| Blackstone Chronicles | |
|
|
Author | Message |
---|
hatshepsut Adventurer Extraordinaire
Posts : 3922 Reputation : 3 Join date : 2009-12-13
| Subject: Blackstone Chronicles Fri Jan 29, 2010 6:44 am | |
| Blackstone Chronicles is a horror story , not the garden variety by any means. We are presented with a horror story that is evil and disturbing. The game is played entirely within the confines of the now closed Blackstone Asylum. Malcom Metcalf the deceased founder of Blackstone Asylum has kidnapped your son and hidden him within the asylum. He taunts with a soft mocking voice. Your son will be recruited to finish the work that you failed to finish. Malcolm's chilling mockery leaves little doubt that he holds you in very high esteem. Nor is there any doubt that he believes you are capable of finding your son before before morning. You play as Oliver. Oh did I mention that Malcolm is your Father ?
You are helped along the way with information touch cases. Some information you will need. Some information is a disturbing look into bygone days in methods of treatment for the mentally ill. You will be helped by the spirits of patients trapped within the asylum. You never see these spirits, you only converse with them. This adds to the general creepiness of the game far more than seeing them would do.
Graphically the game is beautiful. Dripping faucets, frightened breathing, footsteps on metal stairs and water stains on ceilings were just right. Moving in the game is easy, fluid and accomplished by point and click. In order to progress in the game you need to gather information, complete certain tasks for the spirits and solve puzzles. Puzzle solveing is easy to medium difficult. Some timed puzzles will end in death. But it isn't difficult to get past them with two or three attempts. If you die in a puzzle you are presented with a list of choices: get a hint, solve the puzzle or go back to start of puzzle.
The voice acting. Oliver had a pleasant calm voice, very good. Malcolm Metcalf however with a beautiful mockingly tolerant voice was chilling. Excellent voice acting.
Blackstone Chronicles is an older game released in 1998. I played it on Win 98SE with no problems. It will play on XP but will take a little bit of work to get it to run. There was adequate save space for my gameplay. When you start the game again it will atuomatically take you back to where you stopped your gameplay. Does Blackstone Chronicles stand the test of time ? Yes it does.
Blackstone Chronicles a disturbing game. A horror story thathorrifys rather than scares. More than once I felt that shivering sense of dread, fear and sadness that I wanted to shake off. At times it was difficult to bear. Cruelity, evilness and insanity lurked everywhere. Some of Olivers actions were, well crazy and I questioned them asking what is this. Why would he do this ? Was he delusional ? Was he insane or worse or both? And what of Dr Metcalf. Could he be that evil ? Was he so desperate to be recognized as a great healer that he became enethical? Was he just a sadistic moster who reached out from the grave in the attempt to finish his work ? Was Oliver insane and his wife and son were only a delusion ? I am still pondering the answer to these questions.
1st person click and point Playability - Easy Story - Good but disturbing Graphics and sound - Excellent Voice acting - Excellent Puzzles - Easy to medium difficult Played on Win 98 SE
hatshepsut | |
|
| |
Mystery Lover Daredevil Pioneer
Posts : 553 Reputation : 0 Join date : 2010-01-16 Location : USA
| Subject: Re: Blackstone Chronicles Fri Jan 29, 2010 1:48 pm | |
| I remember this game!! It creeped me out, but I liked it. | |
|
| |
Gelert Admin Adventurer Extraordinaire
Posts : 2180 Reputation : 3 Join date : 2009-09-06 Age : 173 Location : Watching the ladiies bouncing on a trampoline :)
| Subject: Re: Blackstone Chronicles Fri Jan 29, 2010 2:24 pm | |
| Thanks for the excellent review, hatshepsut. I think I want to play this again now after reading this ......................... or should I? What's your final grade for it? Gelert. | |
|
| |
hatshepsut Adventurer Extraordinaire
Posts : 3922 Reputation : 3 Join date : 2009-12-13
| Subject: Re: Blackstone Chronicles Fri Jan 29, 2010 5:03 pm | |
| Thank you Gelert. Blackstone Chronicles is one of the best games I've played. I have put it down on my to replay again some day list. Final grade A.
