Score
Gameplay:	9
Graphics:	10
Sound:	8
FunFactor:	9
PlasmaFactor:	8
Overall:	8.8

EVIDENCE: The Last Ritual Review
May 14, 2007 by Whitney Booker

At first glance, I couldn’t even tell that the case for The Last Ritual was a game; I thought it was a collector item or something. The game creators really shoot to pull you into the world of this game, right down to the evidence case it comes in. That aside, the sequel to the first game, Missing, deserves far more than the first dismissive glance that I gave it. In The last Ritual you are trying to capture and stop a serial killer called The Phoenix. The Last Ritual is a game that The Phoenix himself made to give the authorities clues to his crimes and a chance to stop him from committing further crimes. This is a great detective-work adventure puzzle game with a well-written back story.

He's Just Toying With Us!

 

The gameplay is pretty solid. You use the mouse to grab, throw, click, and mix inside of The Phoenix’s game. Once you’ve done the necessary tasks to obtain your clues, you surf the web to find out how to decode them. If you’re a super nerd on esoteric knowledge, you might not need the internet, but do you know what esoteric means? No? Well, then I suggest you use the internet like everyone else. If you put the information from the clues you’re given into a search engine, you should be able to find the solution to the puzzle. It takes a bit of work to find the right result from a search engine, and there isn’t just one correct page to find the answer. The creators may or may not have a specific page in mind, but if you put in enough material from the clues you may find a few different ways for finding what you need to get the solution to the puzzle and then get further into the game. The solutions usually involve typing the answer in, arranging elements into a specific order, or matching your clues according to the solution. This game really requires you to pay close attention to everything that comes across the screen; you never know what may be a clue. Keep a notebook on hand like any good detective, because past answers may come into play in later puzzles.

The in-game help is well integrated and usually serves as a clue to help you figure out what you need to do in the puzzle. And did I mention the emails? Once you’ve started the game, do not be too quick to delete e-mails from people you don’t know. Further help comes in emails from others "working on the Phoenix case." You may even get a creepy little e-mail from The Phoenix himself. So keep close watch on your email, they give important clues if you’re stuck. And you get tools in the emails! And not just boring old hammer and wrench tools, detective tools like a magnifier and a descrambler!

What Can You Make Out, Detective?

 

The graphics look great. Most of the puzzle backgrounds are colorful graphics that sometimes take a moment to figure out what exactly they are. That is, if you ever do figure out what they are for sure. Some of the backgrounds are mundane plants or items at an odd angle, some of them are Phoenix victims at odd angles. So you may have the tendency to look at one of the background pictures and say, "Ooh, pretty," and then afterward realize that it’s something grotesque or morbid, at which point you have to change your response to, "Oh. Interesting."

In addition to the background graphics, the game also incorporates live-action video clips that are meant to be archival footage of the progress of the case, or video clips that The Phoenix provides you to give some insight to his motives or past activities. The acting in the video clips is really well done and believable. It’s got the documentary look to it that goes well with this game, and goes well with its aspirations to make you believe these events have taken place.

Wait, Did You Just Hear That?

 

The sound goes well with the atmosphere of the game and is pretty well done as far as quality is concerned. The soundtrack doesn’t overpower the game, but it does have a significant effect on the tone of the game. If you want to creep yourself out a bit, then click on the help icon, the background sound while the help text is up sounds like something from the bowels of Hell or Purgatory. (Maybe not the bowels so much, the midsection perhaps.) The sound effects for different movements and actions are excellent and well constructed. There are a few pops in the track, but nothing that is too distracting. It isn’t a soundtrack that makes you go out to purchase the score but it fits seamlessly into the game.

Surf With Purpose!

 

You know all that time you spend aimlessly surfing the net? How you feel that you’ve accomplished nothing and just wasted four hours doing nothing when you have other, important things that you should be doing? Well, here in this game is the answer to your feelings of unaccomplished, aimless wandering! The Last Ritual puts those aimless web search skills to use, making you feel so much smarter and accomplished afterward. You’ll think that you really could be a detective after you’ve finished researching and solving some of the more difficult of these puzzles. Of course this won’t help you with getting the other important stuff done, but at least you feel more productive after surfing the web to decode clues. You might even run across something that helps with the other important stuff while you’re researching, so don’t feel so guilty.

Holy Utility Belt, Batman!

 

That’s right, detective tools! Just like Batman! Well, not just like Batman, you don’t get a bat-a-rang or a grappling hook or anything….But you get other cool stuff! As you get further in the game, you have tools added to your menu to help. This is where those emails come in, so make sure you don’t delete the "new tools!" one, you’ll regret not having them, they come in handy while you’re playing. You’ll get a magnifier that lets you zoom in and adjust the saturation and brightness to make out obscure, tiny objects. And you get a text decoder! Like for deciphering! Did Batman have a text decoder? I don’t think so. Take that, Flying-Furry-Rodent-Man!

 

Case Closed

 

This is a game that is definitely worth owning. The graphics are great, the sound goes well with the tone of the game and the puzzles are really creative. You feel smarter and more knowledgeable on esoteric knowledge once you’ve played, and you might even figure out what esoteric means. Now how many games can you say that about?