Let's Play KGB!

Wyrmlord · Nov 23, 2008

Ah, sweet life. A KGB agent wandering around the world, stealing valuable capitalist information, evading NATO troops, and...working in cramped offices with two other people.

Good thing is, I have a wonderful colleague to cheer me up. Someday, I will be doing a great service to motherland by sticking it those capitalist pigs, but today, I think I'll just stick to chitchatting my coworkers rather than actually doing my job. Hey, one way or another, I'll still be paid.

I consider what topic I may bring up as conversation. Hence, I think of sentences I can make starting with the word 'Pity'.

It seems my failure to uphold diligent anti-sexism is not in line with good old Soviet values.

I broach another topic.

"It looks to me, like we have a failure, to commune-cate." - Cool Hand Luke

I am quick to repent my sudden lapse into decadent western ways!

I bring up the wonderful perestroika plan that our glorious leaders are pushing.

But it seems I am put into a tricky position. My politics is suddenly brought into question! Don't worry Rokov, take it easy.

I pick the first option. Bad move.

OK, failure to discuss women, partying, and economics. Let's talk easy things.

Yes, I think I am getting somewhere. This man shares the enthusiasm for football.

Are some people always on?

Screw it, I am better off leaving for my meeting with the boss right now.

To be continued...

Andyman Messiah · Nov 23, 2008

This is one of my favorite adventure games. It's unforgivingly awesome. You better do a good job, Wyrmlord.

Wyrmlord · Nov 23, 2008

Seriously, if rest of the game is as awesome as the Belov conversation, I might do this to the end.

Mikser · Nov 23, 2008

It ought to be mentioned that this game has an awesome, if somewhat eccentric and downright psychedelic, Adlib soundtrack by equally eccentric and psychedelic Frenchman Stéphane Picq. The screenshot format does it no justice.

Andyman Messiah · Nov 23, 2008

Wyrmlord said:
Seriously, if rest of the game is as awesome as the Belov conversation, I might do this to the end.

Oh it is. But make sure you save and get ready to load a lot, because you rarely have time to talk more than you need to.

edit: Mikser speaks the truth. The soundtrack is fantastic. Picq also did the music for Cryo's Dune. It's worth checking out.

edit2: also this should be in the adventure game section, lol.

asper · Nov 26, 2008

Whoah, this looks really great ! Tomorrow after work I'm scavenging abandonware sites to find this gem...!

UPDAET PLZ

Insane Psychic · Nov 26, 2008

If I remember correctly, the game is also awesomely unforgiving. Miss any tiny thing and you're deader than a doornail.

Keep it up though, I loved this game. Too bad I lost it.

Tintin · Nov 26, 2008

I loved this game as well, very challenging and rewarding, and I'm definitely following this even though I usually hate Let's Play threads. Definitely do this until the end. You'll probably screw up quite a few times, I'm guessing.

It's not an RPG, though.

Very nostalgic.

RK47 · Nov 26, 2008

HARD HARD game. lol Never completed it. Show me what you can do man!

MetalCraze · Nov 26, 2008

Wyrmlord said:
Ah, sweet life. A KGB agent wandering around the world, stealing valuable capitalist information, evading NATO troops, and...working in cramped offices with two other people.

Except KGB did none of the above except for the last thing. They are internal punishing structure. Devs confused them with GRU - now those guys are spies.
Well whatevah, those screenies made me want this game and I'm downloading it now from this kewl abandonware web-site which has every 386/486 era abandonware you'll ever need.

Wyrmlord · Nov 26, 2008

Wow, so that timer on the lower right of the screen is important! So much depends on time, in this game. There is a specific time in which a particular character will visit a particular area, or a particular event may happen, and that may be something crucial. But the good thing is that you can "rewind this game".

[Note: You may notice inconsistencies in the timer in different screens, and that's because some of them were taken on later attempts through the thing]

Anyhoo, so far.

The boss lives in a more comfy office than his subordinates, living true to the socialist maxims of all are equal, but some are more equal than others.

He gives me orders to investigate a man called Goltsin, a KGB agent turned private eye.

I start investigating the bloke's office. There is also someone spying on me while I am doing this!

It is at this point that Goltsin's sister comes in. She collapses onto a chair on listening to the news of her brother's death.

She starts getting hysterical. I don't say anything accusatory or negative during this conversation. Keep reassuring her before I ask anything.

Before she leaves, she gives me a microcassette that she received in the mail from her brother. Funny, she didn't mention it at any point of the conversation until right at the end.

I use the batteries and the recorder that I found to play it.

It seems that this is a secret subversive capitalist conspiracy. If those dollars in his raincoat weren't already a giveaway.

