Scratches

If you read this then you're lucky person to stumble on this forgotten mystic quest title here on IMDb (and I don't think you managed to do that without knowing what this game is all about). Well it was sudden for myself to find this game (though only 12 (update 24.11.07: wow! 14 already; 04.02.08: 17) people including me voted for it and it's no surprise) in the IM database which didn't trouble itself with including of the 6th and final episode of Sam & Max Season 1.

So, Scratches, a semi-professional mystery adventure credited to only three people (Agustin Cordes, Alejandro Graziani and... Cellar of Rats: is it a nickname or is it a band?) excluding 5 actors and thanks (H.P. Lovecraft really had its influence and was mentioned), 'went gold' on 08.03.06 as the first commercial adventure game made in Argentina. Not much of a spring game I guess. Better for autumn. I never played the original version. Reviews praised its story and sound. The game got its 'one of the best games of the year' here and there, but never got enough popularity due to a lack of gameplay and graphics, and maybe the whole pathetic condition of sub-genre. Director's Cut, released on 23.05.07 (and still graphics were unsatisfying to me), patched up with 600Mb summer graphics update (hooray!), is the version I experienced, finally, after 1.5 years of hesitation. I completed it in two long evenings.

The game tells the story of the Blackwood estate on the outskirts of Rothbury, a small rural town in Northumberland, England in 1976. Originally owned by James Thomas Blackwood until 1963, the house is passed to Christopher Milton after Mr. Blackwood is accused of murdering his wife, Catherine. A couple of days later, Mr. Blackwood dies of a sudden heart attack though some in the town rumor he might have committed suicide. The police decide to close the case seeing there is no further evidence left. Furthermore, shortly after acquiring the house, Chrisopher Milton inexplicably disappears in 1970 leaving no visible trace. The player assumes the role of the house's next inhabitant, Michael Arthate, an author seeking seclusion to work on his next book. He moves in only to find that the house still echoes its horrible past quite literally as scratches are heard all around, particularly in the basement and fireplaces, and soon becomes more interested in researching the house's history than his writing...

Director's Cut also contains an aftermath of mother-game events: The Last Visit for no more than half-an-hour walkthrough. Itis accessible without completing the first chapter though contains some spoilers! of final events of first chapter, so you better access it after chapter one.

Scratches uses a first person view on static interactive panoramas to navigate around the mansion. Using only a mouse, the player can access various rooms and other places in order to solve the mystery of both Blackwood and Milton's disappearances. Story tells itself through diaries, notes, letters and telephone conversations. The three-storeyed Gothic mansion with basement and attic in deep forest is marvelous. Ancient artifacts. Loads of pictures, even one representing famous Cthulhu (there are more references to Lovecraft's works). The virtual museum! Sadly it had some unnecessary design inconsistencies. And atmosphere was very dark (without gamma correction turned on) so between intense moments I started to fall asleep.

All in all Nucleosys crafted one of the most remarkable semi-pro games ever, third best adventure of 2006 (after Dreamfall The Longest Journey and Broken Sword The Angel of Death) and one of three best horror games of the same year (also Call of Cthulhu Dark Corners of the Earth and Condemned Criminal Origins). It features music and special sound effects by Cellar of Rats that are disputable as one of the best 10 in 2006.

This game received 68% average rating on Metacritic. My rates for a complete patched up version (compared to 2006’s or 2007's level, no matter):

Gameplay: 5/10.

Graphics: 6/10 (One point and a half/5 for technology + 4.5/5 for design).

Sound: 8.5/10.

Score (OST): 9.5/10.

Story: 8.5/10.

Controls & Interface: 7/10.

OVERALL: 7.5/10.

P.S. Note Call of Cthulhu Dark Corners of the Earth in recommendations.

I grabbed this game out of a bargain bin for 3 euros thinking it was probably going to be a laugh but know much more. Little did I know this game would changed the way a look at creepy old mansions for ever!

You are an author of a 1# best selling horror novel. And to perfect your next up coming book you diced to recluse your self in an old creepy Victorian mansion. Upon your arrival you slowly begin to learn about the previous owners and that something very wrong is going on in that house, you quickly became more concerned about finding out about the history of the house then writing your book. You ask your self: who lived here? what happened? Why did it happen? And ow yeah, where are those scratching noises coming from in the middle of the night!?

Now the game play is very traditional for a adventure/puzzle game, you can move around a fixed position 360 degrees and you click your way through the house picking up various items as you go along. If you liked it before there is no reason why it would bother you now. And on the other hand if it does bother you then you are playing the wrong game any way so go away. The puzzles are logic based and I only had a couple of times where I was doing things but I had no Idea why I was doing them till the very end. It was the methodical, just try every possible combinations with your items style that helped me out. But usually that doesn't need to happen and I am sure there where probably hints around that told me what to do but I was just to dumb to get… on a side note I turned the hint system (yes there is a Hint system) on if I got stuck for to long in some places. But the hints I got from it showed me in the wrong direction so I would be careful with that.

The game looks oke, it's a shame it has static pictures (I don't have the DC version so I don't know about the graphics update) but it serves its purpose later on in the game. Although a little animation would have made the house a little more alive. The pictures them self's look good and you really get the feeling you are in the house and not just looking at a flat one dimensional drawing. There are animations but only of doors and certain objects. The thing that will make you keep playing, or perhaps make you stop depending on how squeamish you are is the atmosphere. Seldom have I felt fear whilst playing a game and I was genuinely afraid to continue playing at some points and that doesn't happen often. I must add though that being in a house all alone in the middle of the night with headphones on and all the lights off would probably get the better of most people. But I do recommend playing that way if you really want a scare.

This game is the reason why Adventure Gaming is dead. The puzzles are... they're not really puzzles, they're frustrations. There is no "game," just random things you need to click on to get the story rolling.

There is no motivation to guide the player, other than a wild goose chase for problems you can't solve. The tradition design of making a player think through clues doesn't exists. More than likely you're going to resort to a walk through.

The story isn't bad, and the music is rather creepy. However, overall the game just frustrates and bores.