FORMAT: PC-PC/CD-ROM Simply put, this is an adventure game. You are an agent of Bureau 13, a group of people kept Top Secret at even the highest levels of government. Bureau 13 missions consist of paranormal investigations and control. All of its agents have skills such as casting magic spells, forming magic smoke screens (called a mist form), and non-paranormal skills such as computer hacking.
When you begin the game you can choose two agents from the bureau to lead the investigation, basing your choic on the agents particular secret (paranormal skills). The game is very easy to play. The cursor changes its form from an eye for looking, to a hand to pick items up (such as a magnifying glass to search with) or a mouth to speak. You have many choices of locations to investigate; each with nice background and light effects. There are many people to interrogate, and details to check, and you can evaluate your performance with your efficiency rating. Unlike most adventure game in which you get points for actions done, in this game the rating is based solely on your investigations efficiency. Efficiency points build up slowly, so don't look for a "big score" right away. As you learn and discover more, your "score" will build. And remember, one of your goals is to avoid letting any other investigative group (such as the FBI and local police) find out anything.
The graphics and animations are really great and various for each location. The speech pack is also very good, but the music is somewhat lacking. You can however listen to the five audio CD tracks (performed by some unknown rock band) but NOT during the game. You can also play with the Option Bar during the game but it's a bit big and you loose half of your screen so it's better to play without it.
The game isn't easy as I've already played quite a few hours but I'm not that far into my investigation. The game is allowed for every age but I wouldn't recommend it to children. The game is based on a pen & paper role playing game which is also quite difficult, but it makes this game captivating. The scenario may vary with the agents that you choose, and some can pick locks and others may go as a "mist form" past a security agent without being seen. The combat sequences are very well done but are not that easy, so remember to use your special skills if you want to get out of it alive.
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