Adventure Gamers - Forums

The Oracle

Something for the first-person adventure fans this week.

As I have said before, I am always wary of freeware games that use photos as backgrounds. Too often they are just lazy and look terrible as people can just google-image-search a random bunch of ill fitting backgrounds and slap them together in a day or two with some crudely drawn sprites etc. But The Oracle is a very long way from one of those games.

All photos were taken on location in Canada and Portugal and they fit coherently together AND include some animated parts too which fit in nicely. There are over 140 screens and the game has clearly been planned carefully to ensure that it all fits together into a good story spanning continents and even, well… you’ll have to see for yourself!

The first person element works well as there is no jarring hand drawn main character and the “Myst-style” navigation is fitting too.

Some of the things I like best about this are that the world does not feel too empty - as some 1st person games can - AND that you don’t spend most of your time reading through page after page of journal entries and diaries in the hope you will manage to turn up some actual story or plot buried on a bookcase somewhere. There are people to talk to and things to do, and whilst exploration is certainly a part of gameplay, there is no shortage of puzzles and dialogue too.

There’s a cool little soundtrack and good sound effects. There is also an unobtrusive hint system - which you probably won’t even notice unless you look for it - if you really get stuck. Which you may do as the game does present a reasonable challenge at some points.

The story itself starts quite clichéd - a missing friend with a trail of clues to follow as to his whereabouts, a “mysterious discovery”, an ancient order… but don’t be put off, the whole thing is well executed and while there may not be many surprises as you go along, you don’t lose interest in the story and it is a very enjoyable few hours worth of game. Or at least that’s how it was for me!

Also - and just for fun - what do you think the structure shown in the screenshot above is?

Intense Degree - 17 August 2015 06:48 AM

Also - and just for fun - what do you think the structure shown in the screenshot above is?

I was going to say “lighthouse” or “water tower”, but since you ask, it’s probably something less predictable.

Missile silo?

Nah, probably a windmill, amirite?

Nope, none correct so far, although one of Timo’s guesses isn’t a million miles off.

A secret underground nuclear facility would have been good though!

Intense Degree - 17 August 2015 07:26 AM

Nope, none correct so far, although one of Timo’s guesses isn’t a million miles off.

It’s a modern windmill alright! Windgenerator, turbine, whatever name you prefer.

Yep, Car Lock is absolutely spot on!

I should know, I own one.
Free electricity!

Well, I’m one of the 950+ owners… but the electricity is free.

PS: My nick comes from Zork Nemesis.

You own a wind turbine??!!!

I always knew you were some kind of evil super villain, and surely the only good reason to own a private wind turbine is to power a secret underground lair!

WHAT ARE YOU KEEPING DOWN THERE CAR LOCK?!

Intense Degree - 17 August 2015 11:04 AM

WHAT ARE YOU KEEPING DOWN THERE CAR LOCK?!

Why, my SECRET GAMING ROOM of course! I need all that power for my three computers. (Two of them hardly visible in the pic.)

[pic removed, sorry]

Now that is one seriously cool secret underground lair!

Sorry, I removed the pic, because my full address could be traced in Goooooogle. (Photo was taken by a professional photographer recently for the sale of the house.)  I don’t mind you adventure guys knowing my address, but I don’t know who else is reading this. I used to have some photos taken by a friend, I’ll see if I can find them.

But it’s very gratifying when fellow gamers like my gaming room. In real life the reactions are usually quite different.