chavigny (Nostradamus' secretary), and two of his children, Madeleine and César. Although the timeline of this particular story line is off by two years, it really happened. So, historically speaking, the game comes very close to real life places, people and events.

The in-game artwork of his home and the surrounding village look much like pictures I've seen of them - simple, somewhat rustic buildings, dirt streets. Interiors are also simple but pleasant and objects fit into the atmosphere well. The menus are uncluttered and simple to use. Characters look like you'd expect and their clothing seems to be in keeping with the time period. I'll note here that the character's faces are stiff and facial expressions are basically non-existent, with only adequate lip synching (all of which subtracted from my graphics score).

As point-and-click, 1st person adventures go, there's nothing new about how the game is played. You can pan every scene in 360 degrees but there is no dizzying effect like in some games. Standard cursors are used for navigation and are of the no-frills variety (my preference). There are the normal types of inventory objects to be collected and used to perform various tasks, solve puzzles and the like. Conversations with non-player characters provide instruction, clues and information. There seem to be limitless save game slots (always a good thing).

The story itself has a slow start but gets more interesting as it goes along. You'll be well into the 2nd day before anything of consequence happens. And then, it becomes a murder mystery with Madeleine acting out the parts of herself and of her brother in a very creative way. Talking to people as Madeleine and then as César results in very different responses, which I found interesting.

It is no surprise that most of the major puzzles in this game deal with astrology, the planetary system and herbs - subjects for which Nostradamus is famous. Personally my knowledge of the planets and the astrological signs is badly lacking, so I had to do a little web research when I came upon one of those puzzles. Some of the smaller tasks include combining ingredients for herbal brews, fixing a kitchen appliance, forging a piece of metal, baking bread, and drawing water from a well, all of which are pretty easy.

Madeleine's in-game journal is a helpful tool. When working many of the harder puzzles, referring to her journal can provide clues. Some of the puzzles in the game must be worked within the diary itself. More memorable puzzles include working a planet-based door lock, aligning planets on a machine in specific spots. Unfortunately, the object of those puzzles and how they were supposed to work was hidden somewhere in the minds of the creators. Clues are few and, so, I was forced to seek help from a walkthrough (egad!). You can die but you are returned to a point just prior to the fatal segment so you can try again.

The suspects dwindle down one by one but the villain is not obvious until the end is near. The ending concludes the story very well and the final cut-scenes hint at a sequel.

The Bad
The lack of clues for some of the harder puzzles, the strict linearity of the storyline, and the expressionless faces of the characters all subtracted from my overall score. In addition, there were too few NPC characters with whom to talk and interact.

I found myself going for days in between play sessions. Nothing really compelled me to play it except a bit of excess time on my hands with nothing else to do. While the story was a little interesting, and I enjoyed sleuthing in the middle ages somewhat, this wasn't enough to make this a memorable game. I can't say I was totally bored with it, just not enthused.

The Bottom Line
Nostradamus is a solid title which plays well from beginning to end. It is a decent addition to the adventure genre which combines history, science and investigation into one experience. It should appeal to a varied number of gamers with different interests. Those who particularly like astrology or astronomy will enjoy its puzzles, and players who like murder mysteries will like the investigation aspects. It is worth playing if you fall into one of those niches. Undeniably, it is an average adventure overall that brings nothing new to the table, and one that will blend into the scenery once completed.