phantasmagoria
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Exploring death through the isolation of VR
I'm sitting on a field of tall, red grass staring straight ahead at a lone tree. Its leaves match the crimson landscape that stretches out before me. In the distance, a rusty orange forest fades into the background. There's a gentle rustling of leaves, occasionally interrupted by the faint chirping of a bird, that forces me to breathe slower.
More of Sierra's classic adventure games come to Steam
Sure, Sierra's biggest adventure game titles (such as King's Quest and Space Quest) have been around in their original forms on Steam for a while, but many gamers remember playing a lot more than that. What about arresting perps in Police Quest, or saving the day in Quest for Glory (aka Hero's Quest)? You're set from now on. Sierra and Activision have released a wave of further classics on Steam, including the Police Quest Collection, the original Gabriel Knight trilogy and the two Phantasmagoria games. You'll get a handful of non-adventure titles published under Sierra's wing, too, such as Arcanum and Caesar 4.
Activision PC games on sale on GOG.com this weekend
GOG.com is holding a sizable sale on Activision properties this weekend. While the official number of discounted games is 32, the sale features a number of multi-game packs in series like Quest for Glory, King's Quest, Police Quest and Space Quest for $3.99 each, bringing the grand total of games included in the sale to 55. Other deals for the weekend include Phantasmagoria ($3.99) and Phantasmagoria 2 ($2.39), the three games in the Gabriel Knight trilogy for $2.39 each as well as Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura for $2.39. The entire sale comes to $97.28, which the digital retailer says can save players $146.60 on all 55 games. GOG.com's sale is good until Tuesday, November 12.
Reliving the controversy of Phantasmagoria
This is Making Time, a column about the games we've always wanted to play, and the games we've always wanted to play again. I have a confession to make. The only reason this column exists is because I wanted an excuse to write about Phantasmagoria, an adventure game created by industry pioneer Roberta Williams. Not that I could have told you who Roberta Williams was when I first played the game in the mid-1990s. I played the majority of the game on my friends Danny and Mikey's computer. My family didn't have much of a PC at the time, but Danny and Mikey had a 486 beast that could run Windows 95 and a glut of incredible games I couldn't get at home. (Maybe I'll tell you about my family's PCJr in a future column.)In some ways, Phantasmagoria is the quintessential 90s game, borrowing elements – intentionally or not – from some of the decade's biggest phenomena. Released in 1995, it was smack in the middle of publisher Sierra's adventure game heyday. Like CD-ROM sensation Myst, all the characters are rendered using full-motion video, while the environments are all composed of static, pre-rendered 3D backgrounds. And, like Mortal Kombat and Night Trap before it, Phantasmagoria's realistic and often gruesome depiction of its characters stirred up controversy.%Gallery-178177%
GoG.com chops 30% off Phantasmagoria 1 and 2
There just isn't enough full motion video in games anymore. Now, thanks to GoG.com, you can snag one the FMV fad's brightest and most controversial stars, Roberta Williams' Phantasmagoria, and its sequel for only $11.18. The offer expires Monday though, so hurry ... the pendulum is swinging.
Solve a Puzzle of Flesh on Good Old Games
If you like your adventure games to be rife with mature content, gore and unimaginably insane plot twists, you might just want to check out GOG.com's latest downloadable offering: Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of Flesh. This sequel to Roberta Williams' adventure-thriller (which is also available on GOG) will only cost you $5.99. And for just six bucks, you'll be getting a whole bunch of crazy. The game follows the exploits of pharmaceutical engineer Curtis Craig, a former psychopath who begins to suffer vivid hallucinations while seemingly being framed for murder. During these hardships, Craig also begins to explore his own sexual preferences, leading to a multitude of on-screen sadomasochistic encounters. Also, zombies.
Phantasmagoria, Space Quest games now on GoG
[SpaceQuest.net] Have you had a Time Ripping adventure lately? Or an interactive nightmare? If you're eager to experience either (and you are), GoG's latest Month of Activision offerings are for you. The online classic games store is offering some of Sierra's best adventure game classics, and also Phantasmagoria. For just $9.99, you could be playing Space Quest IV, V, and VI, sci-fi adventure games starring everyone's favorite space janitor, Roger Wilco. Or, if your tastes run spookier, you can put your ten dollars toward Phantasmagoria, the horror game written by King's Quest creator Roberta Williams, starring some video clips.
