Riddle of the Sphinx

Your friend and colleague, Sir Gil Blythe Geoffreys, is gone – claimed by curse, or maybe envious associates. He had sent for you, but too late to make a difference in his life.

But nonetheless you arrive at the dig site on Giza Plaza, naïve enough to approach the mysteries of the Sphinx with wonder, but keen enough to undertake the riddle the ancient wonder of the world holds. Are there really secret chambers buried beneath its stoic exterior?

The Riddle of the Sphinx, from DreamCatcher and Omni Creative Group, International, is a typical DreamCatcher program – riddles, puzzles, and mystery interplayed with an interactive environment that boasts both real images and wonderfully rendered computer graphics.

Your job in this program is to explore the Sphinx, solve the mystery of Geoffreys' disappearance, and uncover the riddle of the Sphinx. Jealous, riches-obsessed archaeologists will challenge you, and the traps forged by ancient hands.

Riddle of the Sphinx is a lush game that is fairly immersive. You must explore the world, and though some of the pathways are predetermined, advancing through to them is not. Each step taken is obtained only through using your mind to unlock the carefully hidden clues.

This is not a game that requires you to be quick on the keyboard.

When first dropped off at the dig, you enter Geoffreys’ abandoned tent. It will be your headquarters. It also holds the key to progressing further in the game. For example, there is a chest that is locked with a new lock. You will find the package the lock came in, and upon rotating it, you will find that the combination has been stripped from it and hidden. But where? You can pick up the cassette tape off the desk and play it in the cassette player, only to hear the last words of Geoffreys. Is there a clue in there that will help you? What about that blank piece of paper under the pillow on the cot? If you hold it up to the light, it is blank. If you wait until nightfall, light the candle on the crate beside the cot and hold the paper up to that light, there is a message there. And what clues are contained in the books, both archeological and theological, that are held in that crate beside the bed? Surely the book on hieroglyphics will come in handy once you enter the Sphinx. Knowing what those symbols mean could save your life.

This is an engaging program, very well rendered and quite thought provoking. You will have to spend a bit of time (perhaps 10-15 minutes) stumbling around with the control interface while in-game before you get the hang of it. These are mouse-driven controls, but they only work to a certain extent. You may go to sleep and awaken at night, but you will not be able to do much, other than – say – light that candle and examine the paper. Other elements within the room are not accessible. The challenge in this game comes in combining elements and working through puzzles.

And that is an enjoyable task.

The sound consists mostly of the ambient noises one would expect, as well as voice characterizations and a nice score of background music. All in all, the audio track supports the video very well.

A problem was encountered in the game interface (accessed by hitting the space bar – which is also your inventory). One button suggested that clues were attainable by clicking there. After doing so, the game tried to open up an Internet browser, and failing to do so, overwrote the home page designation. This was due to not being connected to the Internet. And don’t bother going to that button anyway, unless you plan on spending money on the hint book.

Riddle of the Sphinx is rated for Everyone, and is the type of game that will intrigue and delight. It is suitable for play by parents and their children, and while some of the puzzles may be beyond the ken of younger children, they will enjoy the challenge, the graphics and watching their parents’ brows furrow in concentration.

This program falls nicely in the quality line of products DreamCatcher has released, which includes titles such as Beyond Atlantis and The New Adventures of the Time Machine.

Install: Easy. Though not a particularly entrancing load, this hybrid product (suitable for play on the PC and Macintosh) still goes on quickly – only requiring 139megs of hard drive space

Gameplay: 7.5. There is some minor stalling as you move from one area to the next. Also you can visually tell the difference between a section of the map that is for viewing and either exploring or passing through by the sharpness of the elements.

Graphics: 7.5. This program is a mixture of real photographic elements and computer generator graphics. The latter is much sharper in detail, while the former – used mostly for viewing – has softer edges.

Sound: 7.5. Nicely done, the audio track really supports the visual elements well.

Difficulty: 8.5. This program will have you sitting motionless at the keyboard, wondering what you have missed, employing all the classical elements of deductive reasoning and then grinning with delight as you solve a puzzle.

Concept: 7.5. A nice combination of historical fact and fantasy – or is it? Are there really secret chambers beneath the Sphinx? This program will have you believing so.

Overall: 7.5. This program is probably a little too advanced for children below the age of mid-teens, unless playing with an older adventurer. However, for the older set, this program sparkles with solid graphics, 360-degree panoramic viewing, a nice audio track and great puzzles. Like other DreamCatcher titles, it is an interactive game that disdains reflexive play, intrigues the mind and is decidedly nonviolent.