I played this game when it came out - I still have the original packaging sitting here on my shelf. I debated whether to give this game 4 or 5 stars. On the one hand it is not as good as some of the very best adventure games, such as Gabriel Knight 1 and 2, or The Longest Journey. However I decided on the higher rating based on the strength of the source material and its uniqueness in being a well-done point and click adventure with decidedly adult themes and situations. When this game was announced I was in college and I had never heard of Harlan Ellison or this story. If you have not read it I strongly recommend you do so as it is fantastic - don't worry it won't spoil the game. For that reason alone I have positive feelings for this game as it introduced me to an author and his collection of work that I now very much enjoy. The great thing about the game is that it is not a simple retread of the original story (which is rather short and would not supply enough material for a game of this length). Rather, it delves deeper into the backgrounds and personalities of each individual character. Why did AM choose these particular people? What is it about their pasts or their personalities that he chooses to exploit against them? For those interested there was a fantastic article a while back in Game Informer about the making of this game, focusing on the writer and his collaboration with the notoriously difficult Ellison.
