Time Stand Still Review

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            Time Stand Still

Review by EnigmaNovember 2006

Have you ever wished you could travel to Sweden? I certainly have, and I feel as though I’ve done that with Mikael and Eleen Nyqvist’s fun little games Remedy, Hope Springs Eternal and now their newest, Time Stand Still.  The title of the game is grammatically correct (“stand” is an imperative), as you learn during the game while snooping into the mystery surrounding a possibly haunted house.

The Nyqvists, who clearly love adventure games, decided to produce their own using Adventure Maker software, and they came up with a nifty idea: take photos of their own Swedish home town, enhance them in Photoshop to make them look like watercolor paintings, and build their games around these. In their games, we stroll around Norrköping’s lovely gardens and parks, colorful houses and town buildings, meet nice people and a few quirky ones, tinker with some fun if somewhat conventional puzzles, and try to solve a detective-style mystery.

So You Want to Be a Detective?

This is another “Carol Reed Mystery,” as are the previous games. Carol is a young Englishwoman who has relocated to Norrköping, Sweden, where she runs her own one-woman detective agency. This time she tackles a case that will delve into a dark side of Sweden’s past, when the nation was neutral during World War II. It seems that things are going bump in the night in a house built by Sweden’s, and the town of Norrköping’s, great architect, Carl Bergsten.  Is the place haunted? Carol will investigate while the owners are away on vacation to warmer climes.

As she snoops, Carol finds information that leads her to investigate the past, including a poignant illicit love affair that apparently had lasting consequences. Along the way, she learns about Carl Bergsten and visits an interesting museum exhibit devoted to him, walks down lovely park lanes, searches old newspapers, finds hidden and lost keys, and talks to folks.

She’ll find puzzles that will yield clues to the mystery and objects that open up new gaming areas. Sometimes she’ll investigate a large area just to find one small item, but there are usually lots of interesting things to see while she’s doing it.

Old-Style Pure Adventure Gaming

The game is first-person point-and-click, retro style with off-screen voiceovers from “Carol” and on-screen voices over still photos of other characters. You converse by clicking on conversation options, and all speech is fully subtitled. Entry into new game areas comes via a clickable map that adds locations as Carol finds them. The game loads completely onto the hard disc and plays perfectly without the CD, always a nice feature.

In Time Stand Still, navigation has become much easier than in the first two games. Only a few times did I find myself a bit lost on the screen in this game. However, it’s easy to miss whole areas, and crucial inventory items, unless you turn exactly the right way, so players must remember to always, always visit every possible node allowed by the game. You’ll miss some nice eye candy if you don’t, anyway.

Because it’s a detective story, the game is necessarily linear, but in a few cases you don’t have to adhere to strict order. I learned that I’d done several things much earlier than they appear in the walkthrough when I consulted it. You can wander around the major areas of the game at will and return to them at any time, although a few minor areas appear and then disappear from the map when no longer needed. You can repeat dialogue as long as you’re still in the area where the conversation occurred, but you lose that option when you leave. Several times, in out-of-the-way places, you collect items that must be used to solve later puzzles, mostly inventory-based.  Inventory management is easy. Very little note-taking is necessary, although at one point you had better spot and note down the clue to a major puzzle, or you’ll have to go through plenty of backtracking to find it again.

(Or you can sometimes save and use the puzzle bypass option, see the solution, then reload and go back to the puzzle, but that’s really cheating, isn’t it?)

Yes, major puzzles, mostly of the manipulative type, come with a bypass option, which is a much appreciated feature, although if you use it you won’t get all of your stars when you finish the game.  Stars are awarded for completed puzzles, to give stalwart gamers a little reward.

Even those major puzzles are not terribly tough, although you do have to play with them a bit to discover how they work. One, for example, is an easy game of concentration—but that’s not immediately apparent when you first encounter it. One involving an old pocket watch has several layers that were nicely done. Another is a music puzzle, dreaded by many gamers. I think this one offers enough visual clues that even mildly tone-deaf players can solve it, as you can easily limit it to three options and then just hack your way through, but the bypass button is there for the truly deaf, and they will need it.

The inventory puzzles and some of the others are quite well integrated into the gameplay. Most are logical. A few, though, seem to be there just because adventure games are supposed to have puzzles, with the excuse that Carl Bergsten liked puzzles. That’s fine by me.  I like puzzles too. These, while fun, will not take hours to solve by any means.

In short, the gameplay, while completely conventional, is entertaining and works well.

But …

That Was It?

The game has flaws. Stuckness is a certainty if you miss something small, for example.

Most seriously, and this is hugely serious, it abruptly ends just as we’re starting to close in on the central mystery: who or what has been haunting the house? Without giving away the ending, I’ll simply say that we players aren’t given enough latitude to solve that mystery by ourselves. Likewise, another interesting, minor plot thread about a decades-old murder comes to a sudden, far-too-early end.

