Genre: Adventure
Perspective: 1st-person
Gameplay: Graphic Adventure, Puzzle elements
Setting: Post-Apocalyptic, Sci-Fi / Futuristic
Narrative: Detective / Mystery
Published by: Access Software
Developed by: Access Software
Released: 1994
Platform: DOS
Let a private detective Tex Murphy inferior to fame Philip Marlowe, Mike Hammer or other famous literary characters, and his office in squalid quarter of the New Mutants San Francisco did not like the luxury apartments on the famous Baker Street, 2216 ... But few can boast private investigators salvation of all mankind - and here at Tex such feats on account of missing and «Under a Killing Moon» becomes just another adventure on his thorny path after «Mean Streets» and «Martian Memorandum».
However, neither fame nor money all past exploits, he had not brought. Tex still barely making ends meet, also suffers from frequent and prolonged drinking bouts. But, as always, the unexpected happens, and that after the visit of senior colleagues, barely sober Tex firmly decided to clean up their act and get a job, even if it is lost and little dog room. From this ill-considered decision and begins a six-day epic, in which Tex to uncover a terrible plot to globally against life on Earth and in the spirit of a really "Star Wars," our old friend destroy military space station.
Of course, a huge amount of games (four goals jam-CD), partly due to the long rollers real video (with a total length of several hours), but the reason is not only that. A unique feature of «Under a Killing Moon» is the ability to move in 3D mode of synthesis with preservation of graphics SVGA. All the familiar for adventure action games are made only after the "freezing" of the image. In studies of the world the player is not restricted movements that are planned in advance creators, and operates entirely on their own.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF EVENTS
2042 The Third World War is long over, but the people, oddly enough, had survived. They do not even feel somehow less special. However, the effects of nuclear storms still affected - because of the pollution of the atmosphere, most people turned into mutants.
Special enmity between them and normal people do not have, but they both settled in different areas. Place the game on the will of the authors was San Francisco, but not today, happy and mostly prosperous, and San Francisco in 2042, divided into two parts - the old, inhabited by mutants and new, where ordinary people live. Detective Agency Tex, our protagonist, is in the old town. However, this does not mean that it - mutant. Not at all. Just away from their own kind Tex feels more comfortable. Is it better to think or just do not have a particular need to shave - does not matter. More importantly - in the investigation of one of the burglaries, our hero accidentally encounters a certain sect, whose existence dates back to the middle of the last century, to be exact - since 1942 Insidious cultists have managed to create a terrible virus, Kojima and want to hit our planet. Had served the required period of time (on the moon!), They will return and with an iron hand to control the remaining people. Time to save humanity from Tex is almost here.
Day 1
Tex looking for a survey on which to work to earn some money. He learns that a consignment of Chandler Avenue held by Rook Garner was recently robbed. The previous day, a woman came to drop a bracelet of great value against 8000 dollars, at night, bracelet and other items of lesser importance were stolen. Tex harvest several clues in his observations and conversations with neighbors in the area. His research enable it to identify the thief Mick Flemm an individual as dangerous as stupid. Tex learns that Mick Flemm killed a clown who kept a shop on Chandler Avenue, but it now gives him nightmares, and it is housed in a warehouse at the bottom of Chandler Avenue. The detective enters without difficulty developing a ploy to scare Mick Flemm playing on his fear of clowns, and then retrieves the bracelet stolen. This case is resolved.
Day 2
A new case is presented to Tex, much higher than the previous day. Detective receives a fax from some "Countess Renier" inviting him to join her at her home. On site, the countess said to have stolen a statue bird crystal of great value, and asks the detective to find her in exchange for 30,000 dollars. Tex agrees and begins his research. The detective contacted a man named "Franco Franco," a dealer in stolen property must have information about the statue and the thief. Tex manages to coax Franco, who tells him that the current owner of the statuette is called Eddie Ching. With the guidance of Franco, the police Mac Malden and seller of electronics, Tex is the location of the apartment and between Eddie Ching after breaking the security system. The detective gets the bird crystal and leaves the Ritz. Upon arrival, the detective gets knocked out by a strange individual capable of changing appearance that steals the statuette. A second person steals his wallet.
