Monday 1 May 2017

Game 84: Fascination - Introduction

Written by Ilmari


Tropical setting, silhoutte of a woman… it must be the new Bond movie!
Again, we come to a Coktel Vision game, designed by Muriel Tramis! The games themselves have been quite diverse in their qality, but at least many of the concepts have been quite innovative, even if gameplay has sometimes been a bit lacking. Still, I am willing to have an open mind about the next Muriel Tramis game I am about to test, Fascination, although her line of erotic games hasn’t been that successful in our blog.


This is looking more and more like a Bond movie

The backstory of the game involves Jeffrey Miller, CO of Quantum Unlimited Laboratory, who has just discovered a cerebro-chemical substance, which could neutralize behavioral inhibitors and which would have no secondary effects at homeopathic doses. Considering that these inhibitors will probably be of sexual nature and that homeopathic doses mean just diluting something to mere water, I am sincerely hoping the game won’t follow in the footsteps of Click!*

*[If you don’t recognise the reference above, you should definitely be glad. Milo Manara’s work in comic books is a dictionary example of female sexual objectification, and compared to it, the whole Playboy Channel would look like feminist erotica. Click! Is among his worst products. In the comic book, an apparently asexual woman undergoes a surgery, in which a control device is implanted into her brain. The surgeon is then able to turn the woman, against her will, into an aggressively sexual person. Icing on this rape-worshiping piece of crap is the final revelation that the box used for controlling the poor woman has all along been empty, letting this waste of paper end with the classic excuse - she actually liked it.]

The bad guy of the story is Peter Hillgate, plastic surgeon struck out from the Order of Doctors for professional fault, who is trying to get his hands on this powerful substance and use it for gaining profit (I don’t really want to know what his business plans actually are).

Cut to Paris-Miami flight FAS 458. Around 10:30 GMT a 59-year old passenger, Fayard Nichols became sick and asked to see the captain Doralice May. With his final breath, Nichols handed her his briefcase, which contained a vial that should be delivered to Quantum Unlimited Laboratory in Miami. His last word was supposed to be the password for the briefcase - AARGH (yeah, a lousy joke).

The intro of the game adds little to the story.


Sparkling dialogue


A street somewhere


A room with some guys


A shooter


Someone’s going to get a nice surprise…


Cutting back to the aeroplane


 A female hero, that’s something


And our first task!

And that was it. So, there's already two bodies and a mysterious vial to find. I'll actually begin the game in my next post, but in the meantime, remember to guess the score.

Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points: There's a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it here before making any comments that could be considered a spoiler in any way. The short of it is that no CAPs will be given for hints or spoilers given in advance of me requiring one. As this is an introduction post, it's an opportunity for readers to bet 10 CAPs (only if they already have them) that I won't be able to solve a puzzle without putting in an official Request for Assistance: remember to use ROT13 for betting. If you get it right, you will be rewarded with 50 CAPs in return. It's also your chance to predict what the final rating will be for the game. Voters can predict whatever score they want, regardless of whether someone else has already chosen it. All correct (or nearest) votes will go into a draw.

17 comments:

  1. I'm gonna guess... 48

    The graphics are good enough, but I seem to recall that the game wasn't so good. But we will find out as you play!

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  2. I bet this game will be... fascinating.

    43.

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  3. Contemporary reviews are all over the place, ranging from 47% to 91%, so it's a tough call. I'm gonna go with 40

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  4. I'll go with 45 on this one. I don't remember it as a very good game but maybe my memories have been influenced by its not so great reputation...

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  5. Did somebody say early 90s French adventure game?

    38!

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    1. You're right, there might be some kind of pattern there...

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  6. Let's drag the average up a bit...52!

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  7. This sounds like a train wreck. 32

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  8. New Gog releases:

    https://www.gog.com/news/release_conquests_of_the_longbow_the_legend_of_robin_hood
    https://www.gog.com/news/release_conquests_of_camelot_the_search_for_the_grail

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    1. Nice. They also have a short interview with creator Christy Marx

      ( Even though Alex got there first )

      https://advgamer.blogspot.com.au/2016/05/conquests-of-pop-culture-interview-with.html

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  9. I'll guess 32. I am not impressed. I did find it interesting that the "voice" of Doralice feels familiar - I think this is the same character as in the later Coktel adventure Lost in Time.

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    1. They suposse to be The same woman

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  10. I recall really liking this when I was younger. However, I am trying to remember anything at all right now and nothing has stuck up with me after all. Welp... I guess I will just roll with a 45 and call it a day.

    Reiko, I remember it being marketed in Spain with the subtitle of Fascination 2, so yes, she is the same character :)

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    Replies
    1. Interesting, considering that the two games are completely different in their themés.

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