Moon is an adventure game much like Myst, where
players view the world one scene at a time using mouse clicks to move to the
next checkpoint or puzzle.
Using the story From the
Earth to the Moon as inspiration, Journey to the Center of the Moon lives out
the events of the opposite reality – where the planned moon landing of Jules
Verne’s story failed, in this game from Kehops
Studios the landing is a success. Only upon landing their craft is damaged,
and now our explorers must search for a way off the rock.
After a little exploring,
our heroes notice there is much alien plant life to be found on the dark side
of the moon. While playing the game you’ll come across many puzzles, and one I
saw had to do with plant life. Each type of plant had different
characteristics, and also interacted with each other differently. The problem
was that they blocked the main character’s path, and the goal was to have them
interact in such a way that they would clear a path to travel.
Some puzzles pose a
threat to your character, so there is a chance that you may fail and cause the
death of the main character. If this happens, comic panels of artwork show the
result of your incorrect action, and then you are taken back to the point
before failure. This is a great way to encourage players to experiment rather
than do nothing in fear of failing.
A little further into the
game players will discover ruins and the remains of a lost civilization. The
remnants belong to a race called Selenites, who
you will learn more about as you play through the story. Some
Selenites even become involved in your escape, and
your performance throughout the game will affect your reputation with them
using a unique point system.
Journey to the Center of
the Moon should create a great atmosphere for adventure gamers, as well as
offer a strong story to back the gameplay. Expect it to ship this September
for the PC.
