Underground Awards page 4
The field of amateur adventures seems to improve every year, and I suppose there's no better evidence of this continuing improvement then the fact that it took hours of debate and pondering for us to settle on five nominees for each category -- let alone picking a winner for some of them! While there were a few games this year that really stood out above the crowd, there were many other games that warranted very strong consideration as well, moreso than there have been in any year previously.
So, here we are, to hand out the first annual Adventure Gamers Underground awards, honoring those individuals who put time and effort into creating great adventure games and making those games available for us as freeware. We want to thank all the authors and creators who pursue this endeavor, and we look forward to the many great Underground adventures to come in 2004!
If you missed the nominations article, be sure to check it out first. Dave and AGA, members of our fearless Underground team, will provide some commentary on each category. Without further ado, let's begin handing out the awards!
[titlesml]Best Graphics[/titlesml]
Out of Order
We accept, when we're playing underground adventures, that the graphics are never going to be comparable to those of the newest commercial games. Most amateur developers are writers and story creators first and foremost. After all, if they had that kind of graphical skill, they'd probably be putting it to use on a project that would pay!
Which makes it all the more special when a game comes along that really looks exceptional. Last year King's Quest II VGA was that game, and this year the mantle of Best Graphics goes to Hungry Software Out of Order. Tim Furnish's epic sci-fi/humor adventure is filled with vibrant and lively environments, detailed characters and backgrounds, and great use of colors and shading. Even though we don't demand graphical excellence, it's great to see a game that both looks and plays great, and Out of Order was that game in 2003.
Dave:
One only needs to glance at the beautiful, colorful, eye-popping backgrounds and characters to see why Out of Order is the clear winner. Hungry Software spent a lot of time, love and devotion into creating their world, and it shows. But one shouldn't discount the other entries merely because they didn't win. The Phantom Inheritance, a venture into the "Reality on the Norm" universe, is a highly-polished work of loveliness in its own right. One could easily discount TPI's graphics as being "pretty good for a RON game," but that would be doing it a major injustice. Gabriel Fortuna recreated the entire RON-iverse from the ground up, transforming the familiar blocky, low-res town into a gorgeous, hi-res wonderland that just oozes quality. In a series often criticized for the laziness of its artwork, this is a mammoth feat. Well worth experiencing, even if you're not a fan of the RON series.
AGA:
Out of Order is very deserving of its Best Graphics award, with clear, good-looking backgrounds and characters, lots of animations, and an overall air of professionalism that is hard to beat. The only other game that came close to me was Apprentice, which could quite possibly have won were it not such a short game, with so few locations and characters to see.
[titlesml]Best Sound/Music[/titlesml]
Apprentice
Apprentice, by Herculean Effort Productions, impressed all of us in many different areas when it was released this year. With clever puzzles, colorful and vibrant graphics, and well-written dialogue, it was one of the best surprises of the year. But the area of the game that we were most impressed by was the excellent music. Greg "Gregor Samsa" Schlaepfer of the Herculean Effort team composed the music, and it is a marvelous soundtrack.
The tunes have a bit of a catchy medieval theme to them, harkening back to games like Conquests of the Longbow or the Interplay strategy game Castles II. They are complex compositions, impressive to any who fancy themselves musicians, but at the same time they are pleasant and provide a wonderful backdrop for the light-hearted adventure. Apprentice also boasts good sound effects, and is without a doubt the winner for Best Sound & Music.
Dave:
After finishing Apprentice, I had the tunes stuck in my head for hours. This is a rarity in adventure games, and almost unheard of in underground games. Any composer capable of such a feat deserves to be rewarded, and thus the award for Best Music is given. A special mention, however, must go to Keptosh: The Search for Junc, whose short 3-5 second sound loops manage to delightfully warp even the most jaded of minds.
AGA:
While I'm definitely of the 'I don't know much about art, but I know what I like' school of thinking regarding music, I definitely did like Apprentice's music. There may not be much of it (there are only two tracks in the game), but it's very fitting to the style of the game, and never becomes annoying, despite being repeated frequently. Another game with great use of sound was The Uncertainty Machine, which had very good sound effects, with sounds for things like doors opening and cars passing in the background. In the end though, music is probably more important than sound (you have to listen to music constantly throughout the game, after all), so Apprentice is my choice.
[titlesml]Best Story[/titlesml]
The Uncertainty Machine
What's impressive about the story of The Uncertainty Machine is how multi-faceted it is. There are many pieces to this mystery, almost like a jigsaw, and it's up to you to put them together. For top reporter Susan Gant, what begins as a simple robbery investigation soon develops into a sinister mystery involving murder, classic works of art, physics, alternate dimensions and... uncertainty. Some of the most satisfying moments are when you discover how minor plot threads uncovered at the start comes into play later in the game.
