FT is a P&C adventure by LucasArts, released in 1995 and, let's be fair, has one of the most bad ass intros ever....
SWEET
The game is set in a distopian future and in it, you play as gruff voiced, barrel chested Marcus Fenix from the now popular Gears of War franchise, and set out to expose a murder in order to prevent the start of the Locust War.
Wait a second? Your telling me that this isn't Marcus Fenix? You've heard his voice, right?
So as it turns out, despite the barrel chest, gruff voice, and chin you could build a patio on, you are not actually playing as Marcus Fenix, and this isn't a Gears of War prequel. Instead you are playing as Ben, the leader of a local biker gang, and are actually out to expose the aforementioned murder in order to prevent something equally, or more terrifying , than the Locust War- replacing planet killing, fossil fuel guzzling motor bikes with environmentally friendly electric motor vehicles.
(shiver)
The game plays out much like any other P&C adventure game, and by that I mean playing the role of a thief in order to steal or relinqueshing other characters possessions in order to selfishly complete puzzles that hinder your own progress.
However FT did attempt to break the mould a little, and it did try a few innovative ideas.
First up, gone are the "open", "pick up" or"look at" etc command verbs that we were so used to seeing bordering the bottom of our screens in games like Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle.
Instead, FT adopts a command wheel, where clicking on an item allows us the choice of family friendly body parts, like eyes for "look at" or hand, which then equates to "pick up" or "open" as the situation requires.
This therefore reduces the number of different options to interact with items, and naturally simplifies the gameplay.
A bonus to the removal of all the command verbs from the bottom of the screen allowed FT to completely fill the players screen, adding an extra level of visual appeal to the already great looking graphics for the time.
Another new idea LucasArts introduced was the inclusion of skill based, action pieces, something in stark contrast to the logic puzzles the genre is known for.
LucasArts clearly looked at other bike related franchises when producing FT thought "I'll have some of that", and decided to include a mandatory Road Rash-style mini game - something which was received at the time about as well as a fart in a spacesuit.
Later on there's also a Micro Machines looking wreck em up, which is also mandatory, and also smells of brussel sprouts.
The inclusion of these action elements was not necessarily a bad move, bring variety to the game in a time when innovation was needed to keep the genre alive, but the honest truth is that they were just poorly executed, a nightmare to control, and therefore no fun to play. With more time and polished controls, I'm sure these sections wouldn't have had the negative attention that they received.
Another critisism reared at the game was it's length. The game is quite short. Now, whilst this is true, I think this is more a consequence of the more simplified interface. It allows for fewer solutions to the puzzles presented, and therefore makes the game easier in many eyes. This then adds to the perception of the game being short, as many people found that they were able to breeze through the main plot of the game without struggling, which would normally extend the game's length.
However, FT is a good game. It was one of the first games to utilise SAG registered actors for their voice talents, such as Kath Soucie best know for playing Phil and Lil from Rugrats, Luke Skywalker who is best known for playing Luke Skywalker in Star Wars and Tress MacNeill who is best known for playing Tress MacNeill in everything she does. It was also one of the first LucasArts games to feature licensed music. I mentioned that sweet sweet intro right?
Right.
The plot is interesting and set in a world that looks great, and feels fully fleshed out. In keeping with previous LucasArts games, FT is funny, though in a more dry sense of humour, rather than the wakiness of previous games, but this is in keeping with the game's grubby aesthetics.
Despite the critisisms I have mentioned, FT is still considered a cult classic. It landed during a period when LucasArts were producing some of their best and most memorable work, and at what is considered to be the peak time of the P&C adventure genre.
I personally don't consider it as good as the Monkey Island series, DOTT, or Broken Swords, but they are some of the best in the genre, so that's hardly suprising, and I do feel the critisisms are justified. However they are only a small section of an overall great experience, and if you can bunny hop over these speed bumps, your in for a good ride.
