What began as the last Mug Software title and the first entry in the Just Adventure Independent Developer’s section to be published as freeware by the game’s developer, is now Got Game Entertainment’s latest release, with plans for a sequel already underway. Once again, Jonathan Cooper alone has shown us that hard work and perseverance can pull through in his second effort to create an adventure game, his first being The Key in 2002. Ever since then (although I heard some griping about the workload), Cooper has been hard at work on Final Destination and teamed with Cyragon Interactive last year to finish it. As I will mention, both games have a lot in common.

Final Destination is a futuristic science-fiction game about war, power sources, and planets. In 2818, an interplanetary civil war broke out, destroying the galaxy. From the aftermath emerged Larson’s Folly, a unique civilization that thrived on their own power plant and other handmade intricacies. Three hundred years later, you’ve crossed the galaxy to find them – only to discover that the planet was destroyed in a stellar shockwave. Their journals and damaged machinery reveal the only clues you have to the outcome of the disaster. Did some survive, or are they all buried under the dust that used to be their home?

Unfortunately, the plot is furthered only by the puzzles, because there aren’t any characters to interact with except Charlie, the intelligent but damaged machine. The only way to solve the puzzles, however, is to read – and there is a lot to read on Larson’s Folly. Most of your time spent with this game will be reading, and some of it is difficult to decipher. Within gibberish computer language you can find the code to that locked door, but deciphering the code must be done with the help of another panel, which you must find by name. It’s all very confusing, and everything depends on total precision. Because there are three difficulty levels you can choose when beginning a new game, no matter how experienced a gamer you may be, I don’t suggest choosing the hardest level if you don’t like to read in an adventure, especially because you won’t get some of the extra hints hidden within the text. There is a walkthrough that comes with the game, however, that is built into the main menu. It gives you a hint on the puzzle you are currently working on or will encounter next, but does not go any further than that. It is a thoughtful addition to the game and frustrated players who don’t have the patience to read (or missed some of the vital clues from previous readings) will appreciate it.

The puzzles come one after the other, mostly consisting of entering coordinates or pushing buttons or adjusting settings on panels and computers. They’re hard, and don’t think you’ll get through this game without taking some detailed notes, but you get a great sense of accomplishment when you finish them. That said, the ending will satisfy all of your hard work and may even bring a tear or two.

It is interesting to read the Status Log on Cooper’s website and read about the trials and tribulations he encountered in creating this game. One such example is the time it took to render the graphics, but anyone can see the time was well-spent. Graphics are spectacular, considering they were the effort of 1-2 people, and this is demonstrated even more so when, about halfway through the game, the color scheme changes due to the solution of a puzzle. I cannot say the same for the movies, though. They are grainy; even the rolling credits are slightly blurred. It is sometimes hard to tell what is going on unless you have read the panel that informs you. Nevertheless, they get the job done, but not with quite the polish as everything else. Interface is also a bit hard to get used to, what with you being able to turn only 90 degrees in either direction besides taking one step ahead. It may take more steps that you think to be able to get ahead to a certain doorway so you can turn and enter into the next room. Plus, there is no ‘inactive’ cursor – it’s just your regular mouse pointer.

The background music is kept to a minimum, but the song that plays on the main menu is beautiful. There are plenty of sound effects when you toy with the different equipment Larson’s Folly has to offer, although some of them are annoying in the same way that you might cringe at the sound of a Windows error message.

Probably the most generous aspect of the game is the bonus material. Jonathan Cooper is also the co-author of a series of e-books in the Starman Series and from the main menu you can access a full-length version of one of the books! (Yes, more reading!) I am not a fan of science fiction, but those who are – you are in for a treat! And if you like what you read, there are plenty more additions to the series available via a link at Jonathan’s website.

Overall, this is a splendid effort marred by only a few minor things. You should definitely buy this game, not only to support Jonathan but also GGE in hopes that they will continue to publish many more Indy games (especially ones of this quality) in the future.

You can download a demo of Final Destination here: http://www.justadventure.com/IndependentDevs/MugSoftware

Final Grade: B+
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