Not only does this game tell a good yarn, but it also incorporates many puzzles seamlessly into the narrative. They don't exist simply to pad out the game (which is quite long), but instead serve a greater purpose. TUM's puzzles act in favor of the story, enhancing it rather than stalling it. One series of puzzles seems to be inspired by Gabriel Knight 3's "La Serpent Rouge," and is a joy to solve.
In terms of story, The Uncertainty Machine is a definite rare breed among underground adventure games, and probably even among adventure games as a whole. All five entries have fantastic stories, but The Uncertainty Machine has emerged as the clear winner.
Dave:
What a tough choice this was! The Uncertainty Machine emerged as the winner, but not without some heavy hemming, hawing, waxing, waning and brain aneurysms. All five entries had GREAT stories, but TUM was the evident choice with its dark atmosphere and ingenious research-based puzzles. However, I would be doing some of the other entries a disservice if I didn't mention them. The obvious runner-up would be Out of Order, by virtue of its sheer originality and a knockout punch of a twist ending. Second would be RON: Apocalypse Meow, by the power of its intense atmosphere and clever dialog. Both are worth playing if you're looking for a good yarn.
AGA:
The Uncertainty Machine is definitely deserving of the best story award. It has a complex, deep story that provides a lot of detail and creates a very immersive world. Another game with a great plot was 5 Days a Stranger, with its spooky history of the house, but its story didn't quite match up to that of The Uncertainty Machine, the eventual winner.
[titlesml]Best Writing[/titlesml]
5 Days a Stranger
The elusive and eccentric Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw has authored numerous underground adventures before, among them the outstanding Rob Blanc trilogy and 2002's Trials of Odysseus Kent. Long recognized for being a very skilled author of humorous dialogue, Yahtzee tried something a little different with 5 Days a Stranger: a serious suspense story.
Being the great writer that he is, Yahtzee kept the constant dialogue interesting, believable, and even occasionally injected his unique brand of humor. The story is well-paced and the characters are very well-developed. Although the story itself may be a bit clichéd, the writing definitely stands out as a worthy recipient of our Best Writing award.
Dave:
Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw is probably the most prolific writer in the underground scene, and his skills did not disappoint with his opus 5 Days a Stranger. With its developed characters, deep dialog, and careful pacing, choosing it as the winner was easy. However, there was another worthy contender. Creed Malay's RON: Apocalypse Meow takes the Reality on the Norm project to a whole new level, and successfully manages to freak out anyone who plays it by the sheer clout of his writing. Unfortunately, it is let down by being very short and ending on a cliffhanger (although it's a MOTHER of a cliffhanger), which makes 5 Days the winner.
AGA:
5 Days a Stranger features some very good dialogue and hot spot descriptions -- it's hard not to find yourself believing that you ARE Trilby, the gentleman thief. Perils of Poom also came close with its often hilarious dialogue and overall humourous writing, but 5 Days a Stranger just about pips it.
[titlesml]Best Underground Game of 2003[/titlesml]
Out of Order
There was never really a question when we began our discussion of these awards who would be the winner of Best Game; Hungry Software's Out of Order is the runaway winner. What many people aren't aware of is that, right up until near the end of its development, it was planned as a commercial release. At the last minute, Tim Furnish decided to release it as an underground adventure in order to showcase the SLUDGE engine that he also created.
And what a showcase it was; all of us at Adventure Gamers Underground agree that this is the first underground adventure to truly feel, in all respects, like it should be commercial. One of those rare games where you just can't believe you're playing it for free. With very detailed and appealing graphics, an excellent original soundtrack, consistently humorous dialogue, very substantial length, and one of the most amusingly bizarre stories we've seen in a long time, we couldn't be happier about Tim's generosity, and we're all the better for having played Out of Order, the clear choice for Best Underground Game of 2003.
Dave:
Now we come to the most difficult choice of all. It's easy to give an award based on sound or graphics, but BEST OVERALL? This was hard, but not too hard. For sheer professionalism, quality and gameplay, the winner was Hungry Software's Out of Order. It's pure fun, completely original and has the best twist ending I've ever seen in an adventure game, bar none. Congratulations to Hungry Software for an amazing job.
AGA:
To me, there were two contenders for Best Game -- Perils of Poom and Out of Order. Both games had good plots, well-written characters and great humour, but Out of Order's superior graphics help it win out in the end. Out of Order is a great game, with humour in spades and often very inventive puzzles.
Congratulations again to all of the winners, and happy adventuring to all in 2004!
