Is it just me, or is DreamCatcher almost single handedly keeping the adventure genre from disappearing these days? The French based game company has put the word adventure in their logo. They have more than a couple of adventure titles in the works, and so far I have to admit I am pleased with what they have to offer. I thoroughly enjoyed Dracula Resurrection. It was atmospheric, creepy and it had some of the best cut-scene graphics I have ever seen in a game. As I installed The Messenger with mild anticipation, I wondered if lightening could strike twice? Surely not.

In The Messenger you play as Morgana Sinclair. An ass kicking, cross bow bearing, green eyed Secret Service Agent who prefers to do her dirty work wearing little more, than a black skin-tight jump suit. Her father has sent Morgana on a quest to recover four enchanted artifacts called Satan’s Keys. Once these four objects are joined together there mysterious power will unleash Armageddon. Your mission is simple. Travel through time with the aid of an unknown time portal, and destroy the four relics. The game takes you through four time periods within the world famous Louvre Museum in Paris. Your time traveling portal will send you to the Medieval Period-1300’s, the Renaissance Period during the reign of Henry IV-1610, The French Revolution and of course present day France.

This is an adventure title so there are plenty of puzzles to solve along the way. There are many find the key to unlock the door teasers, which some gamers may not like. Sometimes the area where an object needed to be found was too dark to see clearly. This made it annoying to play during the day. Of course the eerie sounds along with the detailed graphics make it fun to play in the dark. So this annoyance can be over looked. It is also very simple to play by using just the mouse. Left click to walk or to manipulate items. Right click to bring up the inventory screen. That’s it. Simple. During the game you have a limited inventory space so you need to decide what to bring with you. This could get frustrating, but thankfully storage chests solve the problem. They are located throughout each level. Once you deposit an item in one, you can retrieve it later on. Sort of like a locker. It doesn’t really make sense that the items still remain in the storage chests when you start jumping through the time portal to another time period. But hey this is a game right?

You interact with the environment through the Phoenix VR engine. Travel is actually accomplished through prearranged animation sequences. You are not free to roam around because movement is limited to a Myst-like point and click first person style. The game engine does allow 360-degree exploration however, which permits you to soak up some of the beautifully pre-rendered environments. This style is pre determined with no hope of deviating from the linear path. Essentially this makes game play a point and click, connect the dots affair leaving little replay value.

Don’t get me wrong though. There is enough here to make it worth embarking on this adventure. The graphics are solid. The music and sound effects are appropriate. Burning torches and detailed costumes are all well done. Although the characters don’t always move their lips in synch to the dialogue. Sometimes they don’t move their lips at all actually. The story is interesting, and easy to follow. The best part is the price tag. Only 19.99, which is a helluva lot better than those fifty-dollar boxes in your local EBX. Overall, The Messenger is good for a quick adventurous romp without any long-term commitment. It doesn’t cost much, the puzzles are pretty straightforward and rather easy, and the game can be beaten in less than 25 hours. It doesn’t require too much space on your hard drive, and you don’t need a monster system to admire the beautiful cut scenes that help progress the plot. If you’re a fan of the adventure genre, then this one is worth a look.

Install: Easy
An absolute snap. A very fast install with minimum space requirements.

Gameplay: 7
Simple control that’s easy to learn. In fact the two-button click required to master this game might seem too easy for veteran gamers. The linear path kills any replay value.

Graphics: 8 
The cut scenes in this game are very good, but rather sparse in content. There’s no running and gunning in this one. There is the occasional sneak around, and take out the guard scene. The character animations are a bit awkward and voice-overs don’t always match what is on screen. The in-game graphics are pre-rendered, but well done and convincing.

Sound: 7
Original sound track was appropriate, but there wasn’t much music throughout the game. The rusty door hinge creeks are cool. Especially when you’re playing the game at night. Did I mention the lip synch is horrible?

Difficulty: 5
This sucker is an easy romp for veteran gamers. There is no option to deviate from the game path, so the answer is literally right in front of you. All you have to do is find the hot spot on the screen.

Concept: 6 
Four objects that will end the world when joined together. I’m sure I’ve heard this before in one form or another. Nothing revolutionary here, but I liked the fact that it took place in a museum.

Multiplayer: N/A

Overall: 7.5
Everything about this game is solid. Unfortunately there is nothing about it that will knock you into next week. If you are an adventure guru, then it’s worth your paper.