Zomb's Lair

I like my Myst-clones and I like my cheesy movies. A cheese-ball Myst-clone take on Frankenstein with none other than Tim Curry as the eponymous doctor? Sign me right the hell up.

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Tim Curry’s one of those guys that just gives it his absolute all and vastly over-performs even in the most shitpile of projects. Frankenstein certainly isn’t even close to the best production he’s been involved with, but by god he gave it a good go. His performance is the best thing on offer here, so if seeing an actor you appreciate in an obscure role is enough to pique your interest, give it a shot; everything else surrounding him is hit or miss.

 

Production values are are actually relatively good for this type of thing during this period, so that’s something. The music’s a bit on the monotonous side though, unfortunately. The puzzles are okay, perhaps a bit too heavily reliant on the tried and true “mechanical puzzle” format, but they’re serviceable. The excessive amounts of mazes, however, become quite tedious.

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Probably the biggest single detractor, however, is the protagonist. He apparently took this whole affair really seriously. There isn’t an ounce of humor or levity in his voiceover, and it’s all conveyed in such an overly dramatic, frankly cliche tone that it becomes monotonous. It’s especially apparent when you put him up against Curry, who seems to be having a great time and just completely steals the show whenever he’s speaking. The protagonist’s voice just saps the fun out of the room by comparison; and, unfortunately, you have to listen to him blab on through the whole game. The story underneath that, however, is relatively decent; albeit on the cheesy side (which is fine by me). Like I said… a mixed bag.

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I feel like if you like both Myst-clones and Tim Curry (an interest in Frankenstein stories doesn’t hurt either), it’s worth checking out. If you don’t fall into that camp it’s… maybe a bit more questionable. It’s a middle of the road adventure game, so how much or little it does for you is likely going to depend on your existing interest in the subject matter and actor on display.