The Final Question

by

David Whyld

Review: Stefan Donati (Shuarian)

Genre: Horror

Platform: Adrift 4

Download: http://www.shadowvault.net/games/intro.zip

This entry of the Adrift Intro Comp 2005 is written by David Whyld, the most prolific Adrift author. It finished second, equal with 'Murder Mansion' by Reelyor.

'The Final Question' is a game about Anton Ryder, the player's alter ego with a rather unusual passion: trying to find a way to live forever. And although we see an engaged discussion between the ambitious scientist and his partner, Markham, we soon find ourselves in a room with a machine, designed to bring eternal life to whomever enters through its gateway. After we examine the machine a little bit, Markham starts the countdown for what could be a historical landmark of humanity. Given this impact, I can understand why the author has chosen to let the countdown go down one by one. Nevertheless, typing 'wait' several times didn't really increase the tension for me. Maybe there's another way of doing this, like an automatic countdown or a soundfile?

After the player has entered the machine, the game takes us on a flashback to a scene seven years earlier. It gives us more information on the lonely and unemotional life Anton has, and we witness how he even isn't able to show emotions in a moment of great grief, as he learns of his parents death in a car accident.

The scene changes again, and Anton, unenthusiastically as you'd expect him, describes his workplace. Except for the door and the ceiling, everything in the workplace can be examined. The most interesting objects by far are some books, which, upon reading, show some excerpts about death and life; they add a strong sense of suspense to the story. The books have to be read one after one, as 'read books' isn't a recognized command.

In the final stage of the intro, we're back in the present and Anton is experiencing strange feelings as his trip through the machine unfolds. The end cuts in at a tensing moment, when we only know that he is safe, but nothing more about the future fate of his journey.

Apart from a few missing commands and objects, I enjoyed this intro. It established a good and enthralling storyline, and the pacing at which new information are given is very well arranged. The experience this author has with game writing clearly shows. I was a little bit disappointed about not being able to explore more on my own, but that's not that surprising for an intro.

So, will a game follow this intro? In a recent thread on the Adrift forums, David Whyld hasn't included it on a list of his working titles, but maybe it will reincarnate in another one of his games? I certainly hope so.

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