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A A **** * NEWS * **** A A * PHANTASMAGORIA 2 WILL -NOT- RUN ON ANY PC EQUIPPED WITH ONLY 8Mb RAM. Despite what Sierra might say, this game needs 12Mb as an absolute minimum for both the Win95 and DOS installation options. On a brighter note, a 486dx2-66 PC rather than a 486dx4-100 is sufficient to play the game at a reasonable speed (perhaps 10 frames per second and more) under DOS. * Due to a current lack of consumer interest, plans to produce a version of Phantasmagoria 2 for the Macintosh have been shelved. Sierra has stated that porting their SCI coded games from PC to the Macintosh takes a considerable amount of time and effort that is simply not worth their while if they believe such a move will not be profitable. B B ******* * WELCOME * ******* B B Phantasmagoria 2 has been released and is currently available in stores and via mail order worldwide! Requirements for the Windows 95 version include at least a 486dx4-100 CPU, 12Mb RAM and 4x cd-rom drive. The "DOS version" (included as an installation option in the newer copies of this game or created using a downloadable patch file) will run on a 486dx2-66, 12Mb RAM, and a 2x cd-rom drive. Phantasmagoria 2 comes on five cd-rom disks but promises somewhat more gameplay than its seven cd predecessor (around twenty hours). There is one cd per chapter and you are allowed a total of twenty saved games that may be saved at almost every point and overwritten if you desire. Overall difficulty is somewhat greater than the original Phantasmagoria but experienced gamers may still find it too easy for their liking. Everyone should note that the overall production values have improved and the game is quite entertaining and memorable. A permanently censored version that blocks access to all three of the sex scenes (but no violent scenes) and automatically replaces them with "less intense" versions has been produced for the benefit of conservative retailers and censorship authorities. You can notice this fact by reading the RSAC (Recreational Software Advisory Council) rating for nudity/sex on the front cover of the game box. If it says "3", then that is the censored version. The uncensored version has a rating of "4" for this form of content. All censorable scenes in Phantasmagoria 2 are depicted and fully explained on: https://anthonylarme.tripod.com/phantas/p2censor.html Australian residents who want to play this game but are unwilling to order it from overseas should be aware that, after three long months of needless bureaucratic "red tape", the permanently censored version of Phantasmagoria 2 has been passed by the government Office of Film and Literature Classification (censors/OFLC) with an MA15+ rating and is available on local game store shelves now. There is no way the uncensored version would have been passed (all forms of sex and nudity are banned in games sold in Australia), so this is undoubtedly a somewhat better situation than occurred with the original Phantasmagoria that was only released in one version which was banned altogether. The OFLC and Phantasmagoria 2 distributor Metro Games call the passing of this game a "landmark case" that will set the upper limit for permitted computer games in Australia for some time to come. I however consider this disgraceful because to ban all non-violent, non-explicit, non-exploitative, merely simulated depictions of sexual activity from computer games - when such depictions may be readily accessed with little or no controversy by minors and adults alike in all other forms of media - shows the complete and utter contempt in which computer gamers are held by the ignorant and stubborn powers that be in Australia. This also makes an utter mockery of the Government's wish to ban most depictions of *violence* in the entertainment media. Their real agenda is surely to impose a regime of authoritarian, undemocratic censorship on whatever media they feel they can oppress with minimal public backlash. All the more reason for Australian gamers to protest! Please consult the Censorship Issues section of my Review of Phantasmagoria Memorial Web Subsite at: https://anthonylarme.tripod.com/phantas/phci.html for further details. Now...back to the game itself... * For hints and testimonials, please consult: Usenet newsgroups such as: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure C C ************ * INTRODUCTION * ************ C C This informational HTML page was compiled by Anthony Larme - larme@hotmail.com and https://anthonylarme.tripod.com/phantas/ - for the purpose of explaining Sierra's adventure game "Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh", released in late (22-25?) November 1996 on 5 cd-rom disks. Phantasmagoria 2 is an original contribution to the horror genre of computer gaming, containing none of the actors (with the exception of V. Joy "Harriet" Lee), characters, or plot elements present in its popular though controversial predecessor - Roberta Williams' "Phantasmagoria" - that was released on 24 August 1995 and has sold well over one million copies worldwide in the past couple of years. Even the designer is a different person - Lorelei Shannon of "King's Quest 7" and "Phantasmagoria: Official Sierra Insiders' Guide" fame. Previews are presented below in reverse chronological order of their original date of publication. All