Prisoner of Ice

The Good
There was a time when I played adventures. A time when I played science fiction and horror games with great and quite original stories. But, as much as I liked them, they never became one, a trully amazing game with great story, voice talents, adventure spirit, and a touch of class. I tried my luck with "Alone in the Dark" series, and they kept me occupied, but not for too long. Eventually, I would left them behind in the dust of my memories. I was prisoner, a prisoner of my conscience, searching for new and unknown, for life and death, among fire and ice, but nothing came along the way.

So I wandered through the world of reality, searching for the quest that would set me up and focus my sight. With unknown facts, I realized my quest lies in a book, a book of horror. No, not Necronomicon, but something even more unheard - "At the Mountains of Madness". A book was changing me rapidly, changing me fast into something horrible. And before I get to feel my sences, I became A "Prisoner of Ice".

Thus, the story began.

All I knew was my name. I was U.S. Lieutenant Ryan, assigned to help with extraction of two Brittish commandos saving a famous Norwegian anthropologist and explorer, Peter Hamsun. My U-Boat arrived to the extraction point, as I looked upon and saw a German metal bird. Yeah, it was Junkers type of plane better known as Stuka. German pilot started giving us the lead very generously, on which one of the sub crew reacted instantly grabbing machine gun mounted on the U-Boat deck and greeted the pilot. Left wing was destroyed, and the Nazi pilot got a quick briefing about the water temperature on the South Pole. We grabbed the crates marked 'Streng Geheim' that stands for 'Top Secret', loaded 'em, and put to cold as ordered. I reported to captain and we embarked into the depths of coldness.

On our terror, an enemy vessel found us very shortly after, and hit our engine room. The fire started to melt ice in the storage room where the crates were, and something out-of-this-world came from inside them. That thing grabbed our captain, and was ready to check the rest of the crew. By the act of miracle, we succeeded to save the Victoria U-Boat, and survive. But the moment we arrived in the base suited on Falkland Islands, the horror continued.

And so, many adventures and tales were right in front of me, ready to confront me and take my life for granted. The future had no meaning, and the past became the present. All cards lied in the hands of the Nazis, especially one man, the one that had lust for Necronomicon and riding this world of human race and replacing it with the ancient ones, with the prisoners of ice, holding all keys in his hands, he was sure not to fail his belief. But one thing he didn't count on - me! The one that came from the future, to save the past. Yup, it was a bit of shocky to me as well, but I new from the moment I got here, I don't belong here, not in this time, not in this place. My only thing was to prevent the infamous Cthulhu cult of being risen again, and leave all be. Change nothing, but the monsterous creatures to dust.

"Prisoner of Ice" gave me everything I ever expected, actually, it gave me everything but what I expected to get. Easy way to play, not too hard puzzles (which makes this game easy and quick to complete), great voice acting, and an excellent story. In fact, this is my best adventure game, right after "Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis". Yeah, that Indiana Jones game was really something, and gives many connections to this game - discover the unknown, nazis all around, and everyone want to become a god. Opposite to Indiana Jones (which have three different endings), when you reach the endgame, you can choose whic end would you like to see. The game has only two, but with very slight difference on animation topic, but rather large in the meaning.

It took me a while to get this game, but then, it was worth every single second I was searching for it. And the day I got it, I came to end, where I was nicely surprised with the music, that was, focusing on the game, quite a relief after the ingame music.

The Bad
I'm not sure wether the game's shortness should be a plus, but they shoud've at least make its playing length as in "Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis". But speaking of length, that topic definitely can not change the game's quality. Just think of Lucas Arts' "Full Throttle", it was probably the shortest adventure ever made, but with unique quality and got many fellas adventurers, hard-boiled gangsters and road-runners to play it, and even more, enjoying every minut playing it.

I'm not sure wether I missaw the option, but the ingame music wa rather loud comparing to character speech. And there was no option to change the quietness rate (or, once again I could not find it), but I was more up to enlive the game then to messing around and wasting time with option screen.

The Bottom Line
Do not expect it to follow the book exactly, 'cuz I can tell you right now, it's different, but basics and most of it lies untouched. One thing stands - this game will give you the opportunity to play the book you've read (or not). Me, personally, I've read the book only partially (but will do eventually) and saw the difference. Maybe the book is even better, but how can it not be when your mind can do magnificent things. Imagination is one of the greatest power that keeps all these games alive and created. What would we be without it, the prisoners of ice!? Who knows, but it would be a shame not to play this game if you at least have a chance to try it. It's quick to finish, so you won't have trouble with not having enough time to check and rate it. But for every adveture spirit, this game is a poison of life that shouldn't be skipped, just imagine youreself passing the Monkey Island. What kind of adventurer would that make you?