“One chapter is not
torn out of the book,
but translated into a better language;
and every chapter must be so translated."
п
Delaware St.
John: Volume 2: The Town with No Name
reunites us once again with the title’s namesake, a conflicted young man
haunted by his past and searching for answers to his future. Delaware is a
paranormal investigator with a very special edge. He is a “psychic,” a
natural gift, one might think. But in reality it turns out to be more of
a curse, for you see he has not learned yet to control his abilities. As a
result, he is plagued with disturbing telepathic dreams. Upon awakening,
instead of relief found in the succor of sublime reality – he must face
his nightmares, which pursue him into his daily life. In The Town with
No Name we find Delaware teaming up again with his virtual partner in
crime, Kelly Bradford, a bookstore owner. Also, a new colleague joins the
team, Simon Foss, a researcher with a British flair, whose expertise lies
in the field of the Occult.
As the episode
opens, we find Delaware sitting outside on a park bench, musing over the
events of Morrisville Manor*Y,
the Hunter, The Destroyer and the Protector and just how it all relates to
him. In an effort to keep these nagging thoughts at bay, Delaware decides
to help Kelly sort out the storeroom at her bookstore. As fortune (or
maybe rather misfortune) would have it, while in the process of cleaning
and sorting, an old atlas falls to his feet – opened to a particular
section. Delaware is immediately drawn to the map on the opened page as
though some unseen hand is directing his gaze. As he studies the map
(which depicts the backwoods of Northern Maine) he hears strange inner
voices, and gradually he can make out the topography of an old forgotten
town. Keep in mind that he is the only one to whom the ghostly utterances
and the town’s map appear, which indicates that this must be “a message
from beyond” specifically for him. With the help of Kelly’s research to
determine the approximate location, Delaware sets off to Maine to
investigate the “Town with No Name.”
After this
opening segment the game begins, and we catch up with Delaware just after
he moves through the heavy underbrush of the dense woods to find himself
on a lonely and deserted street. Because of the decaying and ramshackle
condition of various items, it is obvious that things are just not right
about this place. The town appears to be abandoned…yet the people who once
lived here left their autos and filled coffee cups still intact. It is as
though they vanished without a trace…and so the mystery begins….
The Art Work
"If I bow my soul down to the netherworld,
there, too, He is with me."ʒ
The artwork at
all levels held an apprehensive urgency for me. Not exactly fear or
horror, but that delicate netherworld “feel” one gets when walking down a
dark and lonely street as a prickly sensation creeps slowly up the nape of
one’s neck. The opening splash screens reminded me of watercolor
illustrations from books I had enjoyed in my youth. Colorful and
varied…yet with a slight cast of jaundice, just enough to put one on edge.
These “art plates” were executed by Lars Simkins and are interesting in
their own right. I hope that if Mr Wiegele decides to go forth with a
“Delaware St. John” companion novel that he utilizes some of this artwork
as illustrations for his book. Well done.
The Delaware
St. John games are a series of first person point-and-click adventures
that employ pre-rendered background graphics; here the lead artist Mitja
Mlakar uses an intricate hand to create the game world. The subdued
palette, with varying muted tones of grays, blues and sepia, is
nonetheless startling in its overall composition. It gives the gamer a
“hyper” sense of reality, evoking uneasy emotions as one wanders through
the desolate streets and decrepit buildings of The Town with No Name.
Ever-present is that nagging feeling of being watched by some unknown
entity residing just outside one’s peripheral vision. Here, the use of
light and shadow is also spot on, creating an indelible sense of malaise.
I can’t tell
you how many times I kept turning around thinking that there was something
behind me…waiting.
The Sounds
"Now, this bell tolling softly for another,
says to me: Thou must die."Ώ
The signature theme for Delaware St. John, written by the
extraordinarily talented Todd Kinsley, provides a common thread and
subliminally links both volumes together. This adds an extra dimension for
those gamers who have played Volume 1, an inexorable expectation upon
hearing the opening strains, gleaned from what’s gone before. The
progressive notes of the stringed instruments in that minor key give us a
sense of pensive sorrow and foreboding, while the driving undercurrent and
explosion of musical percussion within the next phrase sets us on edge,
and prepares us for “fight or flight” (figuratively speaking, that is).
It’s as though we are being not only haunted but hunted. I also feel that
the use of the organ music for the “sub-theme” of the first story The
Big Picture was indeed a wise decision, as this too colors the game
universe with a certain perverse quality, adding to one’s apprehension.
The underscore within the various scenes of the game is hauntingly
appropriate, as are the varying sound effects both “corporal” and “EVP.”
I particularly admired the use of tolling bells throughout the main theme,
which once again allows one to be put on edge with thoughts of things that
may “go bump in the night.” Simply sublime!
The voice acting rounds out the piece. Clear – expressive –
occasionally playful and always with consummate professionalism. Phil
Quinn is an absolute delight as Delaware St. John and Sonnet Carpenter as
the voice of Delaware’s ghost hunting partner, Kelly Bradford is the
perfect foil for him. Her lighthearted and sometimes pointed repartee with
Delaware brings forth the possibility of an underlying relationship,
giving the two lead characters a rich and solid base. They become
believable because of it. The character Simon Foss, aptly played by David
Vardy, rounds out the intrepid trio. Their delivery was concise and warm;
it made it a joy to play this adventure with them --- I felt as though I
was part of their team from the beginning. Well done.…most well done.
Gameplay
“I am
involved in mankind;
and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
it tolls for thee."
п
The reason I am so
intrigued with this adventure is largely because of the way the concept is
brought forth to the gamer -- in the guise of the short story. This
particular episode has two stories: The Big Picture and The Home
of the Damned. Either section can be played without knowledge of the
other, and the gamer will do just fine…but played in succession, these two
chapters encircle the story as a whole and offer a far richer mystery.
Now on the technical side of
things there is no physical manual; everything you really need to know is
within the confines of the “Tutorial” (accessible from the Main Menu),
which Kelly teaches with humor and grace. While this game is basically a
first person (we play under the guise of Delaware St. John)
point-and-click, inventory-based game, it also relies heavily on story
structure and character study of the many spirits that inhabit the
locations. An interesting improvement in Episode 2, as opposed to The
Curse of Midnight Manor, is that one will have the chance to speak
directly with the various ghostly inhabitants. The gamer can access and
analyze the information given by using the VIC interface or Voice/Imagery
Communicator at the bottom of the screen. Here one can record various
ghostly sounds and take pictures of shadows -- or anything else that one
wishes for Kelly to process on her computer. Thus both Kelly and Simon
will be able to offer suggestions and /or hints as to Delaware’s next
moves within the story. So remember to use the VIC often.
As to the length of the game: well, that is relative. In
the first story I missed two very important, tiny clues that caused me
hours of pondering until I realized that by simply clicking on the
“connect” button, Kelly could provide a hint for me. In the second half of
the adventure, once again I missed an important inventory item early on.
So, my advice here is to look very carefully at everything and leave no
letter unread and no “key” unturned and take photos of everything. I would
say that total gameplay would be roughly ten to twelve hours for those who
use a walkthrough or the built-in hint system via the VIC apparatus
throughout the game and sixteen for those who don’t. But my advice here is
as I’ve mentioned earlier --- take your time and don’t rush through this
truly engrossing adventure -- there is much to see, understand and devour.
