And this scene... wait, I already mentioned that
So I got the game working and played through it from start to finish. The story is that due to the incident involving time travel has caused the alien federation to persuade Earth to shut down their time travel program since the risk are to great. This at the same time as the rouge Agent 3 that almost succeeded in selling their secret to another alien race and almost framing Agent 5, Gage Blackwood, for the crime is still out in the time stream infected by the AI Arthur. Meanwhile the alien federation is attacked by the Quell Thalas (or however they are spelled) that are headed for earth to search for three alien artefacts that was left by some ancient highly advanced aliens. So your goal is to get the artefacts to avoid repeating the past when the aliens clashed over earths greatest civilisations (Atlantis, El Dorado and Shangri-La) wiping them out of existence.
El Dorado... funny, I don't remember that scene either
The game plays as you as Agent 5 travels to these civilisations one day before their destruction to search the three different temples for the artefacts. With the chameleon jump suit you copy the appearance of the different inhabitants and there interact with them. Apparently giving it more dialogue compared to the earlier games and more focus on listening in for clues. To your help you have Arthur, the AI that sent Agent 3 through the time stream and started the path of the game. Always helpful and commenting on your surrounding gives a more lively experience. Also, you could ask him for help with the puzzles, but I've always went through all options since I liked hearing him talk, even though he gave obvious clues. Really, most of the actors are rather good with the great star being Graham Jarvis reprising his role as Dr. Eliot Sinclair, the father of Time travel and villain of the first game. Rather expanded back story as the lone survivor of Atlantis that due to the artefact had prolonged life into the 24th century, explaining his hatred for the aliens as they destroyed his home.
In the 20th century Dr. Sinclair was a rather famous actor appearing in shows like 7th Heaven
Most gameplay is solving puzzles, either with items, choosing the right disguise or logical thinking. Sadly if felt a bit lacking as it was rather easy, which probably was due to me play through this game a couple of times as a kid, but still. As expected you sometimes need items from other time periods to progress, but El Dorado and Atlantis just need one item to finish them and they feel rather short. The big one is Shangri-La were you need more items than ever in the largest puzzle quest. There you need to solve the 6 paths of the Buddha to reach the heavens and obtain the artefact. You must show humanity, pass through the fires of hell and so on. I think they might have wanted more since if I know my Buddhism there are 8 paths on the wheel of life before reaching Nirvana (I have now studied up on Buddhism for a possible DnD campaign and what do you know, there is just 6 realms to traverse into enlightenment, guess they thought me more than I suspected). It's also the one I had the most trouble with as a kid. First finding the black Buddha since it was in the steam tunnel maze combining two things I hated, mazes and scary underground areas with scary music. Then it was the damn music puzzle. Easy to find the solution as it is in plain sight, but the damn pattern are hard to decipher and the damn 5 isn't a 5. I don't know how often I played the same note over and over again, went back and read the pattern again and did it over again. Real satisfaction finishing it. And what is the reward for doing all this? A final puzzle that goes the 7th Guest route, turning three pyramids to create a light pattern.
I hate this puzzle
Playing through it again I still love it and find it really satisfying finishing it, but it feels short for a 4 disc game, and there really isn't that much in the different areas, except Shangri-La. Maybe that is the problem with FMV games that you have 4-7 disc and really, there isn't that much ganeplay. Thankfully the most game I've played from the FMV area are rather good in the story department and it some decent actors and this game really excel in that department. Even if it begins in media res from the second game it works fine without playing those (it worked for me) and I really like stories of the lost civilisations and such and the mythology they build up are amazing and at the same time feels mysterious and educational (even if most are fictitious some are based on real world like the Minoans, the true story of the gilded man and Genghis Khan). Also the characters feel alive, and some you feel sad for as you know they will die the next day, the warriors of El Dorado who believe they will stand a chance against the space ships, the peaceful monks of Shangri-La. The Atlanteans are a bit more ambiguous since they are a bit more militaristic and hostile against their neighbours. Sadly the only one (beside Sinclair) that survives the destruction is Genghis Khan and we now what a nice guy he was. In hindsight the saddest story is that of the potter and olive oil vendor siblings since you basically fool the potter in disguise of his sister to leave the oven causing the pots to crack since no one is taking care of that. The potter believe his sister slipped up and she don't know what he talks about meaning the last thing they will discuss before they die is arguing about something you caused. Don't you feel bad now? I say play it, it's a great game.
The whole gang, and most are killed by the beginning of the game
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