Traitors Gate

"The attention to detail is stunning"

I'd never heard of DreamCatcher Games or Traitor's Gate before I got this game. They seem to be a small company that focuses on point-and-click adventure games for the PC. Pretty good games too. This game, while a bit tedious at times, was fun. Let's break things down...

Graphics - 9/10

While not groundbreaking or revolutionary by any means, the graphics are decent. Attention is paid to every single detail. Every crack in the wall is there. I've read that the design team took pictures of everything when they did their research. Right down to the leaves on the ground. It shows too. The detail will amaze you at times. It's true that everything is prerendered and looks like a big picture, but credit must be given where credit is due.

Sound/Music - 8/10

The sound is pretty good. The attention to detail can be clearly noticed here as well. You'll hear your footsteps change depending on what you are walking on, ravens crowing at one point in the game, and other small things that all add up. There really isn't much music to speak of, but what little there is isn't bad.

Gameplay - 9/10

Ah, the meat of this review. Now before I begin to rant on and on about the game, let me point out again that if you're not a fan of point-and-click adventure games, do not buy this game. To play this game in its entirety takes some patience to do. Not everyone will like sneaking around for several hours where nothing really exciting happens. But if you're a fan of these types of games, you will find yourself in heaven.

Again, details and more details. As a special agent on a top secret mission to steal and replace the Crown jewels from the Tower of London before someone else does, you've got all sorts of nifty things to help you out along your way. Your PDA, which serves many functions, contains several pages of information about the jewels, the Tower, and your mission in general. The developers may have made me learn British history inadvertently. You will simply be amazed at how much work went into trying to make this game as realistic as possible from a gameplay standpoint.

The puzzles are a bit tough to figure out if you don't keep trying over and over again. There are times when you may get stuck wondering what to do next. That's a minor downfall to the game. Another one is that they say that it's got so many different pathways to completing your mission, but it was all pretty linear to me. I must say, however, that there are several different ending descriptions depending on how you get caught or whether you succeed in your mission.

The game is nothing but one long mission. There are several different areas in the game, which forces you to switch CD's now and again. But there are no real sidequests to speak of. Everything you do is directly related to the main mission. However, I never really saw that as a setback to enjoying the game.

Replay Value - 3/10

Well, once you beat it, there's not much else to do in the game. There's no bonus or anything like that. That affects the replay value a lot. You won't find yourself playing through this game in much of a hurry after you beat it.

Overall - 8/10

Despite its lack of replay value and its difficulty at times, Traitor's Gate is a great game for fans of the point-and-click genre. It delivers a solid experience and even though the story seems a bit far-fetched, you may end up finding yourself wondering if it could really be done.
Plus, the developers put so much into getting the details right that you should at least check it out if you like these types of games. It really is amazing to see all the work that went into making this game. I recommend that you at least try it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/29/06