The Dig

The Good
The Dig features impressive graphics and sound that not only put the player inside the alien world, but help to create a real sense of isolation and suspense. The science fiction storyline could easily be made into a feature film, and represents some of the darkest themes seen on a Lucas Arts Adventure game.

The Bad
The Dig has developed its own cottage industry of conspiracy theories due, in part, to the fact that the game was essentially in a "development hell" since 1989 and went through several drastic revisions before being released. For better or for the worse, one of these changes was to tone down the level of violence and gore. Needless to say, "family friendly" and "dark science fiction" do not really go well together. Not only does the game seem unsure of its core identity, several of the puzzles are incredibly difficult to complete. Be prepared for lots of abstract, Myst-inspired puzzles that require a grueling process of trial and error or going online to find the solution.

The Bottom Line
The Dig offers an original graphic adventure storyline with cool graphics, sound and a talented cast of voice actors. The storyline suffers from trying to be both family friendly and dark science fiction. The game play suffers from some abstract and difficult shape manipulation based puzzles that seem more at place on Myst then Monkey Island. If you can get beyond these flaws, then you will find a classic Lucas Arts adventure game.