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The Arrangement #87914
07/05/04 10:35 PM
07/05/04 10:35 PM
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 638
Amarillo, TX USA
Bruce Fielder Offline OP
Settled Boomer
Bruce Fielder  Offline OP
Settled Boomer

Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 638
Amarillo, TX USA
I received the game this past Thursday and my 10 year old son and I played it over the long weekend to its conclusion. Overall, this is an enjoyable game. It doesn't have the impact of the first Dark Fall but it is, IMHO, better than Michael's first game, The Harvest.

I played the game on my WIN 2000NT laptop with only an 8MB video card and it ran flawlessly. I am very much appreciative of any game that runs without any glitches on this old machine as well as my iMac. So, you folks with newer, better PC's shouldn't have any trouble getting the game to load up and run. Once you've installed it, you don't need the CD in the drive; it runs right off its own files.

Like The Harvest, this is a game that uses psychological suspense to create the interest in playing it out. The graphics are an improvement over The Harvest but are still basic. The visual depictions of the people involved are done graphically this time instead of FMV and, they are so basic that they somewhat detract from the atmosphere. The voice over work though is quite well done, particularly the actor that does both the voices for Fortrey and Annie's father. The music is unobtrusive and adds to the ambience of the game.

Michael included some interesting and humorous "nods" to the adventure games we have all played. In one instance, the main character is warned that he must locate and rescue his wife in one hour or she will die but, in the next breath, we are told that this one hour is "limitless . . . it is an adventure game after all." Another item I particularly liked was an Inventory Red Herring Analyzer machine. You put in inventory items, it "analyzes" the item and if you don't really need it, it vaporizes it! I wish I had this machine in several games that forced me to drag around useless items.

Without going into the plot because I don't want to give anything away, the reason the hero does what he does is valid to the game but the central meaning of "The Arrangement" is never clearly revealed - - - only alluded to in the clues. You get to explore several different sites and you have to go back and forth between several of them to accomplish the goals and advance to another site.

This back and forth process was the only really tiresome point of the game play. The only way I found to do it was to leave the site I was in and get back to the main menu to select the other site I needed. While you don't have to redo any puzzles you've previously solved in an former site, the overall process detracted from the otherwise excellent and easy game play.

The game is short and none of the puzzles are really too difficult. If you do get stuck, you can refer to an excellent WT by MaG for hints or full blown solutions.

My only other quibble with the game was the ending. Like most adventure games, the ending lacked impact and I found it silly even allowing for the required "suspension of reality" needed to play these games.

All in all, I found Michael's second foray into adventure game design an overall enjoyable game. I'd give an grade of B minus or a 7 out of 10 or 3.5 stars out of 5. I did like it much better than The Harvest in almost every aspect. I look forward to playing his other games as well.


Live by the Golden Rule at all times.
Re: The Arrangement #87915
07/06/04 01:10 PM
07/06/04 01:10 PM
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 3,424
WA. USA
lasanidine Offline
Addicted Boomer
lasanidine  Offline
Addicted Boomer

Joined: May 2001
Posts: 3,424
WA. USA
This is a truly wonderful review and a very precise one. <img border="0" alt="bravo" title="" src="graemlins/bravo.gif " />


"I am not young enough to know everything."

Oscar Wilde
Re: The Arrangement #87916
07/06/04 01:53 PM
07/06/04 01:53 PM
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 12,307
Body in California/Heart in Ha...
syd Offline
Adept Boomer
syd  Offline
Adept Boomer

Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 12,307
Body in California/Heart in Ha...
Hi Bruce

I haven't played the "retail" version yet (mine is coming) but I did beta test and feel pretty much the same way as you about the game.

The only thing that I really had a complaint about (and I did during the testing) was how the inventory drops down and flips back up -I wasn't crazy about it in Harvest and I'm still not crazy about it - but that's just me laugh

The Arrangement is a vast improvement over Harvest - and to me this bodes very well for Michael's next game.


Dark Side : Risen
Light Side:

I can only please one person a day. Today isn't your day. Tomorrow's not looking good either.
Re: The Arrangement #87917
07/06/04 08:25 PM
07/06/04 08:25 PM

A
Anonymous
Unregistered
Anonymous
Unregistered
A



Wonderful review smile
I agree with most of it. But I really liked the ending smile made sense to me.
smile

Re: The Arrangement #87918
07/06/04 10:56 PM
07/06/04 10:56 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 843
Bradford, ON
F
Fongo Offline
Settled Boomer
Fongo  Offline
Settled Boomer
F

Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 843
Bradford, ON
Quote:
The only thing that I really had a complaint about (and I did during the testing) was how the inventory drops down and flips back up -I wasn't crazy about it in Harvest and I'm still not crazy about it - but that's just me
The drop-down inventory bar is, I believe, the standard one that comes with the Adventure Maker engine that Mike used. I'm not sure whether it's customizable, but I think Mike used the basic no frills version of Adventure Maker in the game.

Re: The Arrangement #87919
07/07/04 12:25 AM
07/07/04 12:25 AM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 40,644
southeast USA
Jenny100 Offline
GB Reviewer Glitches Moderator
Jenny100  Offline
GB Reviewer Glitches Moderator
Sonic Boomer

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 40,644
southeast USA
Quote:
Originally posted by catsmom2:
Wonderful review smile
I agree with most of it. But I really liked the ending smile made sense to me.
smile
I liked the ending too.
Got a good laugh out of it.

Re: The Arrangement #87920
07/07/04 04:38 AM
07/07/04 04:38 AM
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 598
North Yorkshire, UK
karvic Offline
Settled Boomer
karvic  Offline
Settled Boomer

Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 598
North Yorkshire, UK
Just finished the game and I loved it! Well done Michael on a super follow up to Harvest and I'm looking forward very much to the next one.

Karen <img border="0" alt="bravo" title="" src="graemlins/bravo.gif " />


Don't cry because it's over.... Smile because it happened!
Re: The Arrangement #87921
07/08/04 08:14 AM
07/08/04 08:14 AM
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 15,679
England
tigger Offline
Graduate Boomer
tigger  Offline
Graduate Boomer

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 15,679
England
The ending left me with a few questions.... really enjoyed the game though smile


A bounce a day keeps the doctor away!!
Playing Sims2, Sherlock, Phantom of Venice
Reading Storm Breaking
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