Phantasmagoria

what can i say really its as the title says a fun retro fmv game, with everything you'd expect from one cheesy acting, strange puzzles and a few hours of fun

As much as it pains me to say it, Phantasmagoria is kind of hard to recommend today. I want to hype this game up, after all, it’s unquestionably a major milestone, and it deserves to be held in high regard for the achievement that it was. The trouble is, though, that it’s sort of an “awkward growth phase” in the evolution of video games… Sort of like video game puberty, if you will. In current year, Phantasmagoria’s technical achievements won’t dazzle you like they did in ‘95, and even the edgy content, quite controversial at the time, is going to feel pretty unexciting. As a result, it’s much easier to appreciate Phantasmagoria as a historic achievement than as an actual game. If someone new to point and clicks boots it up, its design is going to feel very clunky, even when compared to other point and clicks of the era, and it’s obvious that Sierra’s focus here was on innovation, rather than gameplay. It doesn’t feel like a rich world ripe for exploration in the way that a good adventure game should. I’d say it feels more in the same vein as Myst than King’s Quest. Adventure game fans should definitely give it a go if they want to have a well rounded knowledge of the genre, but if you’re a new player who just wants to play classic game that’s new to you, there are dozens I’d recommend ahead of this one. Sorry, Phantasmagoria. As important as you are, I just can’t recommend you without a hearty disclaimer.

Good, but not great. Probably a 3.5 for me really. Plot, script, acting is good enough though not amazing - doesn't compare to Gabriel Knight, Beast Within. At least one plot continuity issue (what happens to the demon after its host dies ...). Generally I enjoyed the gameplay, and I like interactive movies. Though the plot wasn't original, the delivery of new discoveries over the several chapters was well done. In one or two points, I missed the existence of a whole room because you had to move your cursor right over the very edge of the screen - next to the edge wasn't good enough. Still a bit sore about that! Sometimes the mirror death scenes don't load - I missed one (watched it on YouTube later and it was pretty gross, so hah, maybe that was a good thing!). I didn't really enjoy the last chapter - still basically the same gameplay but much more time-pressured, and if you mess something up you have to watch the same gory death scenes over and over ... If you don't use the hints and/or a walkthrough you're a glutton for punishment. And there wasn't much of a post-game ending, which was disappointing (probably because the characterisation was a bit thin all the way through - again compare Beast Within).

Remember seeing the reviews for this game in PC Gamer, and the demo that I saw was only a short video clip, and neither was that impressive. Now that I have finally played the game from start to finish, it is worth playing, not overally hard, just a couple of areas where you may need to think (typcial Sierra) ending was good, though gave a mixed feeling as well. Acting was awful as most video games can be, but dont let it ruin the story.

I love this game and its sequel.. introduced to pt 2 in the early 2000s and has been a mainstay in my library. games like this are the reason GOG exists!