                             Indiana Jones
                        and the Fate of Atlantis

                             by Tony Curro


    Indiana Jones has been a big success at the box office. LucasArts
    has brought Indy to the computer screen. This is the second Indiana
    adventure released by LucasArts.

    I reviewed the CD-ROM version. While I had played the disk-based
    version, and was impressed, the CD-ROM release is no comparison. The
    CD-ROM is a full-voice talking version. There is music throughout,
    and all the dialogue is spoken. There are approximately 40
    characters and over 8000 lines spoken. Doug Lee, is the voice in
    Indiana Jones.

    Fate of Atlantis is the largest and most complex game ever published
    by LucasArts. It features over 200 rooms, and Indy artists rendered
    more than 100 pieces of original background art.  The results are a
    stunning 256-color VGA graphic adventure, which also features Lucas
    Arts' proprietary iMUSE interactive music and sound effects system.

    Indiana Jones takes place in the 1930s, a time when Germany and the
    United States were racing to develop the first atomic bomb. In the
    context of Fate of Atlantis, the Nazis believe discovering Atlantis'
    mysterious power source will lead them to victory in the race and
    domination over the world.

    The game opens on Indy being visited by a German stranger. The
    stranger steals an ancient statue that releases a tiny, glowing bead
    _ orichalcum. He escapes, leaving behind his overcoat, where Indy
    finds a Nazi ID and a magazine article on Sophia Hapgood, a former
    archaeologist and a current self-proclaimed authority on the lore of
    Atlantis. Sophia and Indy have "a past," and linked by the ancient
    statue and a lost city, they have a future.

    You will never tire of playing this game. One of the main reasons is
    that it is basically three games in one. At the outset, you first
    have to locate Sophia. You then travel with here through several
    adventures. After the initial phases are completed you have a
    decision to make. The game is designed with three playing paths. The
    choice you make determines the perils you will encounter. Choose a
    puzzle-oriented "Wits" path, an action oriented "Fists" path or a
    dialogue oriented "Trust" path. You do have the option in some to
    travel alone. Further enhancing replayability are complex puzzles
    with alternative solutions. Additionally, Fate of Atlantis has
    multiple interfaces, including controlling a German submarine,
    steering a hot air balloon and operating a mysterious Atlantean
    machine. The response, or questions, that you ask will also alter
    that scenario.

    The "Talkie" version (CD-ROM) of Atlantis requires: 12MHz 286 or
    faster, MSCDEX CD-ROM driver, 595K free memory or 2 megs with an EMS
    driver, VGA, Soundblaster or compatible (for speech), and keyboard,
    joystick or mouse.

    The disk-based version does not require the CD-ROM drive. The sound
    card is also optional, as the disk-based version does not have
    talking, and sounds can be generated by the PC speaker, although a
    sound card is suggested.

    If this is the future of games, I would definitely purchase a CD-ROM
    drive. I have reviewed other products in the disk-based and CD-ROM
    fields. While both versions are basically the same graphically, the
    CD-ROM version surpasses anything that can be placed on disk. This
    is one game that any gamer would be pleased to find under the
    Christmas tree. The CD-ROM version also includes free, the $12.95
    hint book, to help get you out of those tight spaces.


                          Product information

                             Indiana Jones
                        and the Fate of Atlantis
                                (CD-ROM)

                              SRP  $69.95

                    LucasArts Entertainment Company
                             P.O. Box 10307
                         San Raphael, CA 94912
                              415-721-3300
                           415-721-3342 (FAX)
