By Dale Farris, Reviews Coordinator
Golden Triangle PC Club
July 2007

Game Overview

The island of Dead Reefs was infamous for the wicked pirate inhabitants that would lure passing ships into the reefs, slaughtering their crews and looting their cargo as the ships would sink. One stormy evening, while on a fateful mission to a neighboring island, an ancient order of monks decided to set anchor on Dead Reefs to take refuge – only to fall victim to the vile pirates led by the corrupt island ruler, Baron DeSantra. After murdering the ship’s captain and searching his body, the Baron would discover an old relic far more evil than any of them could ever imagine!

Since that fateful night, a horrifying madness has been infecting the minds of the island residents, resulting in a murder every nine years. Believing that the massacre of the monks had cursed their island, the residents ended their pirating ways – but the deaths continued! Days before the anticipated 11th death was to occur, a descendant of the wicked Baron DeSantra mysteriously died. You are the ingenious investigator Amadeo Finvinerro, and you have been sent by the King to discover the source of all the evil plaguing the island of Dead Reefs!

Summary of Features

A fascinating and mysterious adventure that takes place in the 18th century and spreads over several decades, combined with an absorbing murder investigation

Play as a detective and defy unnatural events, solve challenging riddles and risk your life to defeat a vicious killer

Truly non-linear gameplay in which your actions determine unique outcomes and endings

Full 3D environments using Virtools technology

Stunning graphics, real-life characters, and gorgeous animations

Keyboard control

Game Play

You play Dead Reefs using the keyboard as controls, and the mouse is not used at all after you click on the game's desktop icon to open the game. At first, this may seem cumbersome or awkward, especially to those who have become mouse-dependent, but after a while, you will get used to using the keyboard controls. For example, to move your character, press the W key, and when you encounter an object or another character, you press the Up arrow key to talk with someone and the Left arrow key to learn more about an object or a character. You use the Right arrow key to interact with objects, doors, puzzles, and the Down arrow key to open the inventory.

The W key moves you forward or combines objects, the A key moves left, or scrolls left, the D key moves right, or scrolls right, and the S key turns you 180 degrees or backs you out of an object combination. You also use the right, left, up, and down arrow keys, as well as the Q key to look at documents, the N key to open the notebook, the X key to search, the Shift key to run or walk, and the Spacebar for puzzle and map interaction or to read documents.

The game also provides various action icons in the bottom right hand corner of the game screen. The actions are context sensitive, and include the talk icon to engage in conversation with other characters, the combine icon to add 2 inventory items together, the action icon to grab something, the bag icon that brings up the inventory, and the look icon that instructs you to inspect an item. Note that with a combine icon, this means you will need to always be on the lookout for items that might could be combined, because in this game, you will have to do this occasionally in order to create an item that is required at later stages in the game. The notes and books that you run across is the game's way of revealing the main plot line of the game, as well as background on characters and the back story.

Also in Dead Reefs, as in most all adventure games, when you encounter characters you must interact with them and you will need to finish all the conversations with all these characters. Also, there are many objects you must find and interact with, in order for the game to open up the remaining parts of the game.

The puzzles are well integrated into the game, with clues to solving these puzzles made available by looking at all the objects you can and by taking care to make notes of what you find. You must pick up all objects that can be picked up, as in this game, these objects are required at later points in the game.

In Dead Reefs, there is a lot of wandering around, but thankfully the game keeps to a minimum the back-and-forth fetching that is so common in so many other adventure games. However, the game's combine feature does mean you will need to find the correct objects that must be combined in order to create the next required object that will be used at a later point in the game. This means the game uses classic adventure game logic regarding combining these objects, and at least these combinations are not as illogical as is the case in other adventure games.

There are a few spots in the game where you must do the correct thing within a very limited amount of time, or else you will die. So, as is the case in most all adventure games, save, save, save your game, especially when you finish the main, key plot stages of the game.

Toward the end of the game, the game presents you with key options from which to choose, one of which results in Game Over, and you also have action options from which to choose. This means you should have been saving your game, as the only real way to figure out which of these paths is the correct one is just by trial and error before you find the correct path.

The rich graphics are detailed, impressive, and help to greatly enhance the mood and atmosphere of the game. The graphics are eye-dropping gorgeous and the many cinematic cut-scenes are beautiful and wondrous to watch.

