Jonathan

German small-town quietness erupts in a whirl of obscure horror, aggression and uninhibited sexuality as an ancient force stirs and warps minds. As Kronstadt drifts into chaos in the course of eleven days in November, a teenager bound to the wheelchair dabbles in Celtic mysticism and discovers his talent for magic. Bourgeois bliss, late-80’s youth culture, occultism and photorealistic nudity mix into a psychedelic nightmare that stands out as the most perplexing German adventure game.

The successor to Holiday Maker and Stadt der Löwen, and Phoenics’ (formerly PM Entertainment) third (and last) adventure game, Jonathan was a child of the dusk of Germany’s vibrant Amiga scene, where a maximum of finesse met a new minimum of public interest.

Jonathan is unconventional to the brink of schizophrenia, both in style and gameplay. The actual adventure actions in a colorless, messy interface are contrasted with the sumptuous high-res artworks of the frequent cutscenes. Many of these revolve around the members of the protagonist Jonathan’s clique, who are essential to the game – the disabled young man must rely on their help to do things he is unable to do.

As the game switches perspective and explores the minds of Jonathan’s friends, it focuses on their sexuality with a unabashed bluntness that should have shocked the pampered German audience, had anyone bought it.