SanjuroIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 34
Joined: 7 JUL 2004
Status : Online | Access Software created the character of Tex Murphy in the late 80s for the game Mean Streets. Having played that game through to the end, I can safely say that their latest Tex Murphy game, Overseer, is a superior version of the same game. No one will ever have to play Mean Streets again, which essentially transforms this five game series back into four. Still, as a fan of the series in general, I must admit that though Overseer is a very solid game it couldn't help but be a bit of a letdown coming hot on the heels of the best Tex game, The Pandora Directive.
This time Tex is six years younger, a lot more optimistic about life in general, and very committed to his little book of rules for a P.I. Tex doesn't yet understand that sometimes the rules need to be bent a little bit; that the world isn't perfect. Shortly after going solo in the detective world, having parted from the agency that employed him when he couldn't handle the Colonel not going by the book, Tex Murphy gets a client. Her name is Sylvia Linsky, and her request doesn't sound all that difficult. She simply wants Tex to prove that her father's death was a homicide, not a suicide. Tex takes the case, and of course what begins so simply goes spinning into a web of enormous proportions.
The story is one of the strong points of the game, as it was in Martian Memorandum, Under a Killing Moon and The Pandora Directive. Truthfully, this is probably the deepest Tex Murphy plot, though it isn't as enjoyable as the one found in Pandora. Pandora was paced very well; it was exciting and suspenseful, with just the right amount of exploring and puzzles between events. Overseer maintains the lighthearted side of the Murphy mythos, but then it tries to take us into the nature of man itself. The results are decidedly mixed. The game not only tackles politics and Tex's evolving beliefs, but also the failings, no matter how sincerely attempted, of trying to create a perfect world. I liked the use of chess throughout the game as a metaphor for life itself, and the idea that the destruction of "created perfection" is what keeps humanity free. The ending is really rather great at providing satisfying closure to the tale, despite a little surprise before the credits, and the character of J. Saint Gideon is an interesting and tragic one (not to mention well acted in comparison to almost everyone else). What holds the story back a little is that, unlike in Pandora, you are left hoping for even more characterization (since the themes are so strong), better paced drama, and believe it or not, less humor...given the subject matter.
Another problem, though not as pronounced as it was in Under a Killing Moon, is the acting. Don't get me wrong, some of the acting is fine. Chris Jones, for instance, has really become comfortable in the shoes of Tex Murphy. Gideon is solid, Wanda Peck is portrayed acceptably, Sonny Fletcher works, etc. But Sylvia, Chelsea, Eve Clements, Delores Lightbody (awful, just awful), and others overplay their roles to maddening heights. It was also very distracting to see that apparently some of these actors are reading their lines off a damn teleprompter or something. The woman who plays Eve is constantly moving her eyes back and forth; it's enough to drive someone crazy. This kind of thing is not acceptable in a game of Overseer's pedigree, especially when it was trying to be so cutting edge at the time.
As a game though, Overseer delivers. Again, it's not on the level of Pandora, but it's close. Like the last two Tex Murphy games, the Virtual World engine is in use. In 1998, this engine was already beginning to show its age graphically, but it's just as playable as any 3D style engine. The player has full freedom to explore the environments, looking up or down, elevating eye levels up and down, looking at things, opening things, taking things, etc. The game has an inventory, of course, where you can combine items to make new ones, and there are also a number of puzzles in the game that have more in common with The 7th Guest than say, a Sierra or LucasArts inventory-based adventure. It all comes together to give that tasty blend of adventure game styles that fans of the series love. Overseer doesn't do a whole lot, if anything, to improve on the gameplay of Moon or Pandora, but it was never broken, so why fix it? Aside from the graphics themselves, that is. Also, Overseer seemed to be a bit of a step back in my view as far as conversations are concerned. You still get several response options, but Overseer lacks the multiple paths Pandora had, where Tex's attitude and decisions actually changed the result of the game.
Now seems like as good a time as any to mention that Overseer comes with both a 5 CD version, and a single DVD version. Everything is identical between the two, except for two things: (1) In the DVD version you never have to swap discs, which is a huge relief and a welcome improvement over the last two games. (2) The movie sequences are of much, and I stress the word "much", higher quality than those on the CD version. Indeed, if at all possible, everyone should play this game on DVD.
In closing, Tex Murphy: Overseer is a challenging, lengthy, fun, and for the most part engaging adventure game. Despite its shocking ending and the "To be continued..." message, it looked for a long time like the continuation would never happen. Now though, it's looking like Chris Jones and Aaron Conners may finally be able to get a new Tex game out (last I heard, anyhow). It may not use FMV anymore, but who cares? I suppose the greatest compliment I can offer Overseer is this: It makes you want the next one. Badly.
SCORE: 7/10
|
