Blackstone Chronicles - is it worth playing?

[Sly Boots]

I read in a magazine about 5 years ago a preview to an adventure FMV game on the PC, that takes place in a haunted house with lots of rooms, hidden ones too, and you could speak with the ghosts. That's all I remember. I don't have the magazine anymore and I can't remember the title. Does anybody know what I'm talking about and if so, is the game worth playing???

EDIT: Thank you for the info. I found out the title: Blackstone Chronicles. I read a couple of reviews, some liked it, some didn't. Have you played it? What do you think?

[fov]

Maybe Phantasmagoria (http://www.adventuregamers.com/article/id,101)?

There is a haunted house and there are ghosts, but I don't know if you can actually speak to them.

I have mixed feelings about this game. I played it when it came out and thought it was too short / easy (the built-in hint feature didn't help :P). Now I'd really like to replay it and see if I have a different opinion, comparing it to the games that come out now. It was one of the last Sierra games I played when it was still new, and I may have been taking for granted that Sierra would always be releasing new games for me to play.

-emily

[SamNMax]

Yeah. It's probably Phantasmagoria. Or maybe the 7th Guest? But those were well over five years ago.

Did Phantasmagoria 2 take place in a Haunted House? If so, then it's probably that.

[fov]

But those were well over five years ago.

Good point. I was 18 when Phantasmagoria came out... and unfortunately I'm now more than 18+5. :frusty:

I don't think Phantasmagoria 2 is in a haunted house.

There's another game called D that I think is FMV and takes place in a haunted house...?

-emily

[SamNMax]

Waiting for: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalyps

That's been cancelled, dude.

[GED X-42]

There was '11th Hour' which a Myst style game and was a sequel to 7th Guest. It took place in a haunted mansion, i think it had ghosts in it and had FMV intro and end sequences.

[Sly Boots]

No, it's definately not Phantasmagoria. The title had two words. One of them could have been "Mansion" or "Manor", but I'm not sure. Maybe the game was never made.
Mansion, secret passages, ghosts that appear in different places, ghosts of children, you are some sort of a detective.
Bits and pieces, that's all I seem to remember.

Sam&Max: I heard that 3DO regrouped into a company called "Horsemen" or something and are making the game after all, but it will take a few years until it's released. I'm not sure any game in my "Waiting for" list will come out but I sure hope they will. TFHOTA has great potential.

[SamNMax]

There was '11th Hour' which a Myst style game and was a sequel to 7th Guest. It took place in a haunted mansion, i think it had ghosts in it and had FMV intro and end sequences.

Again. That was realesed well over five years ago.

By the way, this game sucks ass.

[Fienepien]

No, it's definately not Phantasmagoria. The title had two words. One of them could have been "Mansion" or "Manor", but I'm not sure. Maybe the game was never made.
Mansion, secret passages, ghosts that appear in different places, ghosts of children, you are some sort of a detective.
Bits and pieces, that's all I seem to remember.


Blackstone Chronicles? 1998. A father looking for his son in a mansion, an abandoned asylum with many ghosts, inlcuding children. Seems to fit the bill, except that there's no real FMV, only photographs.

Morpheus? Many ghosts, don't remember any children, FMV but no real dialogue. On a ship.

Amber: Journey Beyond? 1996. Probably too old.

All 3 of them worth playing if you like horror.

[Sly Boots]

YES, this is it! Thank you! Blackstone Chronicles. I remember the name.Asylum, ghosts, children... yes. I remember the preview said FMV, but it probably meant photos. I remember a picture from the game with a big corridor. Yes, it coul have been 6 years ago. I wanted to play it after reading the preview, but I forgot about it.

[Eddy]

Did Phantasmagoria 2 take place in a Haunted House? If so, then it's probably that.

NO!
I completed both games a really long time ago and the secon part took place in an office building thingie.

[Fairygdmther]

I just finished Blackstone Chronicles at the beginning of August - see my review here (http://mysterymanor.net/reviewblackstonechronicles.htm) at Mystery Manor.

FGM

[Fienepien]

Pitch black game. Very immersive. Not gory but I found the sadism and cruelty of the stories a bit too much to stomach.

[Jackal]

This is another game scheduled for an upcoming Flashback Friday review. Is this forum psychic? That's the second time recently that inquiring minds specifically asked about an upcoming title. :eek:

[scout]

Great game. I still remember parts of it. I played it and Sanitarium about the same time and liked Blackstone Chronicles a little better. Very hard hitting.

[Fantasysci5]

I know this is an old thread, but since it's the only one, I'm going to comment. I first read the John Saul books that the game wsa based, and LOVED them, their horror, gore, and bit of sci-fi. The game is AWESOME! It was like a deeper view into the characters of the asylum that we never met in the book besides a tiny flachback. I'm LOVING the game, probably because I LOVED the books, too. :P

[fruithead]

i've always wanted to play blackstone chronicles but i've never managed to track it down. i've checked ebay but could never locate a copy that wasn't insanely expensive ($40 anyone?) or was charging a lot to ship to canada.

when are all these older games going to be available to download online. if they're doing it with new games, why not older ones. there'd certainly be customers.

[Trunkyo]

Hey, I managed to snag a copy of the game two years ago on eBay from a seller in the UK for £3.50 plus £3.50 shipping to Canada (roughly $16.50 CDN total, when the dollar was lower). I was the only bidder, too! :D

If you're interested, there's currently this listing, hopefully it's more in your price range:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/Blackstone-Chronicles-PC-Games_W0QQitemZ160252283015QQihZ006QQcategoryZ1399 73QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp 1638Q2em118Q2el1247

I enjoyed the the game a lot, especially the creepy atmosphere and the chilling voice of Malcolm Metcalf. :crazy: The game's plot is an extension/sequel to the novel series, as Oliver Metcalf encounters the past residents of the asylum who were the original owners of the "cursed" items in the novels. The overall story does seem to make more sense when you read the novels and play the game.

[Fantasysci5]

Trunkyo-I totally agreed. Playing the game after reading the books helped tie up some loose ends! :D

[Fantasysci5]

Hey all! I just finished "The Blackstone Chronicles", and as I said before, I love how you get to know more of the inamtes that you only got glances to in the books. After the wonderful end, I did have two questions, if anyone could answer them...:)

Why was Paul a flayed skin?! That's what bothers me most. What, after his death, Malcolm decided to skin him like Paul had done his victims?!....err, that would kind of make sense, actually. :P But how did he die? Some horrible form from our favorite doctor? Also-

How was Oliver able to communicate with Joshua? I know he can talk to ghosts, obviously, but how could he use telepathy?! I just don't understand that part, although I know why they put it in the game.

And was it just me, but the Rebecca in the game wasn't as slow as she's kind of described in the book. I don't mean that in a bad way, just more innocent and child-like. Maybe that's just me.