Riddle of the Sphinx: An Egyptian Adventure

"Rewarding and brilliantly concieved."

Seemingly a labor of love and a pet project of the Tobler couple (Karen and Jeff), Riddle Of The Sphinx (ROTS) is a point-and-click adventure that, despite some technical shortcomings, delivers an extremely satisfying experience, one that some of the bigger-budget, larger scale productions of this sort can sometimes not achieve. Allow me to first get the bad out of the way. First off, the game was designed, for some odd reason, to be run in 640X480 resolution, which means that the graphics are quite grainy and since the engine is based on using QuickTime (like Myst and Riven), many of the cut scenes and full motion parts are littered with compression artifacts and look, frankly, quite horrible. This includes the 360 degree panning mode which, in my opinion, should be turned off shortly after beginning. In addition, I personally suffered technical difficulties with the sound; in many places, moving forward would cause a drop out in the music or sound while the next screen loaded (and my computer is WAY above the suggested system requirements for ROTS). I personally hate QT based engines like this for these compatability issues, but in any case, ROTS' central problems are technical. Like any truly good game, though, the graphical issues (unless fatal) should never overshadow the gameplay. In the case of ROTS, fans of point-and-click games who want a clever challenge in which note-taking, careful observation, and patience are the key elements, look no further. RIddle Of The Sphinx is beautifully crafted and features amazing puzzles which test your ability to carefully record and observe during your explorations. None of the puzzles are vague or illogical; all of their solutions can be deduced from clues provided in numerous scrolls and keeping track of what you're seeing and manipulating, through the game. I won't go so far to say that ROTS is for beginners, but it is for those who like figuring things out and lots of exploration and investigation. The game's story is based around you (the player) being asked by an archaeological collegue to visit the Giz Plateau, and investigate new discoveries at both the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid. Both of these sites (other than the obvious fictional elements needed for the game) were modeled after the real thing with great precision, and although the game is set in the year 2012 (after a sandstorm has buried most of Giza), reality is a KEY element to the game. The story is very informed of its origins as well as the alternative archaeological theories concerning why the monuments were made and when they were made. Anyone who is a fan of Pyramid lore and alternative Egyptology will love the precision with which the game is designed. The game's world is nicely split into different sections which, while very similar (how different can you get inside a pyramid?) still branch out a bit here and there to keep you from going mad at staring at stone walls. The designs and graphics (despite the low resolution) are nicely made. There is accuracy to the meanings of Heiroglyphs as well, with their usage and translations being accurate to true ancient Egyptian language.
If I had any complaints, it would be that the game is a bit too non-linear, which leads to problems in figuring out where to go next. After the first few hours, the game opens up into a HUGE expanse of things to see and do, which overwhelmed me at first. THere were a few times I had to consult a walkthrough, NOT because of the puzzles, but simply because I was unsure where to go after having delved so thoroughly into one section. There should have been a better ''guide'' somewhere in the game to boost players in the right direction. Sound-wise, the game's sound effects are merely ''OK'', with little in the way of ambient sound. Musically, though, the score for much of the game is very well made and fits perfectly with the mood of the game. As I said before, this a game for the patient, for those who want to feel like they're really figuring things out. The games first few hours will unquestionably be spent soley inside the camp tent where you first arrive, where you will spend time jsut reading documents, and figuring out a small series of quandries to immerse yourself in the research you'll need to hear and see to understand the rest of the game. After I completed the game, although the end-moments disappointed me a bit, I was very impressed with one of the upper-crust titles of point-and-click games. As I understand it, the creators are soon to be hatching a sequel, The Omega Stone, which should allow you to delve even further into the mysteries of our human past. I can't wait.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/19/02, Updated 06/19/02