The Dig

The Good
This game is sheer brilliance. Conceived by Steven Spielberg, he handed the reins over to LucasArts when he realized it would cost an estimated 150 million to make. The acting is superb; the characters may be, at their most basic levels, the classic team of hero, girlfriend, and best friend, the little character touches and voice acting raise them above stencil cut-outs. Combining special effects by Industrial Light & Magic with the exceptional graphics established in The Secret of Monkey Island and Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, the visuals are beautiful. A great story, simple point-and-click interface, and easily manageable inventory round out one of LucasArts best, and most underrated, game.

The Bad
The game was rather short. While the average LucasArts graphic adventure takes about 20 hours to finish, this one took about 15. Also, some of the puzzles seem... well, not contrived, but overly complicated. Particularly the puzzle involving the programming of a robot to move a lens in front of a laser, thus turning on the planet's power.

The Bottom Line
Don't listen to the anti-hype. This game is not that horrible. In fact, it's not horrible at all. The only game with a soundtrack so amazing that it was released on CD and is available in record stores as we speak, The Dig is a masterpiece in gaming, and a work of art. But don't take my word for it. Try it for yourself.