Rise of the Dragon

"The PC Game We All Forgot About"

What can be said about ''Rise Of The Dragon'' that you won't read somewhere else? Many, many reviewers and gamers alike mention the ever-changing story, the unlimited replayability, the game's non-linearity, and the excellent storyline. I doubt I'll touch on anything that hasn't already been discussed. I was lucky enough to receive this as a gift many years ago when I was playing games from a 386. It was the original boxed version which any gamer knows is extremely hard to come by. I remember becoming frustrated with one particular sequence (more on that later) and simply giving up on it. But now, in the year 2003 (thirteen years after its original release), I have finished the game but only on one path mind you. It's a shame that a game this revolutionary (even today) doesn't get the credit it deserves within fickle gaming circles.

Story: You are William ''Blade'' Hunter, a futuristic private detective hired by the mayor to find out what exactly killed his daughter. It's the year 2004 A.D. in the city of Los Angeles. You are told by the mayor to search around and discover who exactly and why would anyone want to murder a member of his immediate family. It wouldn't be a noir-ish game if the plot that you start with wasn't a red herring. You eventually find out that the sum of the parts of what's been going on involves drug trafficking, the rise of Bahumat, and a powerful Chinese gang set on (what else) world domination.

Gameplay: This game creates the illusion of the player actually stepping into someone else’s shoes. The city is littered with people, some walking in the background and others more up front. This complements the non-linearity of ''Rise Of The Dragon'' well. Cut scenes don't create your conversations with various characters as that’s up to the gamer. You are given a menu which allows certain responses. Some will cause the NPC you are talking to to possibly withhold information, perhaps cause you to have to obtain information yourself, or maybe even make the game impossible to finish. The programmers left the game open-ended; it's up to the player to decide what actions need to be taken, how these actions are going to be accomplished, and/or what is going to be said. ''Rise Of The Dragon'' is still largely an Adventure game so expect a bit of pixel hunting and the frustration that can be associated with these titles, however.

Graphics: I've been fortunate enough to play both the 16 color version and the 256 color version. While the 16 color edition may have more pixels when used for character rendering, the 256 color version beats it by a long shot with a much crisper look and more varied animations. We don't see an assortment of blues and various purples as I came across with only 16 colors, but rather an entire palette is utilized. The graphical designs, as I stated above, are of a lesser quality, sadly. This isn't disastrous as the additional colors and some smaller, yet noticeable extras (more complexly animated NPC's) are also incorporated into the game's improved engine. Both are dried leaves in a hurricane when compared to what we have today, but for it's time it was exceptionally good. Usage of pixels is as sharp as can be with the technology that was available within the time period and the overall animation is well-detailed. The time it took to create these intricate details is quite pronounced.

Sound: At the time, I can only remember ''Mean Streets'' to feature fully digitized sound. Gamers don't receive that luxury with ''Rise Of The Dragon'' and need to put up with the PC speaker. Characters don't speak with you; you read text. This isn't a problem as most Adventure games call for this and it eliminates any nerve-grating that may have been induced form poor voice acting. The same can be said about the PC speaker for audio purposes. The actual sound effects are limited and the music is scarce enough to the point where you'll hardly ever notice it.

Control: A Point And Click Adventure; there's no real need to discuss the basics of ''Rise Of The Dragon.'' The sub-genre that this game falls under should describe the control of the game to you without any trouble. You point at an object, you click on an object, you add it to your inventory; amazingly simple.

Longevity/Challenge: This one will last inexperienced Adventure gamers at least ten hours of play time (at least). For the more seasoned Adventure gamer it can range from six to seven hours, depending on how you choose to finish it. Some of the puzzles are fiendishly logical and hard to catch. There is one sequence in particular that involves tapping a phone line. It's an extremely difficult scenario that I myself gave up on. It takes patience and will alienate many gamers due to its difficulty. I saw this as a way to stretch game time past what it should have been. This is a minor flaw, however, as the game, no matter how short it is, is enjoyable until the end.

Final Verdict: They don't make them like this anymore. The non-linearity of the gameplay offers quite a bit of replay value and within that time of gameplay I can guarantee it will be an experience you will never again duplicate with another Adventure game. This is a one-of-a-kind experience that has been lost amongst the shuffle. This is easily one of the best Adventure games that I have played and certainly one of the most rewarding.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/30/03, Updated 07/30/03