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Divide by Zero more than redeem themselves after the horrendous Orion
Conspiracy with this outstanding cartoon adventure that unfortunately got very
limited worldwide distribution (probably due to the fact that the game was published
by little-known Vic Tokai). Set in Victorian Times, it casts the player as
good-natured adventurer Piers Featherstonehaugh, who, along with his manservant
Mossop, bid to save the world from the evil Dr Dinsey, who is planning to create an
army of mutated soldiers using the Gene Machine and take over the world. The game is
a traditional point-and-click adventure with an intuitive user interface. Click on
an item on screen, for example, and you'll be presented with a set of icons,
containing appropriate actions for you to take. This may include 'look', 'taste', or
'take' depending upon what the object is. Should you choose 'take', the object will
be stuffed into the traditional bottomless pockets that all adventure game characters
have. Other features that will make fans of old Sierra games of yore very happy are
the score system, which will let you know what percentage of the game you have
completed, and conversational topics that allow you to actually ask what you want to
know, as opposed to repeatedly clicking on them. The best part of the game is the
wonderful plot that will be familiar to fans of H.G. Wells' Victorian sci-fi novels,
which means it combines scientific innovations and historical anecdotes into a
fascinating experience. The game is also huge - it features dozens of characters and
locations, as well as Divide by Zero's hallmark of challenging, ingenious puzzles
that will stump even the most experienced players. But it's a joy to play, and it
never becomes frustrating or boring. There are a few puzzles that are irritating in
a sense that there are insufficients clues about the solutions, but for the most part
they are fair. If you're looking for a fun cartoon adventure that is funny,
atmospheric, and challenging, you can't go wrong with this. |