"Dated, but still pretty fun if you're looking for a graphic adventure fix on your 3do."

Ah yes, the 3do, not so long ago he was the king of all, the snes, genesis and jaguar(I dont care if it was 64 bits) couldn't stand up to the technical might of this polygon pushing behemoth, so did this mean the 3do was better than ,or more popular than those afore mentioned systems? well....uh no, not even close. So what might have been the problem? Many reasons but it comes down to games, or rather a lack of them, good ones at least, but as modest as the 3do library was of quality titles a few bright spots did exist. Hell was one of those spots, well...let me rephrase that, it was a bright spot if you liked games like Broken Sword or Silverload on the PS, slow placed and story/dialouge driven. If that kinda fare made you retch, well it might make a nice drink coster for you, for others it was a nice little graphic adventure.


Graphics: 9/10

Yeah, nowadays they look pretty rough but compare them to its competition when it was released, and it was pretty darned impresive, 3d models, cienematics and all that mutilmedia mumbo jumbo comin out the wazzo made it stand out from the crowd back then. (better put on my battle gear in case the ''16-bit forever'' diehard crowd ever read this:P)

Music: 2/10

The theme song is kinda cool, nice moody rock style, then we get into the in game music....this stuff is just bad, poorly composed garbage. This being a cd system and all you would hope that the music quality would be a cut above its cart based brothers, but no. I don't know if it was time constraints or a lack of talent while the game was in production but this soundtrack is inexscusable, the instrments sound cheap and it feels like the arrangments are very empty, like there should be 2 or more instrments playing. Definatly the low point of the game.

Control: 7/10

Typical graphic adventure fare, and like most ga's on console it feels like it needed a mouse. The onscreen cursor, while not needing to be lightning fast does feel quite sluggish, especially when on a pc and mouse combo a flick of the wrist can get you from one side of the screen to the other, here it takes a little longer and is a little iritating at times.

Story: 8/10

Probably the high point of the game, (as it should be in a graphic adventure) You partake the roles of two goverment agents Gideon Eshanti and Rachel Braque, who work for a goverment know as the hand of god. In this world it has been discorvered that Hell truly exists and path ways between our world and Hell's is now possible. In everyday life devils and demons are thought of, not as folk lore and legend but just some guys who live down the street, criminals who are prosecuted by the government just don't go to jail now they go to hell. It starts out with Gideon and Rachel snoozing in thier apartment when a scrub team rudely awkens them and makes an atempt on thier life, after this the two become fugitives and take refuge in the seedy underworld of thier home. Through thier journeys they discover why they were almost killed by thier own people and some startiling discoveries about their government and Hell itself. Kinda neat no?

Gameplay: 6/10

While button mashing adreneline soaked gameplay isnt what makes graphic adventures great Hell still coulda used some help in this dept. The menus that you use to get into your inventory, get around town, ect ect were pretty dam clunky while they aren't rocket sceince to learn they arent silky smooth like they should be. Seeing as how this is the only real part where the player takes control, it should have a lot of attention to detail.

Fun: 7/10

If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times, this type of game is not for everyone, it can be slow and sometimes even boring, while a clunky interface, HORRIBLE music, and hit and miss voice acting are against it, It has an interesting story, likeable main characters and a unique art style. If thats enough for you give it a whirl you might be supprised.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 09/25/01, Updated 09/25/01