Night Trap

The Good
Night Trap is the game that is famous for being famous. Parents and politicians, on the political left and right, used it as the poster child of an industry that (they felt) was out of control. Its place in gaming history is reason enough to give it a try. Compared to the original Sega CD version, the DOS version features superior graphics, an on-screen map, the ability to pause the game and a nice little documentary about the controversy that Night Trap generated.

The Bad
Night Trap follows a certain format that became all too common with these "interactive movies". Success depends on your ability to memorize the right order required to switch between a series of hidden cameras. If you trap enough yuppie vampires, protect the sexy co-eds and switch to the proper the security code you will save the day. Little free time exists to follow the B-minus, 1980's storyline and if you memorized the order on the Sega CD version, then you will find little challenge on the DOS.

The Bottom Line
Night Trap is famous for being famous. While the full motion video never went beyond a PG or PG-13 content rating, the technology was so advanced, for its day, that it became used as a scapegoat by a laundry list of parents, teachers, media critics and politicians. The game is worth playing for its history, especially if you enjoy these type of full motion video games. However, the game is not really that scary and its replay value is limited.