Still Life Preview

It's safe to say that it's been *ages* since I last played an intelligent and imaginative adventure game. Adventures are a rare species nowadays, and cleverly conceived adventures have become an abstract noun. There were several adventures in the past few years that could boast as being both intelligent and imaginative, but somehow they just didn't hit the spot with me. As I also never really enjoyed playing Myst and Myst-like games, I guess I am rather picky when it comes to adventures. I like them intelligent, yet logical; imaginative, yet not too abstract; and I definitely like them simple yet functional. (It sounds to me; I can't believe I am saying this; that you are completely normal. Dear Lord, what does that say about me?? -Ed) There is another thing that I like about adventures, and that is the possibility to die a terrible death. The very first adventures I played belonged to the horror genre, so I kind of expect to be scared to death in adventure games, even when I am playing as Guybrush Threepwood. I want to be afraid, and yet not get a spinning headache from a puzzle that looks as if it was copied from Albert Einstein's scrapbook.

In case you didn't know, bathing in blood is good for your skin.

However, if you're not that eccentric, plain water will do. Don't forget the drink.

The demo version of Microids' Still Life begins in a very promising manner, with the serial killer dragging his latest victim by the hair though the city's sewer system. The intro offers a very scary view of the murderer writing on the walls with his victim's blood - a scene which is very fittingly followed by 'Dies Irae' from Mozart's masterpiece 'Requiem'. (That's music for those of you who were raised on FM radio -Ed) The interweaving scenes from the past and the present piqued my interest right away, and I couldn't wait to delve further into this dark mystery. This time, the story dwells on the subject of the series of murders in the modern day Chicago and 1920s Prague.

Still Life features an interesting concept, familiar to the fans of the genre; the player assumes the role of two different characters, connected with each other by their involvement in the series of mysterious murders. You start the game as Victoria McPherson, an FBI agent tasked with finding the culprit behind a series of violent murders done in a Jack the Ripper type fashion. The game begins with Victoria's arrival to the most recent crime scene: the police have found the fifth victim and Victoria is slowly beginning to lose it as she feels unable to cope with the horrific events.

After investigating the crime scene, taking photographs and collecting evidence, Victoria heads back to the police station to file the evidence she collected and get the details from the pathologist's report. There she receives a phone call from her father and decides to visit him and give him his Christmas present. During her visit, the whole situation becomes even more interesting as she discovers her grandfather was a painter and an amateur private detective, who encountered a series of mass murders, which inspired his series of portraits of murdered women. Those murders from long ago bear a lot of resemblance to the present ones, so Victoria turns to reading her grandfather's diary in order to find out more about the murders she believes are in some way connected to the ones she has to solve. Desperate for any sort of clues, she plunges deep into the criminal underworld of the 1929 Prague, described in her grandfather's journal.

At that point of the game, the player finds himself in the role of Victoria's grandfather, Gus McPherson. In 1920 Prague, a fifth victim has been found so detective McPherson, who it turns out has some psychic abilities, struggles to discover the truth behind the murders. He has also promised his lover Ida he will help her and her friends find the murderer, so the streets will be safe once again. However, all he knows so far is that all murdered women were prostitutes, dancers and members of the lowest social rank in Prague. (Like Politicians. I understand. -Ed) The murderer seems to go around the city completely unnoticed as there are never any eyewitnesses. After talking to a mysterious man who claims to be a retired coachman, McPherson learns the only way for the murderer to pass unnoticed is to use the city's sewer system. He also learns about a young girl who works as a prostitute for the local pimp and decides that it is of vital importance that he speaks to her. However, before he does that he will have to pass several tests...

The demo version that we got to play ends at the moment McPherson discovers the hiding place of young Vladanna. You are transposed back to present day and you once again assume the role of Victoria. The suspenseful and dramatic end to the demo version is thankfully not the game's ending, so I can't wait to get my hands on the full version and continue the story.

The game plays from a third-person perspective, and it's possible to shift between several different camera angles in every room. These different camera angles enable you to notice some details on the screen which may be vital for further development of the game. Once you're assigned a certain task, you are unable to leave until you've solved the actual problem. This can sometimes be tricky as there are usually a great number of details on the screen, so it may be difficult to discern important details. Victoria is definitely more sympathetic than her granddad, as she often shares her funny and sometimes very cynical views and comments with the player, which at times gives a lighthearted note to the game and relieves some of the tension.

Like Syberia, Still Life uses the point-and-click mechanics, with the possibility of controlling your character with the keyboard. Clicking on a certain spot on the screen automatically moves your character to the selected spot. The interaction with the environment is done by zooming in on selectable objects and collecting them or interacting with them and sometimes adding them to your inventory. The first objects you obtain in the game are the camera and the forensic kit, which is vital for solving the first task. You are assigned with taking photographs of the crime scene and looking for possible fingerprints or other material left by the murderer. While looking for the clues, you have to take care of every detail in order not to miss something important. Whenever it is possible to interact with your environment, the cursor will change shape and transform into a little hand, suggesting it is possible to pick something up. If it is possible to perform a certain action, an icon will appear, signifying you need to use an item on the selected spot. Besides being intuitive, the interface leaves little doubt as to which areas of the screen are interactive and important for the game.

You meet many different characters throughout the game, obtaining some important pieces of information from them. Some NPCs will be more than willing to talk, while some will be anything but friendly.