A crime most heinous has been committed, and it’s not the first of it bizarre kind. Three others were killed in a similar fashion years before. An arrest was made, the suspect was convicted and sent to prison. But the suspect was innocent. Unfortunately he was killed in prison before his innocence was determined.

And now the murders have begun again. As Det. Brent Halligan, of Scotland Yard, it is up to you to track down clues and solve the case – hopefully, before another dismembered body turns up.

Mystery of the Druids, from cdv and House of Tales, is an adventure/mystery game for the PC, played from the third-person perspective. The characters in the game may be a touch shallow, and the voice acting is, at times, lacks conviction, but the storyline is intriguing.

The quest for justice begins in New Scotland Yard with Halligan getting chewed out by his supervisor. From there it’s off to Epping Forest, where bloodstained bones, each outlined by charred grass, have been discovered. That’s when the adventure begins to swing into high gear.

The game features two time frames – the present and the past. And while you begin as Halligan, you will get the opportunity to play other character as the game progresses.

Using polygonal figures, the game tries to emulate a three-dimensional feel, but comes up a little short. There is some depth of field, and your character can walk around tables, while you view the action from the third-person perspective. The cursor acts as your guide. It will indicate when you can move from one location to another, or will become a magnifying glass to signal there is something you can investigate.

There is a little lag as you move from one location to the next, and overlayed ghost images of the previous scene were visible for an instant.

There is a bit of a lag as the next room loads.

Conversations are advanced using the mouse to select what phrase you wish your character to say. There are usually several choices, and the wrong one can lead you to a dead end in the conversation. Overall, the sound of the game seemed rather low, without an in-game way to increase it. Yes, you can turn your speakers up, but you risk an incredible blast of sound if you forget to turn them back down after you exit the game.

The version of the game reviewed here came without a manual – no problem, you won’t need one. The player interface is very easy to use. It is mouse driven, but you do have an inventory of items, which you carry about with you. If you wish to use an item on something in the scene, say like a plastic bag to collect evidence, you just remove the item from your inventory and hold it over the in-scene selection and they will work together. No muss, no fuss.

While the graphical elements are solidly delivered, the most compelling aspect of this game is the story. It is a very linear storyline, and sometimes you will find yourself approaching someone and receiving clues about what you should have done before talking to him or her simply by the response they have to your greeting. However, the game does have a sense of urgency to it that will have you playing it for hours on end. The frustration lays in the conversation trees; you may have to repeat conversations three or four times before you head down the right branch and get the information or clues you seek.

Mystery of the Druids is not the best game of its type on the market, but it is a solid mystery game. Years ago, Sierra had a game called Shivers that was spine tingling. You won’t get quite that same feeling with Mystery of the Druids, nor will you get the wonderful graphics of a Myst III, but you will get a nice gaming experience and hours of entertainment with this title.

This program did not come with a rating, but because of the violence, it is not for the impressionable, or younger players.

Install: Easy.
The game does install quickly.
 
Gameplay: 7.
There is some lag in the load time between rooms, which interferes with the continuity of the game.

Graphics: 7.5.
The overall graphical quality of this game is sound. The polygonal characters move a little stiffly, but the scenes are well rendered, and some of the detail is quite good.

Sound: 6.
Some of the vocal characterizations were a little flat, and the overall sound was low.

Difficulty: 7.5.
This is a mental challenge, and you may find yourself taking notes as you progress through the game. The conversation trees can heap frustration upon players as you replay dialogue and try to find the right path to the clue.

Concept: 7.
This game, though definitely not groundbreaking, and linear in nature, has a nice storyline, and some great locations.

Multiplayer: N/A

Overall: 7.
While Mystery of the Druids is not about to set the world on fire, it is an entertaining and intriguing mystery that will have you wondering what you may have missed in previous scenes and asking yourself “what if I … “ a lot. The purpose of games is to entertain, and this succeeds in doing just that.