Indiana Jones and the fate of Atlantis: A brilliant graphic adventure

The Fate of Atlantis has all the ingredients for the makings of a mega-adventure film which would top everything we have seen so far. We may never see the movie, but by combining the exciting storyline with an easy to use control system, we do have a great game. The game closely follows a storyline which could be lifted word for word from an Indiana Jones film. Opening in Indy’s University, we find our hero searching for a small statuette amidst the old collections of artifacts stored in the attics. With this retrieved, we return to his office to display our find to the University Head and his visitor.

No sooner does our mysterious visitor get his hands on the item, then he reveals himself as a Nazi spy and makes off with his find. Realising that there is dirty work afoot, Indiana decides to make contact with an old friend, Sophia Hapwood, in New York, who he suspects knows more about this business than she has admitted. Sophia convinces Indy that there just may be some truth in the old legend of Atlantis and the secret power source held within the weird mineral, Orichalcum. The couple decide that the best course of action is to search for the Lost Dialogue of Plato, which legend has it pinpoints the location of Atlantis. Finding the book means a flight to Greenland and then to an Aztec Temple in South America. Following the clues, the couple eventually arrive back at Indy’s University where luck would have it, the book is in fact another item which has been stored along with all the junk from previous expeditions.

The trail begins to heat up as Indy and Sophia head for the South of France where a French expert gives more information which sets them winging towards North Africa and a perilous trip across the desert in a hot air balloon. With their inventory of strange items growing even larger, the next step is to find a lonely island in the centre of the Mediterranean where a secret entrance leads to a long forgotten series of caves containing old statues and a wondrous model of the lost city. At this point the Nazis begin to close in and Sophia is dragged away to a German submarine, which is preparing to dive to the very spot where Atlantis lies submerged. Smuggling himself aboard, Indy hitches a lift to the bottom of the sea and into a world where wonders beyond imagination are to be found. Huge Atlantean machinery must be operated to control forces which still could destroy the world. Underwater volcanos spout rivers of fire, which threaten hero and villain alike. Can Indy save himself, the girl and the world? You better believe it! As well as making life more interesting by providing multiple paths through the game, the writers decided to let you solve some puzzles with more than one solution.

The are also some amusing features which have been added just for fun. You may overcome a puzzle using the obvious solution, or can stumble on a tricky alternative. The game awards you extra points for every crook and cranny you manage to shine the light of reasoning into, and these points are added together to give you an IQ rating. It is possible to bulldoze through the game and complete it, with all the finesse of a drunken elephant, or you can spend time experimenting with every situation until you pick up all the possible points which have been cleverly concealed there. Without doubt this is a brilliant graphic adventure. The setting of the difficulty level for the puzzles is just right for the person who likes the idea of playing an exciting adventure, but who doesn’t want to be hassled with obscure puzzles. This is a huge game which sprawls over endless locations, all of which are beautifully illustrated.

news source: AF/AP/CU/AC / image source: GenerationAmiga / watch on Youtube / download Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis