The Dig

From LucasArts
Brief game description

You are Boston Low, astronaut. Your mission is to prevent an asteroid from striking the Earth. When you have succeeded in that mission, you will find it possible to open the way to another world.

The game puts you on an alien world and you'll need to learn its secrets before you can find your way home. A reasonable amount of depth to the game. Alien technology can be a bit hard to handle sometimes but you should be able to find your way. Beginning adventurers may find this a bit difficult, but it's recommended for intermediate to advanced adventure gamers. One of the things that it took longest for me to solve wasn't really much of a puzzle...
Game play and hints

This is another game where the interface has been simplified to one base cursor. In the corner of your screen is your inventory, and in the inventory is a magnifying glass for those times when you need a closer look. The inventory also includes a comm unit so you can talk to the other members of your party or play a really ancient computer game Lunar Lander.

Major hint, sometimes a quick click with the mouse is not the way to go. LucasArts also has a tendency to include at least one colour-coded puzzle in a game.
Character interactions

Character interactions are limited to topics you may currently talk about that are represented by a bar of icons across the bottom of the screen. If you are close to the person, clicking on them will start the conversation, otherwise use the comm unit in your inventory. There are a few times in the game when talking to people is necessary to go much further, but frequently it's just the same old topics when you try to start a conversation.
Gripes about the game

Disconcerting effects. I've found two so far. One is that the backgrounds are lovely and detailed. It was a shock after roaming the world for some time and waking the alien creature to suddenly see the *very* cartoony Boston face close up. A more realist face would certainly have improved things.

The second is that the longer I play the game, the more the sound breaks up as you ride the tram from place to place. When I first start the game, there is no noticeable problem. After a bit, the problem becomes apparent. It may be my computer setup, but it is the *only* game I have which does this.

Product Features

* Nearly 200 locations and hundreds of puzzles
* Robert Patrick of T2 as the voice of Boston Law
* Special effects contributed by Industrial Light Magic
* Dialogue contributed by award-winning sci-fi writer Orson Scott Card
* Alluring Wagnerian musical score sets the epic tone