A Quiet Week-end in Capri Review

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A Quiet Week-end in Capri

Review by Old Rooster and Mother HenJune 2003

“Twas on the Isle of Capri that I found her Beneath the shade of an old walnut tree; Oh, I can still see the flowers blooming ’round her, Where we met on the Isle of Capri.”

“Please, please,” I beg the wife (Mother Hen), “stop humming, let alone screechingly singing, that old ballad.”

“But,” she rejoins, “this is one of the only games you have that I like; I can help; plus we’ll win the contest and get a free trip to Capri!”

“After all,” she continues, “I helped you solve The Sydney Mystery; you promised we would someday go there and we haven’t.”

“And there’s that nice Italian man, Silvio, helping you out, who sounds very sexy, and I can’t wait to meet him!”

“But you’re so bleedingly cheap, you old sod”—Mother Hen is English, a very classy lady—”it looks like I’ll have to win the flaming contest to get the holiday, won’t I?”

“But don’t worry, Luv, it doesn’t look very hard, does it?”

Rooster surrenders—”All right, my little chickadee, we’ll see if we can figure it out; although, I must confess, the trip won’t be much of a ‘quiet’ weekend, will it, with you along?”

The Journey Begins

So what is this game causing such anticipation in the Rooster household?  A Quiet Week-end is the creation of a very talented two-person team with two major sections (the game, not the team). First, we have a “navigation program,” which allows a peaceful and stress-free tour of the gorgeous island of Capri. Employing over 4,500 still photographs, lovely views, an invisible tourist guide, and a relaxing soundtrack, this portion of the game leads you on a comprehensive walking tour of the island. You’ll interact with some of the residents (translations included), have a good map to guide you, and generally get a very nice sense of why the island is such a popular tourist destination.

A Quiet Week-end ships on two CDs, one for install, one for play. With my XP system, there was no problem placing the 700 MB files on the hard drive. Unfortunately, your monitor has to be manually set to 1024×768 every time you play, and a game start icon isn’t automatically placed on the desktop, but this is remedied by pulling it from the game file. The interface is colorful and logical, both in the Tour and Adventure modes, with clear and comprehensive instructions a click away. Indeed, the game is entirely driven by the mouse, in the traditional point-and-click adventuring manner.  Faint outlines are available, if you choose, to help find the “hotspots” needed to move to the next view. There is no rotation or movement within a particular scene, but transitions are helped by continuing musical themes and crowd/traffic noises.

“I’ve Done It; That Wasn’t So Hard!”

Breathlessly, Mother Hen wakes me in the middle of the night to say that, on her own, she has completed the game and wants me to get the contest entry mailing ready. Groggily, I find that what she has done essentially is to complete the tour of the island.  She’s enjoyed it tremendously, even taken some pictures (included), and she can’t understand why others are finding it so difficult.  Remember, we’ve spoken of two parts—the Navigation Program (Tour) and the Adventure Game. It’s the latter that needs to be solved, and, at the point of this writing, the incredible combined brain power of Mother Hen and myself has been unable to unlock the final secret(s). Even sexy Silvio, for whom Mother Hen has a soft spot, won’t give us a walkthrough, but he has given some general hints, to be found here.

The adventure portion proceeds initially much like the tour. You’re a visiting tourist, looking for your hotel. After being given a map and finding this location, you suddenly think you’re either having a stroke or your monitor is blowing up! Out of the blue, after some twisted scenes, you’re in a twilight zone, almost another dimension. Initially, the sounds of traffic and people are gone, and you’re left to wander. The hotel is closed, there’s no guide available, and you’re left with only your wits, the map, and a trusty Adventurer’s Notebook.

Where Have All the People Gone?

At first, the scene is eerie, with pictures likely taken very early in the morning when no one was around. From the hubbub of Umberto Square (the “fulcrum of the universe”) and the noise of cars, we find ourselves in deadly silence. Our initial wanderings are done in a state of near panic. Let’s go here, and here, and here—there must be someone, some answers somewhere! Finally, a doorbell is responded to with a request for a favor—”Please get the money for me in the lantern close to uncle Pasquale’s house.”

