Like much in this game, the graphics have a decidedly retro feel, more reminiscent of the hand-painted scenes that Sierra made famous in the 90s than of the stylized art found in more recent cartoon games like Runaway. Even so, each screen is beautifully rendered, and at 640x480 resolution, far more detailed than in either of the King's Quest remakes. The desert sun glimmers through the cacti and rocks as Al makes his way along Anozira's dried-up riverbanks. Red dust devils blow across the screen, accompanied by whistling wind, giving a distinct sense of the hot desert air.

Al Emmo's location may remind players of Freddy Pharkas, but the humor has a healthy dose of Leisure Suit Larry thrown in. And in the great LSL tradition, most of the content is not overtly sexual, but instead is hinted at through innuendo. Based on what I've seen so far, there will be plenty to keep us tittering, particularly in Anozira's local bordello. Brimhall says that care has been taken to keep the situations and humor from becoming too graphic, in case children stumble across the game, but the intended audience is adults. After last year's disappointing Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude—proof that subtlety is a lost art—this less obvious adult humor is especially refreshing. There's plenty to Al Emmo besides sex, but many of the jokes go in that direction, at least implicitly. I'm hoping this bodes well for Al.

The game is point & click with a simple, icon-driven interface that's similar to Sierra's, but with Himalaya's own touches. Like their past projects, Al Emmo is built with the free AGS engine, but Himalaya is going a step farther with this title by introducing 3D character models to their 2D backgrounds. The 3D models have allowed Himalaya to create detailed sprites that perform complex and fluid movements, as well as a number of quirky character animations. As you can see in the exclusive screenshot below, the two styles have been integrated almost seamlessly.



The game features close-up dialogue portraits for Al as well as most of the NPCs. These help the player get closer to the characters. Al Emmo will be voiced by professional actors, and the dialogue portraits will be lip-synced. The version I played did not have voices yet, but most of the voice actors have been cast and some dialogue has already been recorded. In addition, a number of 3D cutscenes are being programmed and an orchestral soundtrack has been composed, but neither was integrated into the version I played.

Himalaya hopes to have Al Emmo ready to ship in mid-2005. It is being created for Windows and will run on older computers, as well as newer ones. Recommended system specs include DirectX 8.1 and a 500 MHz processor; minimum requirements are even lower. The game's price has not been disclosed, but we do know it will be available in two formats: on CD for players who want to cradle the game in their arms now and then, or for those who prefer instant gratification, as a download from Himalaya's website. (Brimhall says they're still deciding whether to self-publish the CD version or to pursue an outside publishing deal.) The developers may also release a playable demo, but for the time being they're focusing on getting the game finished.

Although Brimhall, Warren, and the rest of their team have done great work on their fan projects, I'm not disappointed by their move into the commercial arena. It's about time the Anonymous Game Developers are recognized for their work. And while the Sierra remakes have pleased a lot of people, there have always been those few dissenters who don't feel quite right about non-Sierra employees remaking the classics. Sierra's founder and former CEO Ken Williams is one who has expressed his doubts, but not for the reasons you might expect. It doesn't bother him that the team dared to remake Sierra's titles, but that, since they are not the copyright holders, they can't make any money off those games. "My hope," Williams has said of the team, "is that they use all of their technology and talent, and do something awesome with it—that moves the industry forward, rather than re-issuing old products. It's like when I see one of the black and white movies that has been converted to a color movie… It's a cool trick, but the world needs new movies."

Bring on the main attraction.