AGS summer roundup

Written by Marek Bronstring — July 5, 2007 at 09:45

It may seem like the Underground news staff has been on vacation lately, but the busy developers in the Adventure Game Studio community never take a holiday. Here are some of the games they have released recently.

Earl Mansin: The Breakout

His name is Earl, and he has been on death row for 27 years. Tonight he's breaking out. Things soon get more complicated, however, as Earl works his way along the crooked corridor towards freedom. If only he had his hacksaw... This game has been highly anticipated since it was first announced in 2005, and now Earl Mansin: The Breakout is finally available as a 165 MB download. The game features full voice acting and bloody cartoon violence.

Secrets of Sultan Kanuni 2

Ali is a young Turkish guy who likes Tae Kwon Do. He also happens to be the Wearer, the only person who can wield the power of the golden shoes of Sultan Kanuni, as prophecied by Nostradamus. Now secret agents of the United States have stolen the shoes, and Ali's only hope is to uncover the Sultan's buried diary. With me so far? The plot may not make much sense unless you played the first game, but the gist of it is that bad guys are trying to bring about the apocalypse, and you have to do adventure-type things to stop them. A number of unforgiving timed puzzles and a shaky English translation may put off some players. Others can download Secrets of Sultan Kanuni 2 (71 MB) from here.

The Infinity String

On a base in Antarctica, scientists have found an alien spaceship buried under the ice. What could possibly go wrong? Rather a lot, as it turns out, and by the time Dr. Elnar, our hero, arrives at the base, people have started to go missing and tentacles are coming out of the walls. Oops. The developer previously honed his skill on Stargate Adventure, and here he has created a beautiful adventure game with graphics clearly inspired by games like Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis. Unfortunately, the overall impression is marred by an uneven English translation. At 36 MB, The Infinity String can be downloaded from here. A gruesome teaser trailer (3 MB) is also available.

Purgatorio

After he is wounded in combat, Frank O'Shea wakes up in a strange town where the only life can be found in a couple of dingy pubs. And no matter where he goes, he doesn't seem able to leave. It shouldn't be too much of a spoiler to reveal that the town of Purgatorio may not actually be located in Ireland. With near-photorealistic graphics, this game is intended as a portfolio piece for designer Jonathan Lynch. Try the game, and you can decide for yourself whether you would hire him. Purgatorio is a 89 MB download.

La Croix Pan

It is 1944, and you have parachuted down behind German lines to secure the town of La Croix Pan for the allied invasion. So take up the best sniper position and wait; German reinforcements are due to pass through shortly! Half adventure and half arcade shooting gallery, this game is not for purists or those who cannot abide action sequences. However, for such a short game there is a decent amount of puzzles, and the rain-grey pallette and melancholy music tells a story as eloquently as any words could. Download La Croix Pan (9 MB) here.

Fulkramick's Dreamting

If you feel that the games listed so far just aren't strange enough, the final game in our summer roundup might be what you're looking for. Made by experimental MySpace artist Fulkramick to promote the independent release of the album Dreamting, the game has you exploring a surreal world of sound and archive photography to find four cassette tapes. Do not expect polished artwork, as a grungy, lo-fi aesthetic pervades throughout. However, the repurposed video clips and sprites ripped from old Sierra games eventually have a hypnotic effect. Interested? Fulkramick's Dreamting is a 99 MB download.