The truth is in here… Review

The truth is in here…

Alas, the truth of the matter is that this is not a fun game. There, I said

it! Unless you are a die-hard, die-hard X-Files fanatic, it will be difficult

for you to enjoy this game.

Requirement 1; you will need to be willing to wade through two and

half CD’s out of a total of seven CD’s of some of the most mundane, outdated

game play, before this game remotely becomes interesting. [Total HD installation

of 3.5Gig’s] Requirement 2; you must be willing to consume large amounts

of caffeine saturated beverages in order to maintain an adequate level of coherence.

[Willingness to use performance-enhancing drugs is also a plus.] Requirement

3; you will need to have a strong motivational force pressing you forward

to finish through to the end. [i.e.; an angry editor waiting for you to finish

your late review of the X-Files Game.]

This is your mission should you choose to accept it. All volunteers please

take one step forward and report to the ready room for briefing. Am I making

this sound like a job? Perhaps this even sounds like a military operation into

unknown enemy territory? Well, then you’re getting the picture. Strap yourself

into your computer chair and reaffirm your belief in God. Let me prepare you

as to what you can expect to find when you enter the world of the X-Files

Game.

The X-Files Game is an interactive movie. It is really nothing more

than an animated choose your own adventure book, the kind you used to read as

kid because you had no friends to play with. You are field agent Craig Willmore,

and you have been assigned to locate Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully

who have both disappeared while on their latest investigation into paranormal

activity in the Everett, Washington area. Follow their trail using clues about

their last whereabouts and if you find them, assist them in whatever means necessary.

You basically go around the game gathering clues from crime scenes and talking

to people in your environment. Each time you see someone, you place the mouse

over his or her mouth and lips will appear, after which a drop down file menu

of questions to ask will pop up. You’re allowed to ask all of the questions

in any order. It does not make a difference. I don’t know why they just didn’t

have the character say everything they had to say all at once. To me, this is

just some frail attempt to create the appearance of interaction.

At some points of the game you are even allowed to change the tone in which

you answer or respond to questions. You can choose between giving a mean, humorous

or technical response. It is supposed to make a difference. I have tried all

three responses and saw no significant change in the overall outcome of events

later. It seems to me to be just another vain attempt at spicing up the canned

responses you get from the characters you interact with.

The game does have a few innovations. For instance, you do have

a limited amount of navigational ability. You can place the mouse to either

the far left, right, top or bottom of the screen after which a directional hand

will appear and you can scroll in that direction. You also have the ability

to zoom in on pre-designated objects, whenever an eye appears over the object.

You also get a number of tools and FBI equipment to help you in solving your

case. These tools range from an evidence kit, lock pick, digital camera, PDA,

cellular phone, night vision goggles and flashlight, to your trusty FBI-issue

handcuffs and gun.

You have an ‘artificial intuition’, which is basically a ‘help prompt’. It

allows you to highlights visual clues, and enables input from other agents.

Last but not least, you get a computer workstation called the ING or Intelligence

Network Gateway where you can run background checks, run license plates and

trace telephone numbers.

By the way, at least the actors are good. It does capture the look of an X-Files

television episode. Even with all of this packed into the game, X-Files is just

too slow paced and monotonous to really get excited about. All too often, you

find yourself stuck in a rut trying to figure out what to do next. During this

time you end up just repeating steps, backtracking details and doing the same

things over and over and over again. That’s when the sleepiness and frustration

begin to settle in.

The game does not flow. It gets too bogged down and quiet. There’s neither

creepy mood music nor anything spectacular to hold your attention, even when

you’re trying to pay attention.

I myself am an X-Files fan (I’m not a fanatic that follows every episode).

Then again, a good game based on a movie or TV show shouldn’t have to rely on

the player being a fanatic. It should have enough going on for itself to be

able to function independently of its origin.

I’ll be honest and tell you that I did not yet finish this 3.5Gigayte long

interactive movie. That is why I cannot tell you yet if this is even an especially

interesting episode of the X-Files. Even if it were an especially interesting

episode, the game itself moves along too slowly to keep your interest. So as

a player you find yourself wanting to go outside and play with the rest of the

kids, enjoy the sunshine, and the singing of the birds in the trees.

Half the time you’re playing you find yourself staring into the screen at

the same old scrap of evidence, no music, no sound, no action. If you like the

X-Files, you’re better off watching reruns on the television program or going

out and seeing the movie. In the movie, at least Mulder and Scully finally kiss!

And that, is the truth.