Morpheus
by Pirana Interactive

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Category: Video Games
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Product Summary

• Razer Pro Click v1.6--1600 dpi Mouse for Mac/PC
• PC Gamer (1-year)
• Logitech Cordless Desktop S 530 Laser for Mac ( 967664-0403 )
• Macally iShock II USB Force Feedback Programmable Game Controller

Video Game Reviews of Morpheus

Customer Review: That's What I Like!
Summary: 4 Stars

_Morpheus_ is a great example of a breed of adventure that pretty much started with MYST and is now, unfortunately for people like me, beginning to wane a bit in prominence: first person, point and click, atmospheric. You might call it "Amber on Ice;" like _Amber_ it involves somewhat supernatural phenomena and getting into the minds and dreams of others. The story that is revealed as you wander about the ship--presented in QT movies--is a kind of Phantom of the Opera with a gruesome twist. Unlike the stories in some other games, it is quite well-developed and realised, making for intriguing clues and puzzles integral to the story. The characters are, well, mental cases, but they are believable people and (with one exception) you end up feeling sympathy for them.

The graphics are really quite nice, with a 360-degree view. (My one complaint here was that though you could look around you to all sides, you could not look either up or down). The paths that you could travel were somewhat limited, however. In some rooms, you could, for example, only go into the corner by the desk. There were also a lot of things I would have liked to have been able to examine more closely. On the other hand, there were a few things that didn't seem to have any purpose. On the whole, the look trod the edge between sparse and lush, with backgrounds beautifully rendered but not too many objects.

As in MYST, the puzzles are largely mechanical. You need to make the ship work so you can figure out what's going on; you need to gain access to locked staterooms and so on. Later on there are some puzzles that involve acquiring inventory, but there is essentially no inventory you carry around; you use each item pretty much where you find it. There are no conversations and no interactions. For me, this was great; I prefer "true" puzzles to task accomplishment and mechanics to inventory. Others might find it tedious or difficult.

I ran this game on a brand new AMD 2800 with XP and the only real problem I had was that the mouse cursor was so extraordinarily sensitive that until I learned fine motor control I was all over the place. Fortunately, this didn't take long. I also had some problems with the movies: green screens and the like. I have heard there is a patch for this, but I couldn't find it.

_Morpheus_ took me about 25 hours to play. The start was slow and I wasn't sure I liked it at first. When things started to go together, I liked it a great deal. I was sorry to see it end, and the ending was quite abrupt!

Overall, this is the kind of adventure game that I like. If you're a fan of MYST an MYST-like games, you'll like this, too.

Description of Morpheus

The hokey 1950s video of your frostbitten character is thankfully left behind for the haunting visuals of an icebound ship, the Herculania. As you wander through the ship's fabulous art deco ballroom, movie theater, and other rooms you'll manipulate objects and find clues to how the six passengers diverted themselves with evil intentions and forbidden love. Con artists and hypocrites (with one exception), they came aboard the Herculania seeking pleasure--only to become ensnared in their hosts' scientific experiments. You'll also confront the Neurographicon, a futuristic dreams-to-reality device that you suspect trapped your father before you.

Integrated QuickTime sequences, ambient sounds, and the ability to pan 360 degrees enhance the gothic creepiness of this game. The game begins slowly, but the puzzles soon pick up the intellectual pace. Environment is important, and clues can be devastatingly subtle, though not as biographical as one might expect.

Morpheus is a rich, many-layered experience, with puzzles inside of puzzles, and you'll get a lot of play for your money. To finish you'll need a large notepad and pencil, some math, and careful powers of observation--or a lot of time. --Betsy Aoki

Pros:

• Lavish, colorful graphics and ambient sound
• Story rich enough to intrigue without excessive gore
• Engaging--the puzzles require thought and observation

Cons:

• Use of 3 CD-ROMs means you have to switch discs throughout the game
• Occasional crash for Mac users; PC users, note the patch

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