For those of you who bought and played the game -- did any kind of manual or readme get installed with the game?

The game only comes as a digital download at the moment. There is no manual among the game files. At the start of the game there is a Prologue/Tutorial that you can take. The tutorial explains all the cursors and movements that you need. navigation is smooth and simple in Dracula 4, so there is no real need for a manual.

The tutorial does NOT explain why you have a Load Game option on the Main Menu with no ability to save the game. I wouldn't be surprised to see people asking how to save games in Glitches forum, the same way there were with the "updated" download version of Nautilus, etc.

If a second person in your household wants to play the game, it does NOT repeat instructions for creating a new profile. It would be easy for them to overwrite the first player's profile by starting a new game.

At no time was it explained that you miss part of the game by not playing the tutorial before choosing "New Game."

I wasn't able to find a pdf manual or readme in my game folder, which is why I asked if anyone else had received one. I disagree with you when you say no manual is necessary. People shouldn't have to check Marita's walkthrough to find out about these things.

I noticed in the walkthrough that there is no manual save feature. Does this mean that we have to go through huge chunks of the game before an autosave or have to start all over again if we have to quit before there's an autosave? I recently attemped a game like that and had to start all over again after getting quite a ways in. If that's the case I think I'll skip this one which is too bad as I've liked the passed Drac. games.

Regards,

Barry

It autosaves when you close out the game.

Ana

Thanks Ana,

In that case I might give it a go.

I just saw on adventureclassicgaming that they have just posted a review on Dracula 4. The writer pulled no punches on what he thought of the game and gave it a 2 out of 5. It was a good review and a fair one I thought. When GameBoomers release a review on Dracula 4,I would like to see the comparisons between them.

For those who wants to know what Callista was referring to, there is the link:

http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com/index.php/site/reviews/806/

I have mixed feelings of the review. The review points to the same issues as other posters here about the short length of the game. But I am not sure if I care much that the story needs to be a direct continuation of the previous game. The last game came out a few years ago, so it may be a good idea to reboot the series to a new direction. I think this game was developed by a new developer not involved in the previous games. Thus, it makes sense that the developer would want to reboot the series with a new story.

I agree with Callista that the reviewer pulled no "punches" in his opinion.

Does rebooting mean leaving Dracula out? If this is going to be a vampire saga without the old man, they should leave him out of the title and stop misleading people, especially people who love the Dracula series and were looking forward to a new game about him.

To quote the reviewer: "Even after some substantive time of play, there is not a whimper of the word "Dracula" to be heard in the game. As an example, early on in the game, you find a bust of Vlad Tepes (Dracula) hidden by Professor Vambery in a secret vault. Yet, no observation is being made by any other character—not even Adam, despite being a descendant of Stoker—to ever suspect Dracula to be involved."

Gil.

It was never supposed to be a sequel to the others as I posted Here.

Interesting thoughts, Gil.

It may just be literary foreshadowing that his name is not explicitly mentioned early on. Thankfully, the review did not include any spoilers on how the game ends, so I don't know if the name Dracula will come up later in the game.

I suppose I'm just hot about the way 'Dracula' 4 turns out to be not only short but episodic when no mention was made of that, and so far seems to have little to do with him. Maybe they'll get to him next time...or the time after that.

It really irks me because I loved Resurrection, Sanctuary and Origin, the last markedly different from the first two but a great game on its own even if Dracula didn't appear very much in it and the story was truly a "rebooting". The threat of Dracula was there throughout the game and the protagonist was a well known character from the novel so I, at least, didn't feel cheated. Not to mention that the graphics were beautiful in all three, immeasurably better than what I see in the trailer for The Shadow of the Dragon.

What I've seen of this game and what I read in ACG's review is so disappointing. I really did want to like it and now I'm so glad I didn't have the wherewithal to get it hot off the press.

Arrgh.

Gil.

Money saved, Gil; money saved. Hopefully saved for what we were anticipating some day.

Indeed, Tomato Lady. I watched a ten minute gameplay video on some game site and I can tell you that the price of Dracula 4 could be "Free to a Good Home" and I'd pass.

Gil.

Don't forget that Dracula didn't make an appearance in Dracula 3 until almost the end of the game. And considering what happens at the end of Dracula 4, it's not certain that you haven't already seen Dracula in some form.