In Memoriam

It's very reassuring when a game like In Memoriam comes along, because it shows that some developers are genuinely forward-thinking in their outlook, trying to find ways of injecting new life into the floundering genre of puzzle-lead adventure games. It's safe to say that this game isn't like anything you will have played before.

The story revolves around the disappearance of two researchers, Jack Lorski and Karen Gijman, who have vanished while investigating an old murder case. The police subsequently receive a strange black disc entitled 'In Memoriam', from a serial killer who dubs himself the Phoenix and claims to have kidnapped the researchers. The disc is full of lots of little puzzle games that perplex the authorities so much they open up the case to the general public, and start sending copies of the disc out.

Riddle Me This, Riddle Me That

The game is like a strange combination of movies The Blair Witch Project and Fear.com - working as both a history research project and a traditional puzzle game with bits of video diary thrown in. As you begin to solve the Phoenix's creepy, atmospheric mini-games, so little bits and pieces of Jack and Karen's story are revealed to you through home movie-style footage. Some of the puzzles take the form of arcade-style games that just need a bit of mouse dexterity to complete, but the more interesting ones actually require you to go onto the Internet and search for relevant webpages.

The immediate problem is that walkthroughs and help forums have sprung up since the release of the game, and it's all too tempting to use them. But curb your desire to cheat, because actually doing the work and finding the answers yourself is ultimately far more satisfying.

If it all sounds a bit daunting, the game actually provides its own kind of help along the way. As you progress, you'll be sent in-game emails from fictional players every now and then. They're also trying to solve the riddles, and will provide you with bits and pieces from their research. You'll also hear from the SKL Network (Jack's employer), and, as you near the end of the game, you'll even start to get emails from the seria killer himself.

This blurring of reality and fiction adds to the atmosphere and appeal of In Memoriam. Instead of just moving crates or clicking on certain objects it actually feels like you've put genuine brainpower into solving the game. Ultimately, as with many puzzle games, there's littk replayability at all, but the experience of playing such a clever title that literally thinks outside the box more than makes up for that.