Reviewed: September 7, 2005
Reviewed by: John DeWeese
Publisher
The Adventure Company
Developer
Kheops Studio
Released: August 16, 2005
Genre: Adventure
Players: 1
ESRB: Teen
8
7
8
8
7.9
System Requirements
Screenshots (Click Image for Gallery)
Americans don’t like to talk about it, but the first man on the moon was from France. In the 1800s, famed French explorer Michel Ardan reached the moon after being fired into space by cannon. At least, that’s how famous science fiction author Jules Verne pictured the first trip to the lunar surface in his book, “From the Earth to the Moon.”
Now, The Adventure Company brings to life Verne’s visions of an alien world populated by mysterious beings in the new PC adventure game, Voyage - inspired by Jules Verne. Players take on the role of Ardan - an "Indiana Jones meets Doctor Who meets MacGyver" sort of guy – who must survive the trip through space and his first few hours on the moon with only his wits, some basic tools, and a rooster.
A chicken in space is just one of the brilliantly odd-ball plot twists Voyage has to offer. The game is set in Victorian times, which means the main character gets around space in a giant artillery shell. Let’s not forget that in the imaginations of 19th Century writers such as Verne or H.G. Wells, the man on the moon was carved by strange alien races.
Voyage offers adventure gamers:
- Unique inventory system that allows you to combine objects
- An array of thought-provoking puzzles as you travel to the moon
- The chance to explore ancient ruins in the hopes of making contact with the mysterious Selenites
I will admit that this game is a change of pace for me. Most of my sci-fi gaming experiences have come in games like Doom or Half Life, where I negotiate with alien races at the end of a really big barrel. But I found myself enjoying the classic sci-fi background and slower paced action of this more traditional adventure game.
The Adventure Company already adapted a Jules Verne book earlier this year in Return to Mysterious Island, but that best-selling game was set in the modern era. This time around, the action is set in Victorian times. Not only does the setting limit the tools Ardan has available, it requires a certain suspension of disbelief. We all know there has never been life on the moon, but it’s fun to pretend that a race of highly intelligent aliens call the moon home.
As with most adventure games, the whole point of Voyage is to collect tools and solve a variety of puzzles. The game begins as Michel Ardan regains consciousness after being launched into space aboard a primitive space capsule. He soon discovers his two companions are dead and that with the oxygen running low, he may soon be a goner too.
The interface is pretty simple – point and click to examine your environment or to use a tool. Unlike some adventure titles where you have to figure out absurd puzzles, solving the first levels of Voyage is all about using common sense. For the most part I could explore the environment at my leisure, but there were timed puzzles where Ardan would die if I couldn’t come up with a quick solution.
One of the first challenges was figuring out how to increase the air supply. I died several times before I discovered that I had to put the right bag of chemicals under a Bunsen burner in order to breathe easy again. This is just one of several scientifically themed puzzles, where through trial and error you have to combine different chemicals or isolate an alien isotope. Sometimes the science challenges got old, but sometimes I felt like MacGyver as I saved the day with a little potassium chlorate, a wrench and a belt buckle.
Fortunately, it’s a breeze to combine different items in your inventory to create new tools. As my capsule neared the moon’s surface, I realized I needed to fire off retro-rockets to slow my descent. Clicking on my inventory, I selected a knife to cut open some rifle cartridges for powder. Then I combined the powder with the rockets so I could make a soft landing.
Every time I solved a puzzle (or time ran out), the game flashed to a storybook screen where I learned new tidbits of information. It’s the perfect way to advance the storyline without boring players. The storybook mode also shows illustrations of Ardan triumphing over adversity or meeting his unfortunate end. Fortunately, Voyage is pretty forgiving when it comes to death. The game starts over immediately if a player makes a mistake, but I still recommend saving often.