In the true spirit of adventure gaming, you need to examine and pick up everything, read all signs, talk to everyone you can (37 characters available), thoroughly explore the large map, and run errands. At the point of this writing, in spite of what Mother Hen initially thought, our game is a “work in progress.” We’ve done a lot. We, and others (see our Forum thread), have responded to concerns such as these:

  • Why do I need a fruit converter and a plutonium battery?
  • Who is Graviteillo, and why does his bust have sunglasses?
  • Why am I being called Rafele?
  • Where is Villa Jovis?
  • Why can’t I find Anacapri on the map?
  • How do I contact the Black Hole Phone Company?
  • Did you know there are five basic light types?
  • Why am I being followed?
  • Is Silvio a fan of H.G. Wells?

One of the pleasures of this adventure is its openness and non-linearity.  Of course, there is one solution at the end, and most puzzles require certain items or ingredients to solve, but the developers have spent considerable time and energy to assure that paths to that outcome may be incredibly varied. As some of us discuss together our explorations and mystery-unraveling, it’s clear that many of the necessary steps may be done in a different order, as opposed to games where you can’t get to point “C” without first completing “A” and “B.” It reminds me of Morrowind, a very open-world RPG, in that regard.

Sorry, but I really can’t give anything else away—that would be cheating, wouldn’t it? Largely because of the prize at the end, there has been considerable secrecy about revealing puzzle solutions, and even hints, with trial and error, as well as good old logic, being your only friends. Let me say the underlying story is surprising and creative, and it has a nice touch of humor. The game is hard, very hard, but it’s also fun!

The settings continue to be beautiful to behold, even when you’re thinking hard and ready to bang the monitor after aimlessly wandering.  The background musical themes are a pleasant surprise, and one can understand why an audio CD has been developed. And, again, the interface is very smooth and logical, with the only possible criticism being that there are only three save game slots available, with old saves overwritten by new in whichever slot you choose.

Let’s Get Serious for a Moment …

Of all the independently developed adventure games I’ve played, A Quiet Week-end ranks as one of the very best in terms of interface design. Admittedly, it would be nice if the lovely scenes could occupy the full screen, instead of two-thirds, but the trade-off for this is an interface and set of gameplay mechanics that is extremely clear, efficient, and helpful in the facilitation of your mystery-solving enterprise. The cursor arrow depictions, the suitcase for inventory, the use of that inventory, the help section, the use of save/return options, the precise maps and getting around, the notebook that takes down everything—all of these are done extremely well.  It’s hard to believe this is the first major effort of this developing team.

There Really Is a Contest!

You have until September 30, 2003 to be the first to present the solution to the developers. Your (my) prize will be a weekend for two at a four-star hotel, including dinners Friday and Saturday at acclaimed restaurants, with 100 “second place” prizes consisting of the audio CD. If you win instead of me, please take Mother Hen along. She’s really looking forward to it, and it would relieve me of her company for a few days (“stop, stop the hitting, I’m just kidding, dear”). Also, bring your notebook, because who knows what adventures may come your way?

I’m pleased to award A Quiet Week-end in Capri our coveted Gold Star. The game is one of the most pleasant surprises I’ve recently experienced. Expecting something of a “Myst clone,” we instead find a title that resembles or honors Myst, in that it uses static slide scenes, as well as having a very different kind of storyline. But what it also adds is a huge number of views in a real-world setting, accompanied by lovely musical themes and considerably more character interaction. Indeed, A Quiet Week-end exhibits not only two of the hallmarks of fine adventure titles—story accompanied by relevant puzzles—but also adds the unusual component of a real place that can even simply be toured, if you wish! This dynamic developing duo has demonstrated a talent for game-making that I hope will not end with this project—obviously one done with care and love. With appreciation for the difficulty, which is understandable due to the contest, I would highly recommend you experience this delightful, charming and unusual way of spending A Quiet Week-end in Capri.

“Summertime was nearly over, Blue Italian skies above, I said, ‘Lady I’m a rover, Can you spare a sweet word of love?’  She whispered softly, ’tis best not to linger,’ Then as I kissed her hand I could see She wore a plain golden ring on her finger.  ‘Twas goodbye to the Isle of Capri.” The End

The Verdict

The Lowdown

Developer: Silvio and Gey Savarese Publisher: Oxiana s.n.c. (Europe); Got Game (North and South America) Release Date: March 2003

Available for: Windows

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Screenshots

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System Requirements

Windows 98/2000/ME/XP 700 MB free hard disk space 64 MB RAM Monitor with XGA real resolution, capable of 1024×768, with 32 MB

Where to Find It

Got Game (North America, South America, Israel) $29.99From the Developer (Rest of World) €22,00 (approx. $27)

Prices/links current as of 03/02/04Links provided for informational purposes only.  FFC makes no warranty with regard to any transaction entered into by any party(ies).