Day 3
In searching for information on his attackers, Tex knocks Francesca Lucido, the madam of a pizzeria, who saw the attack but do speak as if Tex makes him a favor: Francesca wants a divorce because the company of her husband has become a burden to him and he certainly many infidelities Tex must find evidence of these infidelities for divorce can be pronounced. In the room of a hotel run by Ardo Newpop a silly mutant, the detective finds a film containing compromising photos of her husband playing Twister with several scantily clad women. The photos are developed to Francesca, who then reveals Tex identity of one of the two assailants of the day, a man named Pug, lurking for a few days around the Ritz. Tex manages to find Pug, the latter making his wallet and admit the reason for his spinning: he says he was hired by Colonel Murphy to ensure that does not investigate a case of bird statuette. Taken aback, Tex. hand to Colonel in his office, and is agonizing, a dagger in the chest. Colonel nevertheless learns that her first attacker is able to change shape is nicknamed "The Chameleon", then it gives Tex some ways to continue the investigation in its place. After taking his former employer to the hospital, Tex returns to his office, where the expected Eddie Ching, who turns out to be a young woman, accompanied by her two bodyguards. Ching is devastated by the disappearance of the statue: it says that the Countess was a cult member who need this statue to perform a ritual related to the "Crusade Genetics", an operation conducted by the "Norms" for a few days eradicate all of the mutant population of the planet and find the "original purity" before the Third World War.
Day 4
Tex returned to the office of Colonel search for clues that might escape to. It is a disk on which the Colonel left a message explaining a part of the case: the sect has a space station called Moon Child who used to attack Earth to achieve Crusade Genetics, we must destroy the station. For this, agents have developed a "smart Winter", capable of delivering a computer virus in the mainframe space station. In addition, the sect runs a center of genetic research called "GRS". The secret agent Schanzee Eva, who infiltrated the GRS, should be taken on the Moon Child to connect the chip, but it disappeared before his departure. Tex should fulfill this mission in his stead. In the records of Colonel Tex learns that the employees are GRS geneticists largely unaware of the purpose of their director, Colonel found a former employee called Alaynah Moore. Tex see Alaynah hand, who gave him his old badge to enter the premises of the GRS. There, Tex is different information on the intentions of the sect, stored on disk and tape: the sect wants to get on the Moon Child few thousand "Norms" genetic code "pure" and a sample of each species or non-mutant plant and eradicate all life on Earth with a virus extermination carried out, the population of Moon Child would live on the planet and reintroduce the species kept. Tex also discovered in the office of the GRS, a statue which was hidden in the chip Winter. Finally, Tex learns that the Chameleon is in a strange place called "Bastion of Holiness." Back in his office, the detective finds a video message from Chameleon who reveals that the Countess Renier was only one of his appearances, and he took Alaynah Moore, he will not hesitate to kill if the detective n does not abandon his investigation immediately.
Day 5
Tex part in the "Bastion of Holiness," where the Chameleon and his prisoner. Tex manages to replace the cigarette Chameleon by a poisoned cigarette with a sample of substance to eradicate the world's population found in the GRS. Chameleon succumbs to the poison and delivers Tex Alaynah who is madly in love with the detective. Tex Alaynah entrusts the Chameleon would go to a bar in the room to find a Ferrel Pus. Tex went to the bar by managing to impersonate a member of the sect with the bartender, who tells him where to find Ferrel Pus. Tex enters the office of the man in question, who already knows the identity of the detective. Ferrel Pus Tex agrees to take on the Moon Child in a few hours if they can win four times after a fatal monte in bad choices. Detective wins the game and returns to the barmaid, who serves him a drink containing a soporific.
