Lost
Horizon is a point-and-click adventure game that closely follows the
style of past classics but still attempts to cast a new spin on the
adventure genre. The game is developed by Animation Arts, best known as
the developer of the Secret Files series.
In
Lost Horizon, you take control of Fenton Paddock—a quirky,
self-confident former British soldier who goes on a mission to rescue
his missing army comrade Richard. Along the way, Fenton encounters an
eclectic cast of characters, on whom he routinely and unbashfully tries
out his one-liner jokes, most of which are solely aimed to gather a few
chuckles from you as the player. Eventually, Fenton is forced to look
for and team up with an old friend named Kim, whom you also take
control later in the game. She leads Fenton into a globetrotting
adventure that turns out to be far more dangerous than a rescue
mission.
The story of Lost
Horizon is set in 1936. It takes places in dozens of different
locations and countries all over the world, including Hong Kong,
Africa, Germany, and many more. As the story unfolds, Fenton gets into
skirmishes with a gang from Hong Kong and the Nazis, who are both
searching for an ancient artifact which can give them the power to take
over the world. This forces Fenton to continue on his quest in which he
must not only try to find his friend but also prevent global
destruction by keeping the artifact from falling into the wrong hands.
For most parts, the storyline alone does little to keep you interested
in the game, in part because the theme seems all too similar and has
already been done many times before. Further, the many overly drawn
dialog sequences offer you no real interaction with the game world.
Still, the game offers some very memorable cut scenes, from shootouts
to hand-to-hand skirmishes that are quite impressive to watch. I have
found myself replaying the game simply to re-watch these cut scenes, as
they are just that captivating.
The
visuals in Lost Horizon are absolutely fantastic. I have often found
myself in awe of the fantastically pre-rendered backgrounds that the
game's artists have created for it. They succeed in making even the
dullest environments a pleasure to look at. The character models
generally look decent as well. In most scenes, they fit nicely into the
hand drawn backgrounds. However, in some scenes, they feel out of place
and look as if they are just pasted in there. The animation is amongst
the best I have ever witnessed in a graphical adventure game and shows
again the talents of these artists.
The
sound in Lost Horizon is very good, though not memorable. The sound
does its part to help to keep you immersed in the game world. In later
parts of the game, the ambient sounds are so realistic that it even
makes you feel like you are actually in the situation Fenton is in. The
voice acting generally works well, and the actors' voices seem to fit
with the corresponding characters which they are trying to portray.
The
controls in Lost Horizon follow the same formula as most other
point-and-click adventure games. You move the mouse cursor over the
screen trying to locate new objects with which you can interact. The
game's interface works very well and allows you to use both the left and
the right mouse buttons to direct the interaction. The left mouse
button uses and combines objects, while the right mouse button examines
objects. The game also displays the inventory at the bottom of the
screen, which automatically hides itself when the mouse cursor is moved
away and frees up the screen, allowing you to scout out the scene in
full view without any interference.
The
puzzles in Lost Horizon offer plenty of variety and really helps keep
the game interesting just when it starts to become tedious. The
majority of the puzzles require you to find and combine the correct
objects, whereas a few puzzles require you to solve standalone
challenges such as untangling wires. The introduction of Kim in the
story also allows the game to offer a variety of different puzzles which
focus on teamwork. These puzzles are not generally too hard, and
experienced adventure fans may find this game to be a little too easy.
Further, the mouse cursor glows green whenever an object may be used
with a hotspot in the environment or with another object in the
inventory, thus lessening the frustration of trial and error in the
gameplay.
Overall, Lost
Horizon is a great addition to the adventure genre. The game is simple
to partake yet somewhat challenging to complete. The visuals are
fantastic, and you will find yourself often distracted by the beautiful
artworks that are in the game. The story is somewhat cliché and can
become tiresome in some parts, though the brilliantly creative cut
scenes will instantly regain your interest. Despite a few misgivings,
Lost Horizon is a fantastic game and can be recommended to all fans of
the point-and-click adventure. The game also offers some great
unlockable contents, including a jigsaw puzzle and even an entirely
alternate game. These bonuses make for a great incentive for you to
complete the game and to experience this epic adventure.
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