      Copyright © Electric Eye Productions.  All rights reserved.  No reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission.

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14 Responses to Fear Factor

  • Fear Factor | Tap-Repeatedly.com | Reality Topics Blog

    […] nobody@flickr.com (graftedno1) wrote a very interesting post today.   Here’s a quick excerpt:My greatest fear is to be trapped alone in a confined space with a blind human, in total darkness. They have a heightened sense of smell and hearing, and. […]

  • Matt "Steerpike" Sakey

    Lewis, you made me think of the scariest moments I’ve experienced in gaming, and we’re very similar people.

    Bioshock had two moments – the dentist and the flooded room filled with mannequins.

    Thief had Return to the Cathedral, which was terrifying to me. Thief 3 had Shalebridge Cradle, which is so scary it ought to be fined.

    System Shock 2 kept me on the edge of my seat, but it was more lonely panic than true fear.

    Korsakovia was so scary that I uninstalled it.

    And STALKER. Oh, god, the haunted labs in STALKER. The latter two games don’t have scares like that. Few games do.

    It’s especially rare for a game to have more than mere “moments” – for a game to be scary from beginning to end, that’s a triumph.

    Wonderful article. As if Gregg’s review wasn’t enough to convince me that Penumbra is not something I have the courage to play!

  • DPenn

    I’m with you Lewis … I’m a bit of a puss. I just have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of dread as entertainment.

    Still, I’m drawn to dark stories when they have something interesting to say, whether it’s a game like Thief or a film like, say, Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible. So I’ll push through, sometimes peering through my fingers.

    The trouble with games, though, is that if you look through your fingers, you’re probably just going to have to play through the scenario again. :~)

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    I wanted to play this game. I downloaded the demo but the controls were just too wonky for me to get my head around. I liked the atmospheric vibe a lot. I think I’m a bit desensitized from an overdose of horror movies in my youth so I don’t so much get the dread thing from these games as a nice creepy vibration. If only the controls were better…

  • Lewis B

    @ Mike, what’s wrong with the controls bud? As someone who despises poor control schemes, Penumbra’s is just like any other FPS, except to examine things you right click on them.  To use things you left click.  I’m not sure that can be considered difficult 🙂

  • Gregg B

    @Steerpike: Yeah my greatest shit-scared moments were with those games too. A few spoilers below people, so beware.

    Bioshock – Haha, I remember the dentist. I didn’t really find the game that scary overall but the bit where you go into the wine cellar and notice a mannequin facing the wall and after upgrading your weapon it’s stood directly behind you motionless and quiet just for a moment before attacking you. I shat a brick. I also missed that bit originally until Lew told me about it.

    System Shock 2 – same as you really, more unremitting tension all the way through rather than specific terrifying moments. Oh actually, theres a bit where you call a lift and it breaks then you realise a service droid is coming to fix it… I do remember having sleep issues after my first encounter with the cyborg ninjas though.

    Thief: The Dark Project – The Sword and Return to the Cathedral and Down in the Bonehoard and well, loads of them. The Sword made me break out into goosebumps though because there was a bit where you could hear this creepy giggling which seemed like it was following me about then it suddenly changed to this horrible throaty noise. What made matters worse was that the EAX (bless you Creative) made my foot steps sound like somebody else was there with me. That level was incredible, a bit too incredible as it seems I missed great chunks of it because I was so eager to leave.

    Thief II: The Metal Age – Trail of Blood where you end up in that opening with those damn tree beasts. God the first time I saw one of those hurtling towards me I actually died shortly afterward. Do you remember that Mechanist child walking around on one of the levels? That was a little creepy.

    Then there’s Penumbra: Overture – quite a few bits but I’m not mentioning them here.

    Oh and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. – The brain scorcher lab just because it was so damn quiet. My imagination seriously got the better of me there. Those stuffed animals and heads I’d seen in various buildings led me to believe that those creatures were lurking somewhere in the Zone, specifically that lab.

    @Mike: My control setup was perfect after some tweaking (as well as the simple weapon swing fix). If you ever fancy giving it another go, give me a shout and I’ll let you know my setup.

  • Lewis B

    I’m not sure why guys, but one of my starting paragraphs had gone missing, even though I copied it straight from the original source, and It was fine earlier. 