Day 6
Detective wakes up aboard the Moon Child, locked in a room. A video message from Percival Lowell, the leader of the sect that Tex had met in the case of Martian Memorandum, informs him that the "Purification" will begin in an hour, and Tex can always decide to join the cause of the sect . But Tex Winter still has the chip capable of infecting the system of Moon Child, he manages to escape from his temporary prison and finds himself in a maze of corridors. Tex finds the agent Eva Schanzee, it delivers a cryonics chamber. Eva then gives him a set of instructions to infect the computer system with smart Moon Child Winter, while she will go cause a surge that will blow up the space station. In a room used as an observatory, the detective found a computer connection that allows them to connect the chip and spread the virus. The kinematics of finding shows Tex and Eva running away from Moon Child by a shuttle, just before the space station explodes, destroying the entire sect. Back on Earth, Tex finds the Colonel, who became healthy enough to go play a game of Twister with Eva; Tex restarts teach cha-cha-cha to earn a few dollars. The ex-wife of Tex then returns to his office to ask him for a reconciliation that hard to Tex a long cry of horror that even the worst episodes of his case did not push him.
Characters and distribution
The game is an interactive movie, the characters are played by professional and amateur actors, sometimes part of the production team. Thus, Chris Jones interprets Tex Murphy, while Aaron Conners plays Ardo Newpop and a technician from the space station. The voice heard on several occasions in the game is that of James Earl Jones.
Tex-known characters in the initial situation
Colonel (Brian Keith) former employer Tex Murphy, who runs a private detective agency.
Sylvia Linsky (Kris Mickler) ex-wife of Tex.
Chelsee Bando (Suzanne Barnes): keeper of a newsstand on Chandler Avenue.
Rook Garner (Douglas Vandegrift) pawn Chandler Avenue.
Louie LaMintz (Randall Edwards) tenant's Brew & Stew, a restaurant in Chandler Avenue.
Francesca Lucido (Jeri Christian): lady of the pizzeria, known for having loose morals.
Sal Lucido (Douglas Vandegrift): Francesca's husband, sometimes with violent when she drank, with even lighter than his wife morals.
Ardo Newpop (Aaron Conners): keeper of the Golden Gate Hotel, physically powerful, but particularly silly.
Mac Malden (Kevin Jones, brother of Chris Jones) San Francisco policeman.
Characters encountered during investigations
Beek Nariz (Douglas Vandegrift) mutant with a jet instead of a nose, indicator selling its information to Mac Malden.
Mick E. Flemm (Jay Richards): author of burglary at Rook Garner, Rusty killer clown.
Rusty the Clown: clown who was a TV show, and who came to settle in Chandler Avenue two years ago to take a joke shop, had to close shop and was murdered shortly thereafter.
Hamm Underwood (Brian Ferguson): keeper of the new electronics store Chandler Avenue.
Countess Renier (Monique Lanier): rich woman from San Francisco, engaging Tex Murphy to find a statuette; finally proves to be one of the many incarnations of the Chameleon.
Franco Franco (Willie Walker) dealer stolen, including jade objects.
Eddie Ching (Sandy Jensen) notorious criminal of San Francisco, in possession of the statuette that Tex manages to steal.
Pug (Richard Haslam) mutant committed by Colonel Tex to monitor, killed at the end of the investigation by the Chameleon to frighten Tex.
The "Chameleon" (Russell Means): henchman Percival Lowell, capable of changing appearance; aggressor Tex Murphy and Colonel.
Melahn Tode (Shannon Engemann): strumpet, knowledge of Colonel Tex encounter in gaining access to the records of Colonel.
Alaynah Moore (Rebecca Clay): former employee of the GRS, the sister of a former girlfriend Tex.
Markus Tucker (Mark McArthur): Director of GRS, belonging to the apocalyptic sect.
