In Cold Blood Review

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            In Cold Blood

Review by Old Rooster January 2002

Adventures in Transition

Given increasing cross-system (PC, PS2, etc), as well as cross-genre (adventure and action) development, it seems we’ll be seeing more, not less, of the arrow-directed, console-type controls evident in In Cold Blood. I much prefer the cursor and first-person perspective found in Dracula Resurrection and Dracula Last Sanctuary. Of course, I’m really waiting for adventure titles to lay some claim to the kind of engine found in No One Lives Forever, but that may be expecting a bit much. As long as it’s “consoles first, PC second,” it looks like we’ll have minimal mousing and be stuck with awkward control schemes.

Comes the Revolution

One of our favorite developers, Revolution Software, of Broken Sword fame, has put its hand to an adult, dark, even grim tale of a captured British spy caught up in a modern-day tale of intrigue, espionage, and double-dealing.

Over the course of nine retrospective episodes, you play the role of John Cord, upper-crust English agent, who tries to remember who betrayed him and why. Increasingly, a plot unravels filled with twists, surprises, betrayals, and challenges. Comparisons may be drawn to James Bond, but I think more of Smiley’s people, of LeCarre fame. There are no fancy cars or fat chicks, and few gadgets or weapons to employ. Rather, Cord must rely on observation, stealth, some conversations, and deductive problem-solving in his quest to unravel murky memories.

Revolution titles typically exhibit several hallmarks or distinctive qualities of production and play. In Cold Blood reflects two of these, with a very well-crafted and suspenseful story, as well as beautiful art and settings. Letting us down is character movement and positioning carried over from the dreaded “Playstation-port syndrome.”

How Is the Game Set up and Managed?

We are presented with three CDs, with the game installing smoothly and using only about 200 MB of hard drive space. Minimal swapping is required, loading times are reasonable, and the save/load (anywhere!) menu works quickly and well. There are no video settings available, with 640×480 being the only graphics option. One can choose to play with the keyboard or a gamepad, with some reconfiguration allowed, but there’s no place at all for the mouse in the game. At times the character control scheme can range from frustrating to dangerous!  You may be given only so many seconds to sneak up on a guard, and you need to get there in the most straightforward fashion, not the herky-jerky ambulation often experienced with these controls. The occasional gun fight can become a literal hit-and-miss proposition, with aiming and accuracy being very chancy.

If you’ve played Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare and similar games, camera positioning should not be a problem for you.  There’s a total view of the area in which you find yourself, and you’re rarely left hung out to dry by enemies approaching you can’t see. Ala Grim Fandango, Cord’s head will turn toward an object or character with which he may interact.

How Does it Look and Sound?

As indicated, 640×480 works with this title, and works quite well, helping the dark settings to set a mood fitting to the story. The characters are somewhat blocky, but we’re more forgiving of that than others in this community. The world is credible, and that’s all you can really ask.

Voice acting is a bit hammy but fits in the context satisfactorily.  Ambient sounds, especially Cord’s footsteps, are very well integrated, adding to the build-up of tension. Music is only played during dramatic moments, with the overall quiet also increasing the atmosphere.

How Does the Game Play?

Being careful not to give much away, let me say that In Cold Blood is a long (40+ hours) and sometimes laborious game, but it also has that elusive quality of having you want to turn “one more page.” The narrative is the key to this game, with puzzles of secondary importance. These challenges are woven very tightly into the fabric of gameplay. A missed and required conversation or a “hot spot” not investigated will lead to a door that won’t open or a new level that won’t begin.

“Use Your Brain, English” —Gregor, a Helper

As with most adventure titles, the environment needs to be explored in detail, looking for significant NPCs and objects. Watch out!—for the door you open, or corner you turn while wandering, sometimes reveals guards who are inclined to shoot first and ask questions later. You’ll become all too familiar with the “red screen of death,” accompanied by dramatic music and pithy comments from Cord: “No, it couldn’t have happened that way!”

There are over 100 rather “factory-like” settings to explore, including a refinery, mine, land train, and even a submarine.  Through stealth, a bit of killing, and the use of your Remora, the story moves along. Remora? Ah, yes, your Remora—a neat little wrist device allowing access to enemy computers as well as updating mission objectives.

We find some humor to relax the tension and, unfortunately, some occasional illogic. How can Cord get away with his proper English accent in this facility on the Russo/Chinese border—even to the point of discussing soccer scores with the guards? Perhaps we are to imply he is fluent in the local dialect. Further, there’s an inconsistency to actions of the guards, ranging from being trigger-happy to virtually ignoring a comrade you’ve dealt with a few feet away.

Is the Game Fun and Recommended?

In Cold Blood is a fine game for the adult adventurer who enjoys dark spy novels and also is willing to tolerate a bit of “consolitis” in her/his gaming experience. The narrative is compelling, puzzles make sense within the context of the story, graphics and acting are more than adequate. The game is hard, frustrating at times, and perhaps too long, having a tendency to drag. It’s no Longest Journey, or even Circle of Blood, but it is unusual enough and sufficiently entertaining to warrant a solid “thumb up” from this sometimes jaded Rooster.

What I Liked the Most

The storyline is interesting and solid; game world presentation is invitingly done; the acting is more than satisfactory.

What I Liked the Least

Controls can be awkward and frustrating; there are logic inconsistencies; the game can be long and tedious. The End

The Verdict

The Lowdown

Developer: Revolution Publisher: Dreamcatcher Release Date: March 2001

Available for: PlayStation Windows

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System Requirements

Pentium II, 233 MHz 32 MB RAM 200 MB free hard disk space

Where to Find It

Links 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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