    Incase you missed it due to some technical issue you might want to re-read just after “Well no she wouldn’t in truth, but in Penumbra: Overture you don’t want to move anyway.” at the very start for those who’ve already read the article. Apologies 🙂

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    Lewis, it was the weapon swing. It had this terrible, unresponsive feel to it, like trying to hit through molasses. I couldn’t stand using it. I tried the .ini fix as mentioned in the review but it didn’t seem to help. Of course this was the demo…but that shouldn’t have made any difference. I might try the second game instead as I guess they did away with the weapons thing.

    I’m see your first paragraph just fine. It’s the dialogue, right?

  • jdeuel

    I like the argument that weapons can remove fear, but even loaded to the teeth with ammo in AVP’99 the Marine missions were frightful because the enemy was anywhere at any time.

    As for Penumbra Overture, if the controls are anything like the original Penumbra they need to hack in some Wii-Remote 3d controls. I did not like using my mouse for 3d movements.

  • Gregg B

    @Mike: I’ve read that many people avoided conflict altogether in Overture which incidentally is something forced upon you in Black Plague. As somebody who has been renovating a house over the last 6 months with no DIY experience I can safely say that swinging a hammer is significantly easier in real life than it is in Overture without the fix. The fix balanced that for me.

    I’d highly recommend completing the first Penumbra because it’s one big build up to Black Plague which spoils the ending to Overture in the intro. And it’s a great ending too. Just so you know!

  • Lewis B

    @ Steerpike, those moments you mention are all my worst too!!  Do you remember the Robot labs in SS2? Absolutely terrifying, waiting for robots to burst out on you! 🙁 oh and have you ever player Condemned?

    @ Mike, The use of weapons in Penumbra is different to say HL2, where the player is physically holding the weapon, as in Penumbra it floats slightly infront of you.  However, if you change the control method to normal weapon swing, it’s no different!  Speak to Greggi and he’ll tell you what to do 🙂

    @ jdeuel, AVP the original and its sequal were scary however what type of fear do you think it is? I don’t think it’s anything more than sheer tension.  Having a Smart Gun makes you feel incredibly powerful.  I can honestly say in Penumbra the fear is sheer unrivalled terror, where you actually have to force yourself to play on.  It genuinly is that scary! 🙂

  • Jason Dobry

    It’s so true, an arsenal of weapons and ammo rapidly deflates any sense of horror or uneasiness in any game for reasons you already mentioned. Sakey, I thought Bioshock was more “lonely panic,” while I was pretty much always terrified in System Shock 2. I really, really, REALLY did not want to enter The Many’s nursery, and my weapons were so unreliable and ammo so scarce that I never felt safe.

    Silent Hill was terrifying for the same reasons. Ammo was rare and I frequently had to rely on my pipe for self-defense.  Even when I had ammo, the game mechanics prevented my character from being anything other than marginal with any firearm.

    Fear had one moment for me: I was climbing up a ladder, and as I reached the upper platform, my guy briefly looked down as he climbed off. As my perspective looked up again, that Ring-esque little girl was RIGHT THERE, reaching for me. I screamed and she was gone.

    What else…the original Aliens vs. Predator sent me into a locker room and I could only hear the facehuggers scurrying about somewhere within. I had to go in there. I advanced about three steps before the damn thing screamed and filled up my screen with its repulsive underside as it implanted me with its spawn. My roommate made fun of me for weeks for screaming like a girl child.

    Korsakovia–meh.  I was too annoyed and frustrated by the box rearrangement/jumping puzzles to be scared. I uninstalled it after an hour of play, I think. Maybe the scary parts were later, but I doubt it.

    As for Penumbra, I did play through about half of it before other games distracted me. I remember unease and creepiness, but no sweaty fear. I think I’m to blame here, or, more precisely, my daughter, who was still an infant at the time and generally allowed me only to play during the day for 45 minutes at a time. I was denied total immersion and the fear effect suffered. Maybe I should give it another go after I finish Call of Pripyat since she sleeps through the night now. With any luck, Penumbra will keep me from doing the same.

  • Gregg B

    I played the demo of F.E.A.R. but that ladder scare is the only bit I remember. Christ, that made me jump. I’m not too good with cat scares.

    Also I felt exactly the same about Korsakovia. It was creepy at first but then it began to irritate me far too much and it just soured the experience. I stopped playing as a result. Not to mention, when I realised I could bash those smoke-things with my crowbar they didn’t bother me nearly as much.

  • Online Up

    Great article. I look forward to reading more in the future.

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