Even though The Adventure Company was tucked away at the far end of the exhibit hall you couldn't miss their impressive booth with the Egyptian obelisk that towered above the individual demo station. This was one booth whose design was truly as inspired and creative as the games they were showcasing.

Almost a dozen games were on display including several long-awaited sequels and just as many new titles including the first computer game adaptation of the hit TV series, Law and Order. While we can't cover all the exciting games we saw within the scope of this article, please feel free to check out the Adventure Company's website for info on any games not highlighted below.

Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon (PC)
Set for release this October, Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon is the next-gen sequel to the previous Broken Sword games that takes the series into the wonderfully complex and creative world of full 3D. Developed by Revolution Software, the only thing more epic than the story is the perfectly blended genres of action, adventure, and puzzle solving.

As you play the game you are constantly switching between action and logic puzzles as well as good old-fashioned adventuring, but it is so interwoven you aren't even aware of the transitions. This is adventure gaming at its finest. The combination of keyboard and mouse control if fluid and intuitive and seamlessly integrated into the game so it quickly becomes second-nature to access inventory or manipulate objects in the game world.

The most innovative feature of the entire project is Revolutions new proprietary "Virtual Actor Engine" that allows for some of the most impressive lip-synching and facial animation I have ever seen. The programmers can actually embed emotion codes into the script that change the facial expressions to evoke just about any emotion you can imagine. Combined with real-time lip-synching that is derived from the phonetics of the dialog (for any of the supported languages), you have some of the best interactive cinema seen in a game.

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Egyptian Prophecy (PC)
Ramses II is dying and with him the glory of Egypt shall fall. Amon-Ra, the Sun-God, promises to extend his life in exchange for the most magnificent temple ever built. Trouble is not far away as the building site for the temple is affected by a number of sinister incidents. Maia, a young priestess, must solve the mystery behind these events and save the life of the Pharaoh.

This game is very early in development and I was only able to view a few still images and a very early gameplay build. Egyptian Prophecy is your classic 3D point-n-click adventure full of wonderous locations and clever puzzles that are seamless integrated into the environments. You interact with 15 main characters and several other secondary characters as you explore six unique areas, three fantasy and three based on meticulously researched historic data. Enhancing the stunning visuals is an original soundtrack that mixes authentic ancient sounds with modern composition. Prepare to explore Egypt this October.

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Mysterious Journey: Chameleon (PC)
Mysterious Journey: Chameleon is a first-person perspective, puzzle-oriented adventure game that follows on from the best-selling adventure game, Schizm. Combining eye-catching environments with challenging puzzles, gamers seek to save an ancient colony on a small planet from destruction.

Those of you who enjoyed Schizm will already know what to expect with Chameleon. The story and dialogues are authored by the award-winning Australian science-fiction writer Terry Dowling and the game is designed around complete freedom of movement for non-linear gameplay. Featuring more than 40 locations and 30 mind-bending puzzles, this is certainly a worthy sequel in the Mysterious Journey saga. A wondeful orchestrated soundtrack and environmental ambient noises rounds out the perfect adventure experience. Prepare to take your journey this November.

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Jack the Ripper (PC)
While writing a series of articles about horrible murders in the Low Side District of New York, reporter, Jimmy Palmer becomes involved in a deadly game of cat and mouse. His daily editorials trigger the interest of a dark being, who corresponds with Palmer via the newspaper. Palmer soon realizes that this crazed killer could be the infamous Jack the Ripper!

You can't miss with good material and Jack the Ripper is the stuff legends and great games are made of. The Virtools engine features some stunning graphics that recreate an authentic historic feel. Jack the Ripper features true adventure-style gameplay with exploration, item collection and clever puzzles of varying difficulty including audio, logic, and environmental brain teasers.

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