I would very much like to see reviews of these two games. I just love this forum. It helps me decide what games to acquire and what games to avoid because of my personal likes and dislikes. Thanks
Love, Betty Lou

Hi Betty Lou,

I have played and really enjoyed Sanitarium.

Its a weird game, many puzzles, most of them logical. You can't go on to the next bit til you have solved the current scenario, but you can explore quite a bit. Some of the scenes are gruesome, not to spoil the game, but you find yourself in a mortuary at one point, surrounded by mutant children at another, apart from this, its a very compelling game.

Not something you can do quickly, it will keep you immersed for hours. Each scenario is different, though they do have links. No annoying mazes, some other beings to interact with, everything follows a logical path.

Hope this helps.

Tig

hi,
i just finished sanitarium myself. though
it is, as tigger says, a weird game, i really enjoyed playing it.
it' mouse and click. but to save, load,
and to quit, you have to go to the 'escape' button on the keyboard.
the grapghics, sound were very realistic. the story just kept you going, you had to find out what was gooing to happen next.
i highly recommend it, and it installed and played with no problems on my windows 95/98
hope this helps.
rainbowlady

------------------
i am not perfect, but i am perfectly human.

I liked Sanitarium very much - though it was in chapters with widely different game environments, story lines and characters. Kind of like traveling through the different nightmares of a person in one night. These were all sub-plots to the main story thread of who you were, where were you and how did you get there. Some of the chapters I enjoyed much more than others - but the whole game was very engrossing to me - if a bit macabe.

Nocturne is totally different - but I have really enjoyed it level by level. I haven't finished it yet though. I play Nocturne in starts and stops. The characters are really unique as is the premise of the game.

You have no name, being referenced only as the "Stranger". Raised from a child by a mysterious government entity - you are a member of the "Spookhouse". Other agents include a Vampire, Voodoo guy, A Demon... Your mission is to eradicate the black psychic and mystical forces that seek to overturn the balance between good and evil and destroy or perhaps take over the world as we know it.

The environments are dark and haunted. The ambiant sounds are fabulous. The problem with the game is that your perspective automatically can shift without warning and at some very awkward moments for game play. The first mission/level deals with A Vampire King of sorts, his minions, gouls, werewolves and other nasties. At one point you are walking through the main woods where the werewolves are and suddenly you are looking at your character from a distance through trees and having to fight 2 or 3 snarling Wolfen. Arghhh. But there are plenty of cheat codes to ease this. Other than this part it is a third person shooter, action, adventure (many challenges throughout) You have a huge game environment to roam around in and can buy yourself a short breather by avoiding evil beastie high traffic areas. I play this when I just need to distract myself for a bit and not think too much. I have completed the first two levels and am in the third now.

If you have the space available - you can download the entire game - but be warned it is huge at over a gig. But no CD load at all - just start it up. There are unlimited save slots and they are date/time stamped to easily see where you left off. There is a looong wait for loads and re-loads, many people myself included hate this part - but the musical interlude is really cool. This is a game for lights off - It can be very scary.

If you do get it and more importantly enjoy it, there is a huge following for this game and lots of fan levels written up to be added in. Some of these are so-so - but there are a few that are real fun. Like Indiana Jones and the IF, this game can last a long time if you so choose. I defintely felt I got way more than I paid for with Nocturne.

Laura


[This message has been edited by gatorlaw (edited 04-16-2001).]

Like Laura I have not completed Nocturne, but I wanted to add my thoughts to this theme.

I love this game, especially the graphics. The 3D rendering is absolutely superb and the whole atmosphere created is moody and oppressive, especially in the forest in the dead of night, it's pouring with rain and you are being stalked by a gang of wolfen. The detail is also excellent - seeing the mist and condensation of their breath rise above our heroes as they traverse the cold wet night.

It's also a huge game environment to explore. It is most definitely an action shooter and on occasion the fighting is fast, furious and bloody.

Good original theme as well. Not much, if anything, to say that's bad about this game.

I really enjoyed Sanitarium. Half way through I got stuck. I kept going in and out of this one area hoping something would "click", but I ended up locking up the entire game. There is a patch to download for this irritating glitch, so if you do play Sanitarium (and I suggest you do...... if you like "squishie" things that go bump in the night ) Please download the patch.
Enjoy

I love Sanitarium. Really strange. You wake up as a mental patient. Statues talk to you, you have flash backs, you fight
pumpkin people and meet freakish children, etc. Wonderful graphics, interesting puzzles and the ending was pretty good.

Nocturne is truly beautiful and has amazing
graphics. My machine had all the needed bells and whistles to play it so it worked great. I, too, keep starting and stopping this one because of the fighting. I thought
when I went through Blair Witch 1,2, and 3
I would tackle it, but I guess I was too pooped from the fights there. You can use
god-mode in all the Nocture/Blair Witch games
and I sure do when I can't do the fight. It doesn't hurt my self-esteem one bit. I will
crank it up again one day I'm sure.

I just finished Sanitarium and just loved this game. I have heard some people say they didn't like the aspect of the children in it being deformed, it didn't bother me because I looked at it his way (I remembered it's just a game and I'm not squemish.) Each part of the game was different as you didn't know what or who you were going to be in the next part of the game. I did have to use a WT for the puzzle's tho. I like strange game's I have played Amber, Lighthouse, Black Dahliah, BlackStone Chronicles the Forgotten and Gabriel Knights. Now I Don't know what to do. Just thought I'd put my two cent's in. Josie

Hi,
I thought Sanitarium was a bit patchy, but overall I enjoyed it. Some of the environments were really different, and the macabre nature of the game was a big plus. Its good to see games being different with the ideas and themes they explore.
Nocturne I wanted to like a lot, being a vampire fan. But I could not get past the wildly changing cameras. Too often I would find myself in fights with things where I couldn't even see my character, so had no idea what to do or where to go. I might have to try again with godmode turned on, although that would spoil it to a certain degree.

flotsam

Has anyone played Sanitarium on XP?

Thanks.

Melanie

I have played it on xp and it worked fine ..

One aspect of Nocturne no one mentioned is that it's a straight keyboard game Betty Lou, just thought I'd mention this as I know your feelings about that. The game can play out as a straight adventure though if you use the God mode cheat code (can't get killed and gives you all the ammo you need), It is one huge dynamite game with different story scenarios (sort of like each chapter being a mini game within itself with you playing the same character (The Stranger-hired by Teddy Roosevelt to wipe out supernatural creatures from the Earth and you face every kind imaginable). Definitely worth playing.

Bill

Thanks, Ron.

I've been intrigued by the talk about this game and really want to get it, especially now that I know it will play on XP!

One thing really concerns me though. I've heard about the exploding disk problem with this game. How can one be sure when buying it, that it will be a good version?

Melanie

I am playing and much enjoying Sanitarium at present (on XP): thanks for the tip about the patch, not to be confused with the Patch

Nocturne sounds like it might be for me!

BUT, will it run on XP??

Lex -- I checked, and Nocturne isn't listed on Inferno's XP list. You might want to post in the Adventure Game Discussion forum and ask if anyone has played Nocturne on XP.