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Secrets of the Ark A Broken Sword Game |
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Saturday, 30 June 2007 |
 When you start saying things like. "Give the salami to the Rottweiler" to yourself. you're either into zoophilia (yuck), remembering Zaa from the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, or using really elementary adventure-game logic. Let's choose option C. ln Secrets of the Ark. sure, you'll see that kind of sophomoric solution, but this title also manages to conjure up some of the best puzzle-solving you've seen since the heyday of LucasArts adventures. lf you don't remember those, think "a whole lot of great brainstorming."

 This is developer Revolution's fourth act in the Broken Sword series that debuted over a decade ago. Returning hero George Stobbart—self-proclaimed private dick—has become a bail bondsman after his last (mis)adventure. but gets drawn once again into investigative mode when a curvaceous blonde shows up, stammering about a lost manuscript/treasure map. The game premise is pretty well-worn; yet another case of -What are those wacky Templars up to now?" And with Do Vinci Code-ism running rampant, you don't feel anything truly fresh here. With nods to Indiana Jones all over the place as well, you really don't feel anything fresh..but for some reason, the story works (don't hold your breath for a big finale. though). Even in its predictability, the game builds enough tension to drag you through the longest stretches of dialogue. Yards and yards of dialogue. Miles of it (which you sadly can't skip when you're replaying a scene). The thing is that—even when tediously verbose—much of it is really...catchy. |