The Dagger of Amon Ra

The Good
The Dagger of Amon Ra is a superior sequel to The Colonel's Bequest. As sequels go it features superior graphics, better music, and far simpler control mechanics. This game succeeds both as a sequel and as its own game.

The game is set in the 1920s and stars Laura Bow. Ms. Bow is an idealistic, plucky young reporter who has relocated to the big city, from her quaint rural hometown. Can Ms. Bow succeed in the big city?

Success requires you to explore the city, interact with its many citizens, collect items and solve puzzles. The big puzzle in the game is a high profile murder mystery that can make you famous or dead.

True to the tenor of the times, this game features many of the historical elements of the 1920s. This was the era of the flapper, fabulous gender nonconformity, free love, underground speakeasies and widespread love for Egyptology.

The Bad
While the gameplay mechanics are much improved from the first game, it is still a bit of a headache asking questions. I never got comfortable using the notebook to select various topics to ask people about. The sequel is miles above its predecessor, but it's still a bit of a pain.

Beyond the slight gameplay headaches, some of the voice acting in the game is probably a tad bit, "politically incorrect". I am talking about the police officer with the thick Irish accent or the Chinese laundryman who does not speak English terribly well. I will leave it to the player to decide for himself or herself whether or not this is a problem.

This game was published prior to the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), but I would personally suggest that the game is suitable for players 13+. Some of the death sequences can be pretty brutal to watch, and this game has a fair share of mild sexual innuendos to giggle at.

The Bottom Line
The Dagger of Amon Ra is a wonderful adventure game from the early 1990s. Fans of adventure games, or a good murder mystery, should give this game a try.