The X-Files

"Must Buy point and click adventure game for fans of the series and Psone gamers"

X-files Playstation Review

Overview

This is a point and click adventure for the playstation console ported from the PC game
based on the tv series The X-Files. The X-Files was a drama series that aired on Fox for eight years based around the idea that there is a conspiracy to cover up the involvement between the US government and extra terrestrials to populate the planet by invasion or abduction. The two main characters of the series, Mulder and Scully, work for the FBI investigating unsolved crimes relating to paranormal activity passed to them (because no one in the FBI can solve them) labeled ''The X-Files''. In the pilot episode they discover that there is some conspiracy and the show takes off from there.

Game background

The game takes place as if it were a two part episode of the series, not starring the main characters, but a cast of unknowns, who, despite other reviews, actually perform well in the game (apart from Jordan Lee Williams who plays Agent Willmore). It is also not (plot wise) a main X-Files episode and plays out like a standard point and click mystery, so it doesn't affect the plot of the actual show and is a good game to buy if you aren't familiar with the show.

Plot

Mulder and Scully are investigating a warehouse in Seattle, when they are fired upon by a group of men, who then disappear in a ball of light, as if the men have been abducted by aliens. The game then starts with Agent Willmore investigating the disappearance of the two agents at the FBI field office in Seattle. As with any X-Files episode the plot starts normally with this disappearance and leads into X-Files plot twists. Overall, there are great characterization and different plot endings or red herrings in the plot that make for compelling gameplay.

Interface

The game is a point and click adventure which was originally released on the PC, but it translates surprisingly well on the psone. By using the left analog stick for the cursor, and the circle and triangle buttons on the controller to navigate the menu system. The only drawback of the psone controller occurs in the various action sequences that work like old school light gun games, and they don't come off very well compared to using a mouse to shoot opponents, but it isn't a big problem and these events rarely occur.

Graphics

The graphics aren't the best, there are basically two types of graphics in the game. It is an FMV game, like ''D'' or the old Sega CD games, so you have sections of looping FMV when you stand still and have to talk to an in game character or search a specific location, and you have still photographs when you have to navigate an area eg the FBI Field Office in Seattle. It can look ugly, (there is an instance where you are stood outside a location and see a car moving forwards, reversing and moving forwards again repeatedly in an FMV loop) and the way you move forward in first person by repeatedly ''looking at photographs'' of an area can be annoying, but overall, this has to be one of the most polished point and click adventures I have played. Even if the graphics detract from the game, other aspects such as the in game music, the plot and the acting alleviate any problems a player might have with the graphics. Another annoyance is that the FMV is dated because it is on the psone, so the quality is lower, but it isn't a major problem. Finally, if you are planning to buy this game for the PS2, there is a glitch with the on-screen cursor (there are two overlapping cursor's on screen). It is still playable, but the game is more suited to the psone because of this.

Gameplay

It's first person, unlike Broken Sword's third person view, and you will see the main character only in cut-scenes, and, if you can tolerate looking at photo's and investigating large locations looking at the pointer for a small clue then it is a great game that can stretch your investigative powers and last up to twenty hours. There are various difficulty levels that can help, and even the easier difficulty level can give you a lot of replayability, as you have options to easily vary how a character responds to your actions (but this doesn't have a major influence on the plot, unfortunately).

Audio

All of the audio from the series is there, Mark Snow is listed in the credits (probably for the theme) and Paul Hiaumet is listed for the music and as a game designer, but even then the music stands up well to the actual series. The audio can be muffled in game (music aside), but it is still good and retains the atmosphere of the series perfectly.

Final Opinion 8/10

This game is a must buy for PC and Psone X-Files fans, especially because it is a live action game. It can be very challenging, but with the atmosphere from the series and the great plot, it is well worth playing. Knowing that the series has ended it is still a great game for anyone to play if they want a point-and-click adventure and a western based game instead of the normal JRPG's that inhabit the Psone library, and, like a lot of psone games it stands above a lot of the games that are developed for the PS2 these days.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/07/04