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Review: Secret Files : Tunguska - PC

by Steven Williamson on 6 September 2006, 10:42

Tags: Secret Files: Tunguska for Wii, Koch Media, Action/Adventure

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qagpx

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Compelling story



Point and click adventures may seem ‘old hat’ to those who've become accustomed to the huge influx of action titles on the market, but thanks to developers such as Animation Arts and Fusionsphere System, the brains behind the latest PC adventure, Secret Files : Tunguska, they’re still going strong.

Secret Files: Tunguska is an intriguing adventure that has been receiving rave reviews in Germany and is soon to hit shops in the UK. We’d never heard of the Tunguska tragedy, but it is a real-life event that took place back in 1908. A massive explosion occurred on June 30th in this remote area and conspiracy theories are still running strong. The devastation was enormous, a fireball that was reportedly as bright as the sun streaked across the skies above and exploded into the vast landscape. Trees were flattened in a bizarre radial pattern over an area of 850 square miles and Seismic vibrations were felt up to 600 miles away. After further investigations the explosion was said to be 2,000 times the strength of the Hiroshima bomb that exploded in 1945, but bizarrely there was no crater.

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The event was the subject of an X files episode that explored the theory that the Russian secret service were involved and now these two developers have brought the story back into the public eye by creating a game that sees you on a trail for the truth behind the mysterious explosion and the hunt for your missing father.

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While Secret Files: Tunguska sticks to some of main facts surrounding the event it would obviously be a slightly boring factual history lesson rather than a game if they didn’t juice it up a bit. Faceless men in black, hidden rooms with torture devices and unusual experiments are just a few of the things that you’ll encounter in this compelling game. Secret Files: Tunguska improves on many of those annoying aspects that we’ve so often experienced in point and click adventures and delivers a smooth, brain aching experience that you won’t want to turn off.

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The story begins with the disappearance of your Father who has been mysteriously kidnapped by a faceless man in black. Playing initially as his daughter, Nina, you’ll be thrown into all sorts of danger and intrigue as the story progresses and gradually unlocks the secret behind both the disappearance of the scientist and the Siberian tragedy. Secret Files: Tunguska is a point and click adventure where the only buttons you’ll need to press are those on your mouse; it’s simple, but effective. The subject matter is a superb backdrop to the gameplay, the puzzles have enough variety to keep you hooked, and the interface has come a long way in helping the user to get through the game without having to revert to a walkthrough.