Also, although the layout and design of the screens are gorgeous, these screens are all 2D, which can result in causing you to be easily lost, especially when you are trying to find your way through dense vegetation, or otherwise trying to find your way around and through various of the game's territories. The beautiful display many times adds to the frustration of moving through these environments, but this also keeps the hardware requirements relatively minimal, because you are not playing in a genuinely realized 3D environment through which you can move the character. You do not have full movement through the scenes, as in most FPS console and computer games, which does help with the hit on system resources. However, the game's environments and scenery are so richly detailed and beautifully designed that you will find yourself many times stopping and looking around after you have moved the main character.

There are many items you have to find and pick up, a classic adventure game feature. A walkthrough strategy guide will be of great help knowing where to look for these items, as many times these are not that easy to find.

The sound effects are impressive and convey the sounds of opening doors, solving puzzles, walking through different environments, and of course the ambient sounds that set the mood of the game.

The story also is not going to jump out at you, as you play the game. Slowly, as you play through the game, the game's complex plot and story line is revealed, providing a richly detailed plot that adds further value to the game. Most of the voice-over narrations are all well done and the dialogue is done very well, and the voice-overs are nicely in synch with character mouth movements most of the time.

Dead Reefs is a unique adventure game, offering many of today's classic adventure game features. I think the game will mostly appeal to adventure game fans.

About The Walkthrough Solution Guides

I urge anyone interested in this neat game to also consider getting a copy of the solutions guide. In this game, the guide will really come in handy, because of the need to be sure to know where to go and how to find all the required objects in the game. The game guide will also help with forming a better understanding of the background to the story, which will help keep up with what is going on in the game. The guide will also help in learning which objects are required in order to solve the game's puzzles.

In my situation, playing with a walkthrough means I can concentrate on moving the game plot along, and most importantly, open up all the wonderful scenes and action that the coders have worked so hard to include in the game. Without a walkthrough, I just feel I am not getting my money's worth out of the game. Also, I always appreciate having the help to get through the game so I can savor all the impressive screens and animated cut-scenes, as was the intent of the game creators.

What makes this issue even more relevant here is that DreamCatcher seems to realize this, as evidenced by their always wise price points for their games and their solution guides. You end up with a total investment that means you will be better assured you can get through the game and not end up spending an excessive amount of time with the game. So, no, I don't think using a walkthrough solution guide is any indication of any lack of skill or abilities, but instead, a more appropriate way to invest minimal time with an adventure game, that ends up much more likely to be a fun experience.

Game Saves

You can save your game at any point, and with the Game Over result that the game presents in a few situations, having recently saved your game means you do not have to retrace a lot of prior game steps.

Targeted Customers

Dead Reefs is a super new adventure game that does a nice job of mixing all the classic adventure game features with the added tension of facing the dreaded "game over" scenario that may occasionally force you to start over with a previously saved game. The puzzles are of high quality and some are quite difficult to solve, forcing you to use the always valuable adventure game strategy of writing down notes on everything you find, especially the written material that provide clues to the puzzles. The environments are beautifully designed and the characters are very interesting. The voice overs are also nicely done, helping to further immerse you in this always interesting, exciting game.

System Requirements

AMD 1800+ (1.5 Ghz) or Intel 1.8 Ghz processor
AMD 2200 (1.8Ghz) or Intel 2.2Ghz processor recommended
Windows 2000, XP, Vista
860MB free hard disk space
512MB RAM
1GB RAM recommended
4x CD-ROM, or PC DVD-ROM Drive
nVidia GeForce 5200fx or ATI Radeon 9200 video card
nVidia GeForce 6600fx or ATI Radeo 9800 video card recommended
16-Bit Sound Card
DirectX 9.0c
Keyboard, Mouse
Speakers - 5.1 speakers recommended

Install and Setup

The game should install and set up with no problems, and the game will load about 1GB (860MB) of files onto a machine. The game comes on 1 CD ROM disc, so the install process will thankfully go relatively more quickly. The disc does not have to be in your CD ROM drive in order to play the game.

Uninstalling the game involves the use of the games uninstall feature in its folder on the Start, Programs menu.

If you have a higher end machine, with a better video and sound card, more RAM, and a faster CPU, this game will definitely be even more impressive.