The Nyqvists spend plenty of time developing an intriguing background story, then don’t allow players to use that knowledge to piece together an intriguing solution to their mystery. Frankly, their quickie solution is a complete letdown.

The major problem here is that the game’s story, actually the game itself, is only about two-thirds finished. That was the major flaw in Remedy and Hope Springs Eternal as well. The Nyqvists really need to work on completing their plots, starting from the end and working backwards, scattering clues for players to find and build upon throughout the game so that the puzzles and story merge together into one satisfying, complete game. Instead, it feels as if they spend their time on lovely graphics and fun gameplay, then tack on a brief explanation when they feel they’ve done enough, as though their story were only a peripheral excuse for the gameplay.  But in their chosen genre, mystery, the story, especially its ending, is centrally important.

Well. They’ve attracted attention with these first three games, so let’s hope their next effort will allow them to create a more complete, more finished product.

But the rest of the game is much more satisfying than its lame ending.

On the Bright Side

Eye candy has always been a major aspect of graphic adventures, and this one has it. As with the two previous games, one of the most enjoyable aspects of Time Stand Still simply is the town of Norrköping itself and the way the Nyqvists have portrayed it. The watercolor effect they have used to enhance their photos seems toned down from the previous games, and I rather liked that.  It’s still a nice effect but allows the town to stand on its own more than in the first two games.

Another aspect of their photos that I eventually came to appreciate is that the Nyqvists don’t erase the ugly stuff. If an area has an unsightly metal railing, or stains on the cement, or flotsam at the edge of the water, there it is on the screen. The town may be watercolored, but it isn’t whitewashed. This is the real town of Norrköping, warts and all, and it’s very pretty even with the warts. That honesty helps players believe we’re really there, in the real place. It was the right choice.

As in Hope Springs Eternal, we find some humor in the game.  A pierced and tattooed caretaker with a definite personality deficiency reappears here, adding a chuckle or two. Jonathan Boakes, who thankfully seems to be supporting nearly every independent adventure developer, does a bit of voice work. A few nods to the “Just Adventure” site pop up, in the forms of a photo of Randy Sluganski and a newspaper article by that famed Swedish journalist, Ray Ivey. There is another surprise or two for adventure veterans.

Occasionally, some Jonathan Boakes-style sound effects insert a little flush of fear into the gameplay. As you’re in a possibly haunted house, these work nicely. There’s one well-placed jump-in-your-chair moment involving someone you don’t expect to see. And Mikael Nyqvist’s original music enhances many areas of the game.

And who wrote that achingly sweet love poem? It lifts the story to a higher level.

Oh, and there’s also that hunka-hunka Swedish gardener with whom you get to spend quite a lot of time. Norrköping ain’t the only eye candy in the game.

There Is Joy Here

Somehow the Nyqvists’ simple joy in what they’re doing seeps through into the game. That’s a major part of its appeal and makes their work rather special. This isn’t a slick moneymaker from some bottom-line developer. It’s a true labor of love. That’s how adventure games started, and it’s refreshing to return to that level of care even if the game has some rough edges. The beautiful photo technique, for example, demands the slideshow presentation. The puzzle bypass option demonstrates the Nyqvists’ concern for their players.

Voice work is resolutely at amateur level, but, believe it or not, that works. The Nyqvists cast their friends in these roles. Normally I rage against poor voice work, but my rage is aimed at sophisticated developers who easily could use real actors but don’t care enough about their product or their customers to do it. This is a game produced on a shoestring budget that relies on imagination, hard work and kind, helpful friends. The Nyqvists’ friends simply come across as the real inhabitants of Norrköping because that’s what they are. It’s difficult not to enjoy them. Their amateur quality actually enhances the home-like atmosphere of these games.

Even with its underachieving storyline, Time Stand Still is immersive and truly enjoyable while it lasts. It’s an entertaining and improved product from this family-and-friends team, who should be encouraged to continue developing their work. It deserves a “thumb up” for loving effort at least. It’s fun, pretty, involving, and has some entertaining puzzles that aren’t too easy, aren’t too tough. Plus, you visit a charming town and feel as though you’ve really been there.

It’s very sweet and I liked it. If I ever met the Nyqvists, I think I’d like them, too. The End

The Verdict

The Lowdown

Developer: MDNA Games Publisher: MDNA Games Release Date: October 2006

Available for: Windows

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System Requirements

Pentium 1 GHz 128 MB RAM 8 MB video card 800 MB free hard drive space Windows 98/2000/XP (2000 or XP recommended)

Where to Find It

MDNA Games $18 (includes worldwide shipping)

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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