The Dig®

The way this game starts off I almost felt like I was playing a scene from the highest grossing world-wide movie of 1998, Armageddon! Maybe one of the writers of that movie played this game or sat down for a coffee with Steven Spielberg, of whom the concept for The Dig seems to have come from, if you take note of the opening credits. The first LucasArts game I've ever played that was serious yet still had that "chuckle dry humour". Some of the puzzles took me forever to figure out, but all of them fit within the story, which is Golden because of the way it abruptly changes course as soon as you start thinking you know the direction it's heading. A BIG thumbs up for the fact that there is no punishment for the choices you make...one ending, two ways to get there! https://youtu.be/0DOU8aWdARU

I remember seeing this box on the store shelves in the mid '90s. It was a real attention-grabber. That gorgeous, mysterious cover art. The screen shots. The name "Steven Spielberg" (which I recognized, even as a kid). This was a serious story game for adults, I could tell. And I wanted to play it. Only trouble was back in the mid '90s it was very difficult coming up with money for video games, especially PC games, which would often not run properly (or at all), and most of my meager savings went to console games. I've had this game in the back of my mind for the last 25 years as "I'd really love to play this some day..." and now I finally have! I loved it. It had a solid mature story and I loved exploring this desolate alien environment. Of course I needed to use hints (look up Universal Hint System for the *perfect* adventure game guide) and that's fine. I did manage to complete a decent amount of puzzles on my own, and overall I'd say the puzzle difficulty wasn't too obtuse. It's not as streamlined or polished as a modern day adventure game, but if you really think about the scenarios you can usually get a good sense of what you should do next. (And if not, again, google the Universal Hint System website). Near the end there was a bit too much going back and forth, and some of the screens are a pain to slowly trudge through, but it's nothing drastic. I felt the art looked great (especially in context), the voice acting was solid, and the music was fantastic. I loved the intelligent story being told here and I'm sure this game would have blown my mind if I played it in 1995 - I wish I could have! Then again, maybe there's something special to playing it now, as a grown adult, when I can appreciate what was being done with this game and how unique something like this was for its time. Thanks for the great time, GOG!

It may lack the humor of other LucasArts games of that period, but The Dig might be their best game. This is the game for fans of a good SF story that deserves a remake so it can be made the way it was imagined for the first time. Or Spielberg could go back to his original concept and make a movie which would be awesome. Puzzles can be frustrating and monster design, although good, is not believable when it comes to making them advanced race.

Always wanted to play it since I first saw it in computer games magazine in 90's. Nice to play, controls are good. Audio and graphics too. Just need to finish it ;)

The Dig is, in my opinion, a high point for science fiction in the history of point-and-click games. Not that I’ve played many others, but I base this claim purely on the quality of this one. The grandeur of the story is matched by an incredible soundtrack and remarkable dialogue throughout. It draws you in and piques your curiosity, enveloping you in a shroud of mystery that makes you lose track of time and space. The puzzles only add to that mystery, but what I enjoyed about them is that even if you struggle for what feels like hours, once you understand the logic, the solution is within reach. It also helps that your options are limited, which sometimes forces you to think creatively. The art is decent, but the cutscenes elevate the visual experience. At times, it feels like watching a movie, which makes sense, given that the game was originally envisioned as a film. I highly recommend playing The Dig; it’s a captivating experience. While it can be frustrating at times, that frustration feels appropriate, given the scale and mystery of the story being told.