Eva Schanzee (Mindy Lawson) secret agency named "Capricorn", having infiltrated the GRS agent.
Paul Dubois (Mark Hulka) geneticist who discovered the GRS goals Markus Tucker and apocalyptic sect murdered by the sect.
Ferrel Pus (David Madsen) senior member of the sect.
the bartender (Margot Kidder): keeper of a bar frequented evil space.
Percival Lowell (Michail Bailey): billionaire being reached at the case of Martian Memorandum, became leader of apocalyptic sect.
Gaming System
The game is controlled with the mouse and keyboard, and there are many shortcuts, but in summary:
in "move mode", the player forward, backward and turn by moving the mouse, the up and down arrows to raise and lower the head, R can run left and Shift-Ctrl can increase or decrease the view;
in "interactive mode", the player examines the environment (left-click on an object to get its description) uses its inventory, talk with people, and can open (or close), move, take, turn on (or off) what he sees;
the space bar or the center button of the mouse can move from one mode to another.
The dialogues are done by choosing an attitude (and not a specific sentence), often presented in an ambiguous manner, which often leads to comical conversations and sometimes dangerous situations.
A general map allows you to go quickly from one place to another; destinations available depend on the progress of the investigation.
The progress of the player is rewarded with points, which can be spent to access the indices included in the game help
The character's death, which occurs when too slow reflexes or manifest error, is the opportunity of a short ironic lesson taught by the ghost of Tex, the silhouetted in the moonlight.
Roman
Aaron Conners has written and published in April 1996 the novel Under a Killing Moon, translated into French Under a Blood Moon by Gregory Dannereau and published in Black River Editions, Virtual collection in October 1997.
The plot of the novel contains some great lines of the script of the game case, however, the detective takes place in a very different way from the video game: the characters have been added while others are absent, and more die in the novel.
The novel begins when the bird flies Tex statue at Eddie Ching. His interview with the Countess Renier, explaining the motivation of the flight, does not appear until later in the form of a flashback. Tex frequently eat at Brew & Stew, which also frequents Chelsea Bando. Tex learns that the Colonel (which we learn the real name: Roy O'Brien) has been missing for a week, then discovered after investigation he was murdered. Tex is temporarily prime suspect in the murder and undergoes custody where he met Rusty the Clown. The detective met quickly Alaynah Moore, Secretary of Percival Lowell, Tex discovers that the young woman is racist against mutants, which puts an end to the mutual feelings of the two characters. Tex met Paul Dubois, who is here an agent of Capricorn and not a member of the GRS, as well as two new Interpol agents. Tex Percival Lowell to meet half of the novel, and the building explodes Lowell Enterprises Tex just left: Percival Lowell and Alaynah Moore are considered dead, although Percival later reveals to be still alive. Tex Winter provides the chip by decoding a message from Colonel who tells him that the object is in the Consignment Rook Garner. Tex learns of the sect and the project of "purification" so very different from the game: Eddie Ching decides to work with him to destroy the Moon Child. The two allies make a stop on the Moon, where Eddie Ching is killed. Tex manages to be taken to the Moon Child hiding in a shuttle, then visit the Moon Child until it is unmasked. Tex then meets Percival Lowell who holds it very similar to the game discourse Percival is accompanied by Chameleon and his wife Eva (infiltrated Capricorn agent). When Percival restarts, Eva kills Chameleon recovers Winter chip in the watch Tex, and undertakes all operations to infect the central computer system. All this succeeded, Tex manages to escape the Moon Child, but Eva is and dies, as well as thousands of residents of the space station, due to a system failure oxygen regulation. Percival, who escaped, was arrested and imprisoned. Upon his return to Earth, Tex receives $ 10 000 for the death of the Chameleon, which allows him to pay his numerous debts. Chelsea once again pushes his advances, and the novel ends in an open meeting of the detective with a young brunette woman, probably a new flirt but perhaps also for a new investigation.