Indiana Jones® and the Fate of Atlantis™

This game was what made me interested in fictional versions of human history, specially Atlantis, and I wouldn't be surprised if some famous pseudohistorians got inspired by this game or vice-versa. The story alone rivals the Lost Ark or Last Crusade and should give you enough reason to play this game.

IJFOA is the first game I ever played as a kid, and today, many decades later, I have played thousands of games since... I think I'm being objective when I say that IJFOA is still easily one of the best games in the history of games. Yes technically it may be a bit dated, and many innovations have been invented over the years. BUT when you add the inventiveness, the scope, the imagination, the charm, the breadth, the story, the dialog, the humor, the artwork, the design, the variety, the surprises, the pacing, the cohesiveness, the love and ambition that was put in this, (oh, yeah, AND Sophia!), you realize how much every other game has borrowed from this one and somehow still can't measure up to it. The best aspect is the tone of the game ; funny, but not goofy and silly; colorful, but not tacky; educational, without being didactic (I read Plato as a teen because of this game)... it creates a sense of wonder that manages to sustain itself over the many locales and story arcs without losing focus... Also, it's a very free game ; games today (even the better ones) feel like they've been force fed top-down corporate pap, like they have a board to answer to ; to be greenlit, they need to be able to show which other successful games they copy to demonstrate proof of ROI. With a game such as IJFOA, you feel the designers were given a free hand to do whatever they wanted in a way that is refreshing and rare. In countless games I have played in my life, never have I come across a game that's managed to etch itself into memory quite like this one; and I generally find it impossible to replay most games - even those I have enjoyed - because they get depleted fast. With this one, replayability comes with rewards on a level I couldn't find in any other game. I would make a plea for game designers to make more games like this one, but they have already tried, and you will easily find imitations galore, and they pale in comparison...

This is one of the best adventure games ever made. Multiple paths mean you can play this game 3 times and get 3 entirely different experiences (well, a good 60% of the game will be different anyway). It captures the spirit of Indiana Jones that hasnt been seen since the trilogy (or perhaps Young Indiana). I find it aged incredibly well, as timeless as the original movies. Atlantis is the perfect Indiana Jones subject matter, far better than alien skulls or whatever the last movie was. Sophia is the perfect partner to Indy, charming, strong, quick witted. This game is a lot of fun, one of the genres finest moments.

This is what Kingdom of the Crystal Skull should have been; a true adventure story that follows the history of a real world myth, on par with the scale of the holy grail or the ark of the covenant. The dialogue is witty and engaging, the art style, while old, is detailed and rich, it has a score that competes very well with the film soundtracks, plus the multiple puzzle solutions and the nature of the three-way paths give this game vastly more replay value than the other LucasArts titles. A true classic that has withstood the test of time and is just as fun to play in the modern era.

There are few games that I recommend as much as this one. This is a great game. Yes the graphics are a little dated, but it kind of adds to the charm. The gameplay is really good, and the puzzles can be challenging, but you can always work them out. One of the things this game does truly well is that it has replayability. Which is rare for a point and click. But when you are getting your fortune read, you have the choice to make the puzzles harder, increase the amount of combat, or go somewhere in the middle. Which makes this a great game for people who may prefer one over the other. The plot is great, the characters are great, the puzzles are great (and usually make logical sense) It's an all around great game for people who enjoy point and click adventures.