Temüjin

Overview

SouthPeak Interactive has created a winner with Temujin. Combining a good story, interesting, engaging puzzles and a 360-degree Video Reality experience, Temujin enjoys a position right at the top of its genre.

The story begins with the burial ceremony of Genghis Khan. Strange and frightening magic occurs there that will travel down through the centuries. For the moment, the evil power that Genghis Khan used to conquer his enemies is locked safely away in a jewel-covered goat's head. But will it stay that way?

At the Stevenson museum, present day, the Capricorn collection is on display, containing artifacts from the tomb of Temujin -- otherwise known as the great warrior Genghis Khan. (Can you smell the trouble brewing?) Here, strange occurrences are becoming the norm -- murder, intrigue, suspense and secrets are only a few of the things you will encounter when the power within the goat's head begins to grow and threaten escape.

Gameplay

Temujin is played from the first-person perspective. This, along with the great graphics, helps to create the illusion that you are actually walking through the museum. Although I must admit that at first the movement process made me a bit nauseated, once I got the hang of it and gained control of my mouse, I was able to enjoy the game.

One feature I particularly enjoyed was the ability to click on pictures and other museum objects and get detailed descriptions of them. I thought this added nicely to the environment, and it also gave me something to do while I plotted my next move.

I do have to tell you that the puzzles in this game are difficult, almost to the point of hair pulling, but, if you pay CLOSE attention to all of the details (I don't suggest playing this game when you are tired) and tell your mind to think abstractly, you'll probably be OK. That tactic, coupled with the hints from your hint book, should at least get you through the first two episodes.

Even though this is basically a point and click game, it does have some special features that aid you along the way. One is the ability to get memories from certain objects. Even though it takes a while before you are capable of this feat, it is well worth the wait. You never can tell about people until you've seen a bit of something that perhaps they would have rather left hidden. Another feature is the ability to take pictures of certain items. This helps you discern whether the object you see now is really the same as it was before.

Graphics

Ah, the graphics. Here's where Temujin really shines. Using Video Reality technology, they actually filmed a set, not a backdrop, on 35mm film to create the Stevenson Museum. The results are fantastic, and it is my hope that this game will start a new trend in adventure games with this technique. With the ability to turn 360 degrees and move basically wherever you want to, this seems like more than just a game. More like an interactive movie (or at least the closest I've seen to that yet). Although you were actually incapable of interacting with the characters during the video sequences, there was such a smooth transition between the video and the game that it felt continuous.

Audio

The music in Temujin seemed appropriate to all of the game environments and conveyed a variety of moods -- excitement, mystery, suspense, etc. About the only thing I can complain about was that at times I heard certain musical phrases for so long (usually when solving something difficult) that I would go to sleep humming the music and have dreams of Temujin during the night. The sound effects themselves were also well done and certainly added much to the story.

Documentation

The documentation that accompanies Temujin is above the norm in its detail and layout and a hint book for the first two episodes is also included.

System Requirements

Pentium 90 MHz processor, Windows 95, 16 MB RAM, 2X CD-ROM drive (4X recommended), 16-bit Windows compatible sound card, SVGA graphics for 640x480 high color (16 Bit), 2 MB VRAM strongly recommended, Microsoft compatible mouse

Reviewed on: P2-266, 64 MB RAM, 16X CD-ROM drive, Diamond Stealth 3D 2000 video

Bottom Line

I would have to say that this game deserves a well earned 94. With wonderful ground-breaking graphics and a good story (one with an actual plot), I found it to be quite engaging. HOWEVER, I would recommend this game only to serious or experienced adventure gamers who know some of the tricks of the trade and also know that while the puzzles may be frustrating, that somewhere, we must believe, lies the clue to it all.