This matter has demanded the attention of even bigger higherups.

I am to go undercover into the nightclub of that meeting.

To be continued...

Man this game is awesome. I just wonder if it has been as much of a discovery for the other guys here as it has been for me. I couldn't have imagined it would be so good.

Rondel. · Nov 26, 2008

Interesting LP. It looks like it is a good, funny game.
Btw. I love those hand-drawed backgrounds and characters. It is one of the reasons that I'm still playing old adventure games, they have their charm.

MetalCraze · Nov 26, 2008

I believe it's missing something.

Andyman Messiah · Nov 26, 2008

Aquacomrade?

Monocause · Nov 26, 2008

Comrade Hulk, Comrade Punisher and Comrade America.

edit: these 'unfortunately held back by conservative foot-draggers!' lines are excellent.

I love the satire of communist propaganda newspeak
even if the capitalistic and reactionist elements of our society are in concord with western saboteurs, who strive to ruin the economic might of the Socialist Nations' bloc by dropping potato beetles on our fields with airplanes and thus hoping to dwarf our agricultural output! But rest assured that the People and the Party will not bend down to this type of insidious aggression, and will double the output in two years time, to show these salivating midgets of reaction what are we capable of! Comrades, will you help?

poocolator · Nov 26, 2008

Monocause said:
Comrade Hulk, Comrade Punisher and Comrade America.

edit: these 'unfortunately held back by conservative foot-draggers!' lines are excellent.

I love the satire of communist propaganda newspeak
even if the capitalistic and reactionist elements of our society are in concord with western saboteurs, who strive to ruin the economic might of the Socialist Nations' bloc by dropping potato beetles on our fields with airplanes and thus hoping to dwarf our agricultural output! But rest assured that the People and the Party will not bend down to this type of insidious aggression, and will double the output in two years time, to show these salivating midgets of reaction what are we capable of! Comrades, will you help?

You silly fruitcake, you...

MetalCraze · Nov 26, 2008

A pretty hardcore game. You can easily do something stupid that will make the completion of the game impossible and you will only notice your mistake after quite some time - so if you didn't save before or saved after that place you're screwed.

Wyrmlord · Nov 26, 2008

Yeah, and this was a MAINSTREAM game back then.

As a young gamer, it just makes me feel a little unnerved to know that the older gaming audience was generally much more receptive to challenge.

Fenril · Nov 26, 2008

Remember something though, a couple of fuck ups in the early game can easily ruin your chances of finishing it later on without you noticing it....the clock ticks fast.

Tintin · Nov 26, 2008

Well, just make sure to save at different points during the next segment of the game (the undercover part). Especially the first two chapters, which are both pretty long and filled with opportunities to screw up.

MetalCraze · Nov 26, 2008

There is however an intuition (if you please) that tells you if you've messed up (voiced and acted by Donald Sutherland in CD version). However for that you need to go into your inventory and click on the button - which means you will have to do that often if you will be worried about the game's completion. And as you understand nobody will do that but at the same it is there. Cryo knew what they were doing all right.

Lightknight · Nov 26, 2008

Cryo knew what they were doing all right.

Except they couldnt really decide if they wanted a crime-based adventure or an outright parody. I mean, just look at those portraits and dialogue. I really dont think that script writers ever talked with anyone russian. The art team sure have seen the right photos, though, thus the realistic imagery. But script - pure hilarity, for those who were born in the socialist states.

Tintin · Nov 26, 2008

It's intentional. Eg, the conversation with Belov. Obviously intended to be humorous.

MetalCraze · Nov 26, 2008

In fact being a former commie I can say that they were in good contact with ex-soviet guys. Because the game is a good criminal parody of USSR of that period and nicely laughs at its stereotypical views of the West. Thus not only for ex-soviets but rather it is a game that nicely fits its time and for the people who remember it.

Lightknight · Nov 26, 2008

It's intentional. Eg, the conversation with Belov. Obviously intended to be humorous.

Thats exactly it - humor is not spreaded consistently enough. Most of the game is dead pan serious (from the French POV, though), but out of nowhere come the parts rigged with ridiculousness. But oh well, cant have everything, i guess.

Let's Play KGB!

Arcane

Mr. Ed-ucated

Arcane

Educated

Mr. Ed-ucated

Arcane

Cipher

Arbiter

collides like two planets pulled by gravity

Arcane

Arcane

Novice

Arcane

Mr. Ed-ucated

Arcane

Erudite

Arcane

Arcane

Scholar

Arbiter

Arcane

Liturgist

Arbiter

Arcane

Liturgist