The X-Files: The Game (PC Games)

I admit it. I'm an X-files fan. I tried to resist. I really did. When the first season started, I said, "eh, it's just a UFO conspiracy show, I'll pass". But eventually it sucked me in. So naturally, I was waiting for this game.

The X-Files is a full-motion video game with an original story which involves all the characters you know and love (and sometimes distrust). In it, you play agent Craig Willmore, a fairly young FBI agent in Seattle, who generally works on cases that are more mundane than your average X-Files case. Into your world comes Assistant Director Skinner, who needs your help. It seems two of his agents (can you guess which two?) have disappeared while on a case in the area. You really don't have much more than this to go on, and so with the help of Skinner, and possibly from a few others, you have to start piecing together the mystery.

The game is all video, with a point and click interface. The video is well done, although it runs only in a band in the center of your screen. You have a number of tools at your disposal, including a computer and a digital assistant, as well as the normal gun, handcuffs, lockpick, nightvision goggles, etc. You have to use these tools to investigate a variety of locations. The conversation model is fairly straightforward, at times using a simple 'choose the emotion' response, other times allowing you to choose the specific response.

A couple of complaints with the game detract from an excellent video presentation style. One is what I call the 'hunt and click' method in which some puzzles are solved by simply making sure you have moved your mouse over every location, and clicked on anything clickable. The game is certainly not like that throughout, and it does have an 'artificial intuition', which allows you to essentially bypass it, but there's a little much for my taste.

The other complaint is a fairly simple one. Your agent character has a computer on his desk which is essential to moving forward in the game. And you have to FIGURE OUT the password. Now, it seems to me that an FBI agent should already know the password on his computer. I'm as big a fan of puzzles as the next guy, but this seems like a totally artificial challenge. A small complaint, but since you encounter it so early in the game, it's particularly annoying.

Some flaws notwithstanding, this is a very good video based game. The story is intriguing, and the production quality is excellent. Looks like a must have for X-Files fans.