Review copy purchased.
Describing this game as phenomenal would still not do it justice, and I mean that.
This game is not just a journey to the moon; it is a journey of learning, a journey of experiencing a new culture, and a journey of the imagination.
The year is 1865, and you are the famous French adventurer, Michel Ardan. You’re also one of the three luckiest human beings on Earth, because you are sitting inside an aluminium shell set for the moon. The only problem is, your two companions are dead, and it’s getting hard to breathe.
This is where the game starts to get really interesting. It’s up to you to become an amateur chemist and pick your way out of this problem, or Michel becomes just another interplanetary (or perhaps I should say interlunary) space victim. After you deal with a few more potential disasters, Michel does manage to land his ship, and you’re free to explore a whole new world.
On the moon, the terrain is rocky and cavernous. There are musical plants and strange beings called Selenites* that have large bulbous heads and insect-like eyes. In fact, you might be a tad surprised with the Selenite community’s method of communication-but I’m not giving anything away.
Keep exploring and you’ll come across strange symbols called ideograms, a fussy Selenite leader who seriously doubts the brain capacity of humans, and mind boggling codes. In my opinion, cracking those codes is one of the best parts of the game-especially the one inside the Lunar graveyard.
Overall, this game is not easy. But everytime Michel discovers something new, you earn intelligence points, and that makes you feel like you’ve increased your own brainpower. Also be prepared for the eerie accompanying soundtrack (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ9bU5-D1uU) which really does add to the authenticity of the game.
So if you’re looking for something a little different, a challenge, and a game that will make you question the existence of extra-terrestrial life all over again, I would look no further. The feeling of awe and mystery in Voyage is absolutely unshakeable.
*Selenites: Not to be confused with the homonym Selenite, which refers to the crystal like mineral. Selenites are a race of fictional humanoid creatures residing on the moon, first described by English author H.G. Wells. Sources reveal they are now extinct, but who knows really? The origin of the word ‘Selenite’ comes from the Greek word σεληνη–which means ‘moon’.
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