hatshepsut | |
|
| |
GreyFuss Adventurer Extraordinaire
Posts : 1948 Reputation : 0 Join date : 2009-12-13 Location : Iron Age
| Subject: Re: Blackstone Chronicles Fri Jan 29, 2010 6:31 pm | |
| Nicely done Hatshepsut
Has to be on top of my list for creepiest games. | |
|
| |
winfrey Daredevil Pioneer
Posts : 527 Reputation : 0 Join date : 2009-12-13 Location : Here
| Subject: Re: Blackstone Chronicles Fri Jan 29, 2010 7:07 pm | |
| Looks like I need to move that to the top of my Play next pile :!: | |
|
| |
winfrey Daredevil Pioneer
Posts : 527 Reputation : 0 Join date : 2009-12-13 Location : Here
| Subject: Re: Blackstone Chronicles Fri Jan 29, 2010 10:27 pm | |
| Ok, it;s loaded and I played the first few moments to make sure there were no problems--- "Come here Joshua.... Grandfather wants to talk to you....." | |
|
| |
hatshepsut Adventurer Extraordinaire
Posts : 3922 Reputation : 3 Join date : 2009-12-13
| Subject: Re: Blackstone Chronicles Fri Jan 29, 2010 10:29 pm | |
| Thank you GreyFuss.
winfrey he has the most chilling voice doesn't he ?
hatshepsut | |
|
| |
winfrey Daredevil Pioneer
Posts : 527 Reputation : 0 Join date : 2009-12-13 Location : Here
| Subject: Re: Blackstone Chronicles Fri Jan 29, 2010 10:40 pm | |
| Yes, It's running beautifully-- sure glad I have my win 98 machine.... :bounce: | |
|
| |
hatshepsut Adventurer Extraordinaire
Posts : 3922 Reputation : 3 Join date : 2009-12-13
| Subject: Re: Blackstone Chronicles Fri Jan 29, 2010 10:57 pm | |
| Oh yes I am so glad I have my win 98 too . hatshepsut | |
|
| |
hatshepsut Adventurer Extraordinaire
Posts : 3922 Reputation : 3 Join date : 2009-12-13
| Subject: Re: Blackstone Chronicles Sat Jan 30, 2010 1:10 am | |
| I was going over my notes a little while ago and connected some dates that I hadn't thought about earlier. It lead me to thinking about something I found on the computer. They are very subtle little mindbenders and I only found them mentioned once.
Enjoy the game winfrey you are in for a very creepy good game.
hatshepsut | |
|
| |
Catnip Wanderer's Apprentice
Posts : 7 Reputation : 0 Join date : 2010-02-17 Age : 112 Location : Indiana
| Subject: Re: Blackstone Chronicles Tue Feb 23, 2010 3:15 pm | |
| I love this game. I need to set up my second computer with KVM switch so that I can play some of the great older games like this one again! Great review! | |
|
| |
hatshepsut Adventurer Extraordinaire
Posts : 3922 Reputation : 3 Join date : 2009-12-13
| Subject: Re: Blackstone Chronicles Tue Feb 23, 2010 3:32 pm | |
| Thank you Catnip. Blackstone Chronicles really creeped me out.
hatshepsut | |
|
| |
Mystery Lover Daredevil Pioneer
Posts : 553 Reputation : 0 Join date : 2010-01-16 Location : USA
| Subject: Re: Blackstone Chronicles Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:56 pm | |
| Creeped me out too, but I liked it! | |
|
| |
Gelert Admin Adventurer Extraordinaire
Posts : 2180 Reputation : 3 Join date : 2009-09-06 Age : 173 Location : Watching the ladiies bouncing on a trampoline :)
| Subject: Re: Blackstone Chronicles Tue Feb 23, 2010 5:36 pm | |
| This game review, and others like it, so meticulously crafted by one of our dedicated members here, is presented in its deservedly elegant format .... here; Adventure Point Reviews section | |
|
| |
Sponsored content
| Subject: Re: Blackstone Chronicles | |
| |
|
| |
| Blackstone Chronicles | |
|