Hard Evidence

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A Review of Hard Evidence

by Kathleen Keating

Could the results of the investigation into the death of Marilyn Monroe bring

down the most powerful political family in America?

Find out for yourself

when you play this extraordinary interactive game from NOVELL, entitled, Hard

Evidence: The Marilyn Monroe Files. With exceptional intrigue and a

professionally written script, you will enjoy this pursuit of the truth,

gathering clues, interviewing witnesses and examining the forensic evidence

in this highly publicized case, which will keep you on the edge of your seat

and up late at night for weeks.

This role playing game hardly feels like a game because of the enormous

accumulation of facts, video, newspaper and magazine articles incorporated

into the design of The Marilyn Monroe Files that give the participant the

feeling of being an integral part in this search for justice. Aimed at

audiences over 14, players can assume the identity of any one of four

characters charged with the responsibility of finding the actual cause of

death and the person or persons who ultimately will be held accountable.

Whether you choose to be the county coroner, an investigative reporter, a

detective from the Los Angeles police force, or a district attorney, is

entirely up to you, but no one character or role can successfully figure out

this case, which means your strategy must be built on the sum of each

character’s findings. Many clues cannot be uncovered by the coroner or

district attorney, but are made available to the investigative reporter or

detective.

Your interaction with individual witnesses varies greatly simply

by the personality of the particular character you choose. This adds a degree

of frustration, but certainly gives the search an incredible sense of

reality.

The three dimensional graphics used in the program transport you

back to the 1960s giving this game a nostalgic feel, while maintaining all

the slick computer techniques of the 1990s.

Fortunately, you can save the game and return to it and you’ll never be bored

thanks to the randomized elements yielding continuous fresh play. This

feature alone enhances the game and extends the playability indefinitely.

There is also the ability to travel to other key cities in this game such as

New York, Las Vegas or Chicago, adding more dimension and suspense. Using

skyline photos, the player can click on certain hot spots, or buildings and

be instantly transported to that location. With the capability of questioning

witnesses in well done video clips, you can at times, feel like the events

are really happening, losing the two dimensional aspects of most other games

on the market.

As you gather clues and return to your apartment to log them

into your computer, you can easily keep your position and your hunches in

order, a handy feature when you need to use four different characters to

solve the mystery.

When your theory is cemented in your mind, you approach your superior with a

completed outline of the investigation. Your rewards depend on how successful

you are in finding pertinent information and the compilation of theory of

death. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. Because you have to really

think about certain situations and facts, and because of the highly

professional make-up of this program, your rewards will be well worth the

effort.

If you’re looking for the best interactive game with sensational

graphics and sound, and with one of the most solid scripts out there, Hard

Evidence: The Marilyn Monroe Files is for you.

Created for NOVELL by T1 New Media, this is a quality piece of work and I

can’t wait to see the other titles this company will be putting out in the

future. By bringing together top-notch representatives from television

production video and graphics, as well as professional script and music

composition, the consumer is granted a great opportunity to experience some

of the finest gaming there is on the market today. Hurry to your local

software shop and buy this one. It won’t collect any dust on the shelf.

Gamer’s Zone Scorecard

Product:	Hard Evidence
Company:	NOVELL Consumer Products Division 1555 N. Technology Way Orem, Utah 84057-2399

Cost:

$49.95

IBM-PC or compatible 486/25SX or higher,
4MB RAM, 16-bit sound card,
and a double speed CD-ROM drive or higher and mouse.