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DRACULA: THE RESURRECTION (PC)
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Publisher: Microids.
Developer: Index+. Released: October 1999. Genre: Point 'n' Click. Other versions: PS. Posted 31st October 2024. By Tom Clare © 2024 |
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After enjoying a golden period during the early and mid nineties, the prominence of point ‘n’ click adventures would begin to wane by the turn of the millennium. This was in part due to the strand created by the super-successful Myst struggling to evolve, as adventure games became rapidly more cinematic and immersive. Dracula: The Resurrection is a symptom of this. Whilst many developers have sought to translate the gothic appeal of Bram Stoker’s Dracula into video game form, Index+’s effort would prove one of the more enduring, selling well and spawning four sequels over 14 years. Quality-wise, it’s a mixed bag. The central premise is inviting, as is the game’s at times excellent visual presentation, but it falls foul of dated mechanics and an absence of meaningful puzzles.
The Resurrection is an interesting conceit. An impressive FMV intro picks things up at the end of Stoker’s classic novel, seeing protagonists Jonathan Harker and Quincey Morris ambushing and slaying Count Dracula, and thus freeing Harker’s love Mina from her psychic enslavement to the vampire. Fast-forward seven years, and Mina has disappeared, leaving behind a cryptic letter that prompts Harker to go in search of her. The good news for the player is, this means another trip to Transylvania awaits. The acting is very hammy, but the game nevertheless scores positively for its narrative. Many yarns based around existing works seek to retread old ground, rather than progress them, and for this, Index+ deserves credit.
Dracula's library has lots to uncover, though much of the rest of the game feels a bit sparse
A first-person graphic adventure in the mould of Myst, Dracula creates the illusion of connected locations through a sequence of 360-degree panoramic backgrounds. These see the player rooted to a central point but able to explore in all directions around them. In theory, this offers the possibility for extensive puzzling. Disappointingly, however, the majority of the chin-scratching you’ll be doing here stems from the difficulty finding certain items, or some occasionally tiny interaction points that are hard to pinpoint, unless you know exactly where to search. Most inventory work is no more complicated than retrieving objects and using them at pre-determined spots. There’s no combining or examining of items, and very little in the way of codes or riddles.
Dracula plays out across three phases: the Borgo Pass Inn, a mine, and Dracula’s Castle. Things begin in atmospheric fashion, as the player navigates snowy surrounds under a full moon. The player can glean information from innkeeper Barina and patron Micha, both of whom exhibit top-quality 3D models as well as marvellously expressive features across a handful of video sequences. These are excellent, and possibly the game’s strongest asset. Whilst the gameplay doesn’t contain any action sequences, the often extravagant FMVs are superb. As for in-game, the graphics are fairly good, though there are signs of age creeping in around the edges. The cemetery, inn, castle library and bedroom settings are bold and detailed, though some adjoining screens, notably the snowy paths and cavernous corridors, tend to feel bland and lifeless.
Dracula plays out across three phases: the Borgo Pass Inn, a mine, and Dracula’s Castle. Things begin in atmospheric fashion, as the player navigates snowy surrounds under a full moon. The player can glean information from innkeeper Barina and patron Micha, both of whom exhibit top-quality 3D models as well as marvellously expressive features across a handful of video sequences. These are excellent, and possibly the game’s strongest asset. Whilst the gameplay doesn’t contain any action sequences, the often extravagant FMVs are superb. As for in-game, the graphics are fairly good, though there are signs of age creeping in around the edges. The cemetery, inn, castle library and bedroom settings are bold and detailed, though some adjoining screens, notably the snowy paths and cavernous corridors, tend to feel bland and lifeless.
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Nevertheless, the theme and the settings help, and though there aren’t any especially elaborate problems to solve, adventure fans will likely still enjoy combing over some nice settings. One highlight includes engineering ways to dispose of Dracula’s henchmen early on, including dropping a giant metal crown on one of the hapless goons. There’s a satisfying (and sadly all too rare) puzzle late on, that sees the player solving an astrology puzzle by spying the solution in a reflective globe that reveals a view from inside a painting.
The audio is further evidence of the genre’s failure to evolve. Whilst crisp, crackling fires, prominent creaking floorboards and doors closing in the distance may have proven an impressively “real” accompaniment five or six years earlier, here such effects feel too repetitive and distracting. The voice acting is earnest and not without charm, but it’s also rather melodramatic at times.
The audio is further evidence of the genre’s failure to evolve. Whilst crisp, crackling fires, prominent creaking floorboards and doors closing in the distance may have proven an impressively “real” accompaniment five or six years earlier, here such effects feel too repetitive and distracting. The voice acting is earnest and not without charm, but it’s also rather melodramatic at times.
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Progression is occasionally halted through obscure item placement, but there are only a small handful of frustrations that arise from poor design. That said, it isn’t the longest game, and in this regard, its bulky 2-CD nature is deceiving. With a near complete absence of puzzles until the final stages, experienced players may find themselves reaching the credits in around five hours.
Dracula: The Resurrection is ultimately pretty average. If you’ve a hankering for point ‘n’ clicks, then there’s enough here of a solid standard that, along with a strong theme, should offer a few nights’ worth of adventuring distraction. Its video sequences are terrific, but the gameplay design is routine and, like the Count himself, the game feels a little long in the tooth.
Dracula: The Resurrection is ultimately pretty average. If you’ve a hankering for point ‘n’ clicks, then there’s enough here of a solid standard that, along with a strong theme, should offer a few nights’ worth of adventuring distraction. Its video sequences are terrific, but the gameplay design is routine and, like the Count himself, the game feels a little long in the tooth.
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VERDICT
"An inviting is assisted by some great video sequences, but Dracula falls foul of dated mechanics and an absence of meaningful puzzles. One for genre die-hards only." OVERALL: 5/10 |
OTHER GAMES WITH A VAMPIRE PRESENCE REVIEWED
Super Castlevania IV (1992, Super Nintendo)
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Vampire Rain (2007, Xbox 360)
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