Following Freeware: November 2017 releases

Willem’s Winners

Conspiracy Below Zero

In June 1944, Hitler ordered his scientists to freeze him and a few of his henchmen so they could be revived later. This project was called Below Zero. Now, decades later, an American group of neo-Nazis has discovered the chamber in which Hitler was frozen and wants to bring him back to life. Fortunately, FBI agent Malden is on the case. He first talks to Dr. Otto Gunter, who worked on Below Zero in the 1940s. Gunter sends Malden and his sidekick Leech on a search that takes them to Europe and eventually lands them on an island that is not on any map…

data-fancybox="images"
>

Conspiracy Below Zero is slasher’s newest game, presented on a black screen containing a view window with round corners and silvery trim that makes it look a bit like an old-fashioned television screen. The scenes depicted are quite realistic with a lot of detail (even reflections seem accurate) but the characters look unnatural and move stiffly in a rather comical way. They can also be disproportionate to the settings; in some scenes they are either too big or too small. Malden and Leech will find themselves in a diner, under a bridge, in a hospital and locked up in a boat, to name just a few of the many places they visit. Dialogues are fully voiced but the acting is not very good, which adds to the (perhaps unintended) amusing atmosphere. Alongside an animated head of the person talking, all subtitles are displayed in a special color for each speaker. The sound effects, like explosions, breaking glass and the spashing of water, are at the same level as the voice acting. The only music you might hear is the jukebox playing in the diner, if you choose to play a song on it.

On the left of the viewscreen is a small window that indicates the selected action (Interact, Look or Talk), and the inventory is at the bottom. Right-clicking cycles through the possible cursor actions, as well as an icon of the item you’re carrying so you can use it on something else. Left-clicking executes the chosen action. Unfortunately, it is only possible to change cursors while it’s within the TV screen boundary, which is a bit annoying. An arrow appears when Malden and Leech can go to another location, with a choice of icons when clicked if there are multiple destinations possible. All of the puzzles are inventory-based and extremely easy, so much so that the game basically plays itself, even if you don’t pay attention to the story. Still, I found the experience quite amusing, and the story doesn’t disappoint, delivering a small twist that makes it more enjoyable.

Conspiracy Below Zero can be downloaded from its AGS webpage.

data-fancybox="images"
>

Once upon a Spirit

A mouse is walking through a field with his son when suddenly a crow flies over and knocks the kid to the ground. His father takes the boy home and puts him to bed, but the little guy does not wake up. Suddenly the father hears a voice that tells him the crow took his child’s soul. Papa mouse now has to find the crow and get his son’s soul back. To help him in his quest, the voice gives him the ability to shift to the ethereal world, to see the spirits and hide himself in the ‘real’ world. To find the crow, the little protagonist will need to help repair a boat, feed an evil spirit and help an old lady mouse.

Lucy Fox’s Once upon a Spirit features gorgeous, colorful hand-painted backgrounds, with bright greens and blues prevailing in the living world, and grey in the spirit world. The environment is rather limited, however, as Papa mouse only visits a small house and crosses a lake before reaching the crow’s nest.  Beautiful piano and string music accompanies the action and adds to the sad and mysterious atmosphere. There are no voices: all spoken words (except for your mysterious, disembodied guide) are shown in text balloons beside a portrait of the speaking character, which clearly shows their current facial expression. There are some good sound effects occasionally interspersed, like the ticking of a clock, the opening of doors and the crash of objects falling.

data-fancybox="images"
>