sources are referenced as comprehensively as possible. The opinions of these sources are not necessarily identical to my own and are presented "as is". In fact, I take issue with many of the criticisms they occasionally level against Phantasmagoria 1. Please buy the appropriate magazine and/or visit the appropriate Website for pictures and further information. All filming for the four and a half hours of full motion video included in the game was done in and around the Seattle area (Washington State - USA) rather than at the Californian studio where the first Phantasmagoria game was shot. That studio is now in the hands of a group of ex-Sierra employees: American Interactive Pictures - http://www.aipictures.com/ Full motion video production is very costly - even for an entertainment software company as large as Sierra. Costs had to be cut somewhere, thus video production was transferred closer to the company's corporate headquarters and cheaper local talent and technicians were hired. In fact, Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of Flesh is probably the last full motion video game to be released by Sierra for some time. But all this does not mean that the environment, acting, sound, and visual effects of Phantasmagoria 2 are in any way inferior to those of its predecessor - quite the opposite in fact. Sierra has learned a lot from the mistakes made in the original Phantasmagoria and has put much time and effort into improving the technologies it uses in its leading games. Phantasmagoria 2 was shot with Digital Betacam and uses Duck TrueMotion video compression technology similar to that used in Activision's secret agent adventure game "SpyCraft". All movies use 16-bit colour (under Windows 95) and run at an amazing 15 frames per second (on a powerful Pentium). The only real drawback is that they are *interlaced*! Audio is almost cd quality - 16 bit mono with a 22KHz sampling rate. Overall, Phantasmagoria 2 (P2) looks like a promising title that addresses most of the criticisms (fair and unfair) that were directed at its predecessor - providing a decent amount of gameplay while pushing Full Motion Video (FMV) technology to its limits. But don't just take my word for it, please read what is presented below and take steps to find out more for yourself.... D D ***************** * BASIC INFORMATION * ***************** D D * Executive Producer - Ken Williams * Producer - Matthew Thornton, Tammy Dargan * Director - Andy Hoyos [ Note by Anthony Larme: In the first Phantasmagoria game, Andy Hoyos held these important positions: - Co-Story Creator - Art Director - Co-Game Director - 3-D Environment Designer ] * Designer/Writer - Lorelei Shannon * Composer - Gary Spinrad * Editor - Wes Plate * Make-up/SFX - Robert Standlee - Lead character "Curtis Craig" is played by Paul Morgan Stetler, a veteran of many local Seattle productions. Phantasmagoria 2 is his first cd-rom project. * Minimum System Requirements for Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh for Windows 95 - OS - Windows 95 CPU - IBM 486dx4-100+ PC, compatibles. (Pentium 75+ recommended) RAM - 12Mb. CD-ROM - Quad speed. (a 2x cd-rom drive may suffice) Hard Disk Space - 10Mb (bare minimum installation) Display - SVGA 640x480 at 256 colours. Optional DirectX v.3 driver installation available. Phantasmagoria 2 runs best in 16-bit colour mode. Sound Card - Windows compatible sound card with DAC. Additional - Mouse and keyboard. * I once tested Phantasmagoria 2 under Win95 on a 486dx2-66 PC with 20Mb RAM, Quad speed cd-rom, and with DirectX v.5 enabled. It ran without crashing, but the audio frequently repeated itself and frame rates were in the order of only 5fps. Most computer gamers would find such slow speeds intolerable. Under DOS however, the frame rate increased to around 10-15fps and the sound did not repeat itself, but the movies used only 8-bit rather than 16-bit colour. Ignore the minimum CPU requirement at your own risk. * Phantasmagoria 2 does not use MIDI music. The computer games industry trend is to abandon MIDI anyway in favour of DAC due to the need for increased music flexibility and creativity. Besides, most people still do not (and probably never will) possess a sound card equipped with wavetable synthesis that is needed for MIDI to sound the way the composers intended. * RE: DOS VERSION OF PHANTASMAGORIA 2 - The minimum system requirements differ from the Win95 version. In my experience, a 486dx2-66 computer with at least a double spin cd-rom drive and 12Mb RAM will do. Under DOS, it runs only in 256 colour mode and its saved games are incompatible with its Win95 counterpart. The "DOS version" comes as both a one megabyte downloadable patch file to the Win95 only version and as a separate installation option in some newer copies of this game. The first release of Phantasmagoria 2 did not include a DOS installation option. * Versions of Phantasmagoria 2 in French and German (using local voice actors who dub the lines of the original actors) have been released. * Publisher Prima Development has released a strategy guide for this game at a price of US$19.99. Look for it in the stores now. At this point, it looks as if Phantasmagoria 2 will only have one strategy guide written for it - unlike its predecessor which has two. Be warned that, unlike the Phantasmagoria 1 strategy guides that