Classic FMV Games You Should Grab Before the Summer Sale Ends
The GOG.com Summer Sale only has a few days left, so I thought I might take a few minutes to highlight some classic FMV games that you might have missed. FMV games have had a bad rap in games for a long time and for good reason — loads of devs churned out cheap, poorly thought-out FMV cash grabs in the 90's, but these listed here are the masterpieces that have gotten replayed over and over again for years by their fans. If you’ve missed out on them, now is a great time to correct that.
The Journeyman Project 3: Legacy of Time
When I finally streamed the entire Journeyman series, this was hands-down the greatest delight. I’d played Journeyman 1 and 2 before, and while I found Pegasus Prime a fantastic upgrade of the original Journeyman Project Turbo, and Buried in Time was great nostalgic fun, Legacy of Time was an unexplored wonderland — a gorgeous trek through three mythical civilizations, solving puzzles and unravelling the truth behind what was REALLY happening in the first two games.
One of my favorite things about this game as opposed to the two that came before it was the Chameleon Suit, which allows you to appear to be anyone you wish, once you’ve captured their image. Thus, some of the puzzles involve not only speaking to the right people — but speaking to the right people AS the right people. And due to the wide variety of people in each civilization, this means there’s a TON of FMV for each character in the game.
All in all, you really can’t go wrong with this amazing time-travel adventure, and all three games are 67% OFF, so go check them out!
The Pandora Directive
If you know me at ALL, you saw this coming. This was my first Tex Murphy adventure, and it is still my favorite adventure game of all time. I’ve talked about this game so much that I don’t know how to avoid repeating myself. One of the few games to get FMV right, The Pandora Directive features 3D navigation and exploration, inventory puzzles, logic puzzles, interactive conversations, and three different narrative paths through the game, resulting in incredible replayability.
It’s a hugely entertaining ride, with comedy, drama, sci-fi, and horror, all thrown into a blender and mixed with bourbon. If I have one serious criticism, it’s that the controls don’t hold up well. But despite that, I still replay The Pandora Directive at least once a year, and like visiting old friends, it always leaves me with a contented smile on my face.
If nothing else, it should whet your appetite for the upcoming Tex Murphy: Overseer remake/sequel The Poisoned Pawn, which looks astounding. But if you need more, the other classic Tex Murphy titles Mean Streets, Martian Memorandum, and Under a Killing Moon are all also on sale from 80% to 85% OFF.
Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger
This game is an actual time-travel device. Whenever I play it, suddenly I’m 16 years old again, sitting at my computer, staring wide-eyed at the larger-than-life Kilrathi staring down a defiant Angel on the Kilrah homeworld. The nostalgia force is strong with this one, and that metaphor was deliberate — this game features Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker himself, as the titular Heart of the Tiger, Colonel Christopher Blair.
This is still one of my favorite space combat games to play, ever, despite its age. The combat is satisfying without becoming frustrating, thanks mostly to a generous selection of difficulty levels (and if you’re really having a hard time, or you just want to see all the FMV you can handle, there’s an invulnerability cheat right in the options screen), and the acting is thoroughly enjoyable in its own right.
It’s worth it just to see Malcolm McDowell discuss a gigantic cannon while doing his best to avoid saying anything phallic. And like its worthy sequels Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom and Wing Commander: Prophecy, this game is 75% OFF. But like all these deals, this sale is on only for a limited time!
Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh
This one is not for the kiddies, as I’m sure you may have guessed by the title. The Phantasmagoria games are horror adventures developed by Roberta Williams during Sierra On-Line’s heyday. Both Phantasmagoria games feature nudity, sexual themes, and graphic violence, but I chose to highlight the sequel here, because, of the two Phantasmagorias, this game is just more fun — even if that’s due to the game’s B-movie nature.
See, the first Phantasmagoria went for a straight up haunted-house horror vibe, and while it can be shocking, it was difficult to take seriously, and due to an end-game glitch, I also found it a tad frustrating, if still enjoyable overall. But the sequel plants itself in sci-fi horror, and seems to be aiming for a campy feel, and the plot gets bizarre very quickly, and the acting is hammy as hell — it’s enormously entertaining, and I had a blast streaming it.
Both games are currently on sale for 75% OFF!
Zork: Grand Inquisitor
I got turned onto this by GOG community member (and fellow Twilight-Zone-pinball enthusiast) Dave Thompson, and this was one of my favorite streams ever. This game is hilarious. From the nonsensical and ludicrous Inquisition policies and propaganda to Michael McKean’s endless commentary as mage-turned-talking-lantern Dalboz, I was laughing the entire length of this game.
That’s not to say it was an easy ride — some of the game’s puzzles are pretty devious, and it’s possible to get killed, usually in a bizarre or humiliating manner. But a large portion of the puzzles require casting spells that the player learns throughout the game, and I found these to be more fun than frustrating.
If you want to check them out, the Zork Anthology, Return to Zork, and Zork Nemesis are all 67% OFF — but Zork: Grand Inquisitor itself is 75% OFF until the Summer Sale ends!
