eet Alias Node, human detective of the future, hot on the trail of a murderous technology thief. His hunt leads him to a down-and-out spaceport bar called the Thirsty Tentacle, where his shapeshifting quarry could be any one of 40 different aliens. The aliens are a motley bunch, ranging from blobs of jelly to bartending centipedes, and most have absolutely no interest in talking to a lowly human. To help him, Alias packs a sassy PDA named Zelda that holds maps, a clue log, and several miniaturized tools. Additionally, Alias has been trained in the mysterious art of Empathy Telepathy: when he engages someone on an emotional level, he can psychically relive that person's memories.
This mystery/puzzle game employs a first person perspective and detailed 3D rendered environments. In each "room" there is a 360 degree view that smoothly pans across the screen. Alias interacts with objects via context-sensitive menus, so that a voice analyzer will offer choices like "Turn on" and "Record" while a slot machine will offer "Play" and "Kick." A similar menu system allows Alias to interact with the aliens in the bar, asking questions, chatting or giving orders. When the Empathy Telepathy kicks in, Alias has a sort of flashback, usually to the subject's home world, where he must solve a mini-puzzle after which he will receive some clue or piece of information that will help him catch the thief.
Clever, but ess-ell-oh-double-you
Produced by Steve Meretzky, the designer of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Leather Goddesses of Phobos, The Space Bar offers up a similar brand of humor where awe-inspiring concepts like extraterrestrial intelligence and space travel are presented as quite routine, even smarmy. The denizens of the Thirsty Tentacle are working stiffs and bored businessthings who speak in kitschy, exaggerated voices from Saturday morning cartoons.
Some of the humor is clever, but much is mundane, none ingenious. For instance, the name of the planet where the game takes place is Armpit IV. Ho, ho. Even the humor that works is poorly adapted to the medium of interactive gaming. Alias spends a lot of time standing around listening to satirical ads and send-ups on alien radios.
Visually, though, this game is a treat. The 360 degree view creates a very strong sense of place, which is augmented by nice background sounds. Art direction is by Ron Cobb, the production designer who created Star Wars' cantina scene, and he has constructed a compelling sort of galactic Hoboken, N.J., with some nifty creatures. There are plenty of "extras" in the environments: slot machines, telephones and the odd prop here and there. The drink catalog alone could occupy gamers for hours.
Because The Space Bar provides so much to see and do, players would probably like to explore at their leisure. Unfortunately the game is time limited, and if they don't stay on task, they'll lose. That combined with the slow pace handicaps what would otherwise be an enjoyable game.
