POLLEN

In the genre of “humanity Unearth alien nonsense and now we all end” did not happen anything significant, it seems, since the first Dead Space. And Pollen (the name is not very accurate , but so be it for the sake of simplicity) came in very handy.

Nice adventure game from the first person from the first frame makes a serious bid for victory: you are sent on a scientific station on Titan, Saturn’s moon, because your predecessor had disappeared. Upon arrival, you will hear talks anxious colleagues, and then things get really bad.

A central element, however, seen in several sci-fi titles, is the need to deal with real time paradoxes in the pursuit of adventure. In fact, the detail is already part of the plot, and therefore the component of P · O · L · L · E · N that, because of its centrality,

I would not even spoil it in part. It should be mentioned, however, that the protagonist will have to move between different versions of Station M, following the different destiny of the various characters, their attempts to analyze, or simply, the personal characterization of one and the other.

After a short walk on the “fresh” air, we find ourselves in an abandoned base. Through some of the obstacles to get just can not: have to look for the mysterious substance, the one that caused the alleged death of the other scholars.

Objects, stained by this substance, can move you … um … in a parallel reality? in the past? to the future? In general, you will find yourself in the same place, but the base is different.

Yes, the missing person was here. And your task – to carefully making his way through obstacles, collect (in two worlds!) Audio diaries and restore the picture of the events. By the way, despite the presence of high-grade puzzles, Pollen still not of Myst, and Gone Home.

Records – not the only thing that works in the atmosphere: the compartments small station is really interesting to wander, looking at the furnishings and personal belongings of the people who lived here.

But in contrast to the same final Gone Home is not to get all the points above i, does not offer answers to many questions, and especially do not grant such a great feeling of completeness. Spending 3-4 hours to collect key items and the decision is not the most difficult (if not always obvious) mysteries, supposedly separates you from the junction of science fiction, for dessert you will get some kind of acid trip, clearly inspired by the work of Kubrick’s understandable how .

Of course, in the understatement may be a charm, but not in the case when the authors first show very specific things that get up unusual for the real world tricks, then just take and put meaningful dots. Like, well, you know. Depth. Think. Transcendent. Catharsis. And just ten minutes.

Completely negates all the work of the player ending – half woes. Generally, Pollen in the spirit of a cute retro-futurism. Well, as usual: Kennedy survived the US and the USSR together to conquer the cosmos, and in general in the court of the 90th years of XX century. No personal computers, so all you need to listen to the voice diaries, standing at the tape (with such devices are not allowed to take), because of which get acquainted with them, to be honest, do not want to.

Yes, a small base, but run with each new discovery to the cassette bored even in the first half. A osilivat all together at once a dozen tapes – frankly boring. Pollen still have prohibitive for such a small game requirements, backed up sagging frame rate, though parts of the picture it is clearly inferior comely ADR1FT.