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Sanitarium

Few of the puzzles in this game are particularly hard--most of the difficulties I had involved not realizing I could look somewhere (though, fortunately, when there's a small item on the screen that you need, it usually glints so you'll notice it), or having problems getting the characters to move where I wanted them to. I mean, I think most games are probably too hard; in this case, there were one or two parts where I thought it was too easy. When you become an Aztec god--yes, you become an Aztec god--too many solutions are handed to you on a platter. But even for people who usually prefer more brain-melting puzzles, this is essentially a good thing, as it keeps the game moving at a quick pace, and given the nature of the story, which drew me in immediately and kept me engrossed throughout, you'll want to know what happens next without waiting for three days to solve some puzzle.

There are a couple slight drawbacks, the biggest of which is inconsistent voice acting. Some voices are perfectly acceptable, but some are intensely annoying. And for some reason, the annoying people are always the ones that talk agonizingly slowly. Fortunately, the game is subtitled, so you can read ahead and then hit Esc to skip most of the pain.

This game also does a very nice job of integrating action sequences into the game. They're just tricky enough that you don't feel condescended to, but you don't have to be Lara Croft to succeed, either. And the game is kind enough not to let you die. (Although, in the climactic sequence of the game, I was disappointed about that very feature when I went back and played to lose in order to see the alternate ending that many games have--but alas, there was none.)

But where this game really prevails is in its atmosphere and its story. Even the most ghastly scenes have a strangely alluring quality that prevents you from looking away, even as the hapless hero (who may very well be insane) once again finds himself crying, "Oh my god! This is horrible!" And many adventure game plots seem like premises loosely tacked on after the fact to a bunch of puzzles. Not this one. The story and the puzzles here work hand in hand, as information about the hero's past is doled out in tantalizingly small doses (even as the wild hallucinations allude to what's going to be revealed).

In short, when it comes to entertainment about insanity, I'd rather play this game twice than watch the trailer for "Girl, Interrupted" once.

-- Francis Heaney -2000

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