Since this particular adventure game uses all pre-rendered backgrounds, this means the data load is far less than other fully immersive, 3D games that constantly pound the processor and RAM in order to produce the dynamic changes in the environment and background. With the game's emphasis on the many cut scenes, you will definitely experience a more enjoyable experience if you play this game on a high end machine. The developer has gone to a great deal of trouble to create these fully immersive, dynamic cut scenes, and high end machines will produce the amazing results the developer has in store for you.

In addition, the game's pre-rendered backgrounds are lush and very detailed, and the characters are fully developed and the mouth movements nicely synchronize with the dialog. These environments and characters will also be much more fully realized on high end machines.

Price

$29.99 (Super Bargain)
$  9.99 the official strategy & solutions guide (a great bargain also)

About the Adventure Company

The Adventure Company, a division of DreamCatcher, is a leading publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment devoted exclusively to releasing titles geared towards adventure gamers. The Adventure Company is committed to publishing games that deliver maximum value on multiple platforms including, PC, Playstation 2 computer entertainment system, GameCube, and Xbox.

About DreamCatcher

DreamCatcher launched its first title in 1996, with a small band of people who believed in providing customers with quality entertainment software at affordable prices. Since that time, DreamCatcher has become one of the most successful small-sized publisher in the entertainment software industry, and was the fastest growing publisher in 2000, growing over 800% according to PC Data. DreamCatcher Interactive was listed in Profitguide.com's article: Canada's Fastest Growing Companies 2002, and ranked #5.

In 1996, DreamCatcher Interactive launched their first title and since then, they have become a very successful publisher in the computer game entertainment software industry. In my opinion, one of this company's strongest assets is their dedication to provide customers with high quality entertainment software at very affordable prices. Some of the best interactive computer games now on the market come from DreamCatcher.

Bringing to market titles that are affordable, without jeopardizing content quality, is another significant factor that helps distinguish this company from the many that flood the market with countless game titles. DreamCatcher thrives on innovative marketing strategies, solid retail and developer partnerships, and on providing excellent customer support that is well above industry standards.

A new partnership with Her Interactive has enabled DreamCatcher to now sell the super games in the Nancy Drew series, including Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill, Nancy Drew: Stay Tuned for Danger, and Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion. Check this link to read a review of these Nancy Drew Interactive Mystery Adventure Games.

Dracula: The Resurrection and In Cold Blood are two current games for the PC that will soon be released for the Playstation, and DreamCatcher also plans to release more games in the future for the Playstation 2 and the GameBoy Color platforms.

Necronomicon ($19.99) and The Legend of the Prophet and the Assassin ($19.99) are two of DreamCatcher's newer games that should also prove to be successful titles in their long list of super adventure games.

Other super games from DreamCatcher Interactive include Traitor's Gate, The Messenger, Riddle of the Sphinx, Jewels of the Oracle, Jewels II, Egypt 1156 B.C., Odyssey, TimeScape, Ancient Conquest, Beyond Time, Beyond Atlantis, Lightbringer, Legend of Lotus Spring, Nightlong, Seven Games of the Soul (also sold in Europe as Faust), SafeCracker, The Forgotten, The Sacred Amulet, and Time Machine.

All these are similarly designed adventure games, and all are priced very reasonably, the most expensive being $29.99 (In Cold Blood), with most around $14.99, and many even priced at $9.99, which I think are super prices for these super games. At the time of this writing, I have purchased and played nearly all these games, and these reasonable price points have always gotten my attention.

I think these affordable price points represent a very important strategy of DreamCatcher that has helped them achieve their success. When you consider the very expensive proposition to invest in the coding and other very expensive costs to develop and produce a computer game today, I think it is quite remarkable that this company markets their products at such a reasonable price.

I also think it is important to remember that DreamCatcher is still very much in the business of producing quality computer games, something many other companies can no longer attest to since they have gone out of business. What is even more remarkable, in my opinion, is that at the time of this writing, DreamCatcher Interactive remains wholly owned and self-sufficient, and has not yet been absorbed by a larger company.

So, with the easy on the pocket-book price of the game, and the also minimal price of the solution guides, you have the makings of a winner in the hotly contested battle for our limited disposable income and free time to invest in playing computer games. DreamCatcher Interactive is certainly a company worth watching and supporting.

Contact Information

The Adventure Company
DreamCatcher
5000 Dufferin Street
Toronto, Ontario
M3H 5T5
info@adventurecompanygames.com
www.adventurecompanygames.com

You can also order from other retailers or online vendors.