Mummy: Tomb of the Pharaoh
Game Review, 1996
Mummy: Tomb of the Pharaoh
from Interplay http://www.interplay.com/System Requirements: Windows 3.1 or Windows 95, 486/66, 8 MB RAM, 22 MB HD space, 2x CD-Rom, QuickTime 2.1.1 required (and included), SVGA, MPC2-compliant sound card, 100% Microsoft compatible mouse
Rating: Graphics: 79 Sound: 74 Interface: 80 Fun Factor: 88 Overall: 80
Just a brief explanation about the ratings above: I've started rating a little more strictly on the graphics and interface of games lately. It used to be an above average thing to have a decent, intuitive interface and recognizable, detailed graphics. But the industry has come to a point where I think we can safely say that a decent interface and decent graphics are to be expected. Games will be rated as below average for not having this, and will be rated above average only when the interface or graphics are noticeably above the current industry standard. Now, on to the show...
The install went uneventfully (which is a good sign). The game began. The descriptions of Mummy in Interplay's press releases and ads are things like "star performance from Malcolm McDowell," "compelling storyline," "dynamic sound effects," and "brilliant story." Well, at first I didn't think so at all.
My first impressions of Mummy were "what an annoying sound effect," "why can't I turn the sound down?", "I don't like not being able to control what my character is saying," "I wish Malcolm McDowell would stop showing up with these moronic hints about what to do next!" And to top it all off, on the first "night" of the game, my character, whose name I don't even remember, yawns and tells himself that he's tired and that he should go to sleep! And that's how it starts.
If the entire game continued like this throughout, I was prepared to give it some very low marks. But the next "day" in the game when my character wakes up, the stupid hints from Malcom stop, and I finally start exploring the situation. I'm supposed to find out what's going on with a box that was found during the mining operations and smooth things over with the native workers and make sure the mining gets back to normal. This includes finding out what's up with the box, and investigating some sabotage that occurs after I arrive.
The interface is point-and-click, fairly easy. I don't like the fact that once you've explored around, you aren't allowed any shortcuts -- you always have to walk the whole distance between one place and another. I didn't like the sound effects throughout the game, either -- variations on the same annoying "mood music" is played for each place you go, every time you open a door you hear the same annoying door squeak. And every time you load a new game, it sets your .WAV file player to top volume, so I had to go into my Windows 95 volume controls every time to bring it down to a level where my ears weren't blasted off (I usually wear headphones while playing games).
You can save games, and you can set the option for slow, medium, or fast transitions between places. Movement is not constant response to your mouse, as it was in Access Software's Pandora Directive. And, fortunately, it is not like Mindscape's Angel Devoid, where everywhere you go you have to actually walk there, hearing your own footsteps, clop-clop-clop. In Mummy, you click in the direction you want to go, and the view is refreshed to reflect your new position. When you turn to the side, you do not move forward, you just turn your body, and then you can move forward in the new direction by clicking forward (middle of the screen). Fairly simple and intuitive, though not elegant.
The puzzles in the game were pretty fun. The thing I really admired about this game was the same thing that annoyed me at first. It starts very, very simply, with a lot of hints from Malcolm at first. You are told what leads to check out and where to go next. But then, the hints trickle to a stop, and you are left with your own curiosity and wits. I began to explore the mining site, checking warehouse doors, walking into the infirmary, meeting the people around and checking out their living quarters.
As you explore, pieces of the puzzle become obvious. You find locked doors and your character thinks, "Hmm... my keys don't seem to fit. Maybe there's another way in." So you start looking for another way in. As you explore you find items that you can pick up and put in your backpack. Of course, these items prove useful later in your wanderings when you find sabotaged equipment or need smelling salts when a friend is found unconscious.
I didn't find that the setting of the game or the characters were particularly engaging. Although Egypt, tombs, and buried Pharaohs are supposed to be exotic and exciting, and even though you have an ex-girlfriend at the mining site to add tension to the visit... well, I just didn't find that these elements added a whole lot to the game. They seem to be used as a backdrop for the puzzles you have to solve, and that's about it.
Each time you fix something or solve a puzzle, the game leads you on to the next puzzle, which is usually a little more challenging than the last. I found where at first I was bored, I soon became obsessed with figuring out what to try to solve the problems. If you are motivated by having people to save, then this game doesn't offer much motivation. While your ex-girlfriend's life does seem to be threatened at one point, there really isn't much motivation along the human lines. However, if you like fixing things or figuring out solutions to problematic situations, then you will like the puzzles in this game. I really loved the maps of the mining shafts, though leafing through them was kind of a pain (you'll see what I mean if you play it). I got that cool, adventurous feeling like I was really exploring underground tunnels. Some of the puzzles (like getting out of the mining shaft alive after a cave-in) are quite challenging.
So, if you like computer games, and want to work at solving a bunch of puzzles and get that satisfaction of finally beating a mystery game, then check out Mummy: Tomb of the Pharaoh. Stick it out through the slow beginning and you'll find plenty of puzzles to keep you busy on long winter nights.