Salammbo: Battle for Carthage Review

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Salammbo: Battle for Carthage

Review by JenJuly 2003

“Her hair, which was powdered with violet sand, and combined into the form of a tower, after the fashion of the Chanaanite maidens, added to her height. Tresses of pearls were fastened to her temples, and fell to the corners of her mouth, which was as rosy as a half-open pomegranate. On her breast was a collection of luminous stones, their variegation imitating the scales of the murena. Her arms were adorned with diamonds, and issued naked from her sleeveless tunic, which was starred with red flowers on a perfectly black ground. Between her ankles she wore a golden chainlet to regulate her steps, and her large dark purple mantle, cut of an unknown material, trailed behind her, making, as it were, at each step, a broad wave which followed her.” —Gustave Flaubert, Salammbo

Flaubert’s Salammbo (1858) is among the first works of heroic fantasy. It’s a love story about Salammbo, daughter of the great Carthaginian general Hamilcar, and Matho, a Libyan mercenary, in the time of the fall of Carthage to the Roman Empire. (Carthage still exists near modern-day Tunis; all that is left of the once-mighty empire is some broken columns and rubble.) Flaubert’s Salammbo is rife with tales of treachery and deceit, much of it spearheaded by the slave Spendius.

From 1980 through 1986, French author/illustrator Philippe Druillet published three graphic novels based on Flaubert’s Salammbo.  Druillet moved on from comix and became involved in multimedia some years ago; he provided the illustrations for the Arxel Tribe games Ring and Ring II. It is this latter little tidbit, in combination with the fact that work on the game Salammbo was begun by Cryo before that company’s unfortunate demise, that gave rise to my grave misgivings about this game. However, these turned out to be unfounded.

Salammbo the game deviates considerably from Flaubert’s original work but at heart it is still the story of the love between Salammbo and Matho, the rivalry between Matho and fellow warrior-chief Narr’Havas for Salammbo’s attention, and how a once-great city-state was sacrificed so that Matho and Salammbo might finally be together.  You play as Spendius, the slave who is instrumental in bringing the two lovers together, only in the game you are portrayed as heroic and scheming rather than oily and scheming. Carthage is a fantastic place full of mythical beasts and magical powers.  Given the license taken with story and settings in the Ring duo, all of this should come as no surprise. However, while it worked largely to the detriment of the game in Ring (I have not played Ring II), it succeeds in Salammbo.

In playing Ring, I was never quite clear on who the players were or what the goals were. It ended up being merely a matter of solving puzzles by sheer guesswork and seeing what happened as a result and sitting in front of my computer scratching my head a lot. It probably didn’t help that the whole Viking mythology was translated to some outer-space futuristic setting, or that I had only passing familiarity with the opera’s story. With Salammbo, however, the story unfolds very linearly, in discrete chunks, in such a way that the game stands alone even for those who may never have heard of Flaubert. Plus, even though Carthage has been turned into a fantasy world, it is still Carthage and still set in the correct time period.

As Salammbo opens, the slave Spendius is thrown into a dungeon, we know not why. He escapes into the Sacred Precinct and is caught by Salammbo herself. Salammbo promises to help Spendius out of Carthage if he will agree to take a message to Matho, a mercenary camped outside the city. Spendius agrees, setting into motion a string of events leading up to the fall of Carthage.  You play as Spendius in the first person, although cutscenes are third-person (at least you get to see what you look like; you aren’t pretty!).

Gameplay is varied—you will encounter many different puzzle types as you play, ranging from conversation puzzles and simple chess-like battle strategies to old standards like a memory game, the much-reviled timed puzzle, and even a couple of (easy) shooting gallery–type sequences. All of it is mouse-driven, pure point-and-click goodness, although you can, and will, die—frequently. However, when you perish, you automatically are resurrected at a point just before you made your fatal decision.

Your cursor is fixed at the center of the screen, and you revolve the world around it. Salammbo has the worst case of inside-a-sphere panning that I’ve ever seen. This doesn’t matter to me; I know it bothers some, which is why I brought it up. A right-click brings up your inventory and the in-game options; with the interface open, you merely click on what you want to use or do. There is no combining items within the inventory, although sometimes you must put one item down and then use another item on it.

The various stages of the game are divided by comix-style artwork overlaid by a narration of the events that occur in between each segment. Basically, you solve a puzzle or group of puzzles in a small area and that part of the game is finished for good. There is no backtracking, and all gameplay takes place in manageable areas, a la Largo Winch. Navigation around the mercenary encampments was confusing for me, even with the aid of the in-game map, but everywhere else getting around is very straightforward.

Aside from the spherical distortion issue, the graphics are phenomenal—each scene is moody and dramatic and overlaid with just the right level of unreality to make you believe you are in a different place, a different time, and yet not out of the range of believability.  Characters are exquisitely rendered. The Maxfield Parrish-ish skies and detailed backgrounds, while lovely and atmospheric, are heavily pixelated. The in-game options settings include three different resolutions—I played at the maximum 1024×768 (all of my screenshots are reduced to 640×480 in the interest of preserving server space).

Most if not all of the music consists of existing classical pieces.  All are well placed and appropriate to the onscreen action. Voice acting is passable, not great, not awful. Subtitles are available.

All in all, Salammbo gives us a good story, well told, and it’s fun to play through. It offers us an experience familiar enough to be comfortable and at the same time different enough to maintain our interest. The high production values, unique setting, beautiful graphics, and lack of old chestnuts in terms of puzzles make this a refreshing alternative to the usual generic Egypt-Atlantis-maze-sliding-tiles pabulum we’ve been force-fed for the past few years. The End

The Verdict

The Lowdown

Developer: Druillet Publisher: Ontario Europe (distributed by Dreamcatcher) Release Date: 2003

Available for: Windows

Four Fat Chicks Links

WalkthroughPlayer Feedback

Screenshots

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System Requirements

Windows 98/2000/ME/XP PII 333 MHz (450 MHz recommended) 64 MB RAM (128 MB recommended) 8X CD-ROM drive (12X recommended) DirectX 7 compatible video card DirectX 7 compatible sound card Mouse

Where to Find It

Amazon.com $18.99

Prices/links current as of 07/06/03Links 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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