Once on the lunar surface, the puzzles are all about exploring mysterious ruins and deciphering the hieroglyphics left behind by the Selenites. Learning the alien language allowed me to open secret doors or use alien relics to build a new spacecraft for the journey home. Players will also discover if the little blue men on the moon are friendly or whether they consider humans barely smart enough to be pets.
What worked for me is the puzzles are challenging but not impossible to solve. The alien language looked daunting at first, but became easier and easier to understand the more I progressed. I also liked that Voyage has a rich back-story, told through illustrations and film cut-scenes, that explains how the Selenites once regularly visited Earth and why they turned their back on the human race.
What I hated about Voyage is the lack of open-ended game play, as obstacles keep you from veering too far off the central storyline. Several times I felt trapped until I realized the game simply wouldn’t let me go into certain areas until I first explored in the opposite direction. The interface could also be a pain, as I sometimes had to position the mouse just right to pick up an object. But I must applaud the developers for giving players a large inventory and making it super-easy to combine objects.
The visuals for this game are hit or miss. First and foremost, most environments look static and two-dimensional. I would have liked to seen more character animation, perhaps watch Ardan walk around and actually manipulate objects. Even a first-person view where I could see Ardan’s hand holding a tool would be nice; I know I missed being able to bang things with my wrench ala Half Life.
I loved the look of several settings. The space capsule looks perfectly Victorian, and the moon’s surface is covered in a fantastically colored jungle of green, gold and ruby plants. The storybook illustrations look as if they belong in a first edition of Verne’s novel. I also found the film cut-scenes were well-done and kept the story moving.
But I found myself getting lost in the ruins, which were far too dark and lacking in detail. The Selenites, which I only glimpsed briefly in the early part of the game, were a big let-down once I saw them up close.
If you are expecting a game as visually stunning as Myst or Syberia, Voyage falls short. But even in the parts where the graphics are less than stunning, the lack of eye candy doesn’t take away from good game play.
As in many of the top adventure titles, the sound effects in Voyage are well-done. The sounds of water dripping from alien plants, footsteps echoing in forgotten caverns, or the clucking of your pet chicken in the capsule all add life to this title.
The voice acting and narration is solidly done. I must give props to the actor playing Michel Ardan, who pronounces French words perfectly but doesn’t lay it on thick with a cheesy Parisian accent. The game also doesn’t ruin the action with long monologues or inane chit-chat in cut scenes.
The music is pleasant but forgettable, which probably has more to do with the fact that it takes a back seat to the sound effects and narration.
Voyage seems accessible to newcomers to the adventure genre but also challenging enough for longtime fans. Hardcore gamers may find it too easy, but most players will find the challenges just right, especially the timed challenges where Ardan’s life hangs in the balance. There are also mini-games that help break up the puzzle-solving drudgery, such as a jumping game where you have to time a jump meter just right for Ardan to get to the next moon cliff.
Adventure games rarely offer replay value once solved – but Voyage does have some hidden content that would warrant a second crack after you’ve beat the game. The Selenites even have a “lunar IQ” system that awards you points for solving all the puzzles correctly in a certain amount of time.
Adventure fans will find Voyage lives up to most of their expectations. If you love the fantastical worlds and odd characters found in the works of Verne, H.G. Wells, Ray Bradbury, or Gene Roddenberry’s first Star Trek series, this title is worth checking out.
If you like splattering aliens while firing two plasma pistols Serious Sam-style, you already know this game’s not for you. The Selenites can be awfully snooty and there is no way to bring them down a notch with a toss of a thermal grenade.
Voyage doesn’t explore new gaming territory, but it’s a solid adventure title. It also does a really good job of bringing a somewhat forgotten classic to life. Kudos to the Adventure Company for creating a space game that does not involve barrel-chested action heroes, space ships hurtling along at warp speed, or acid-drooling aliens bent on world domination.
This title is a worthy addition to any adventure gamer’s collection. After all, where else can you get to play a French scientist who travels the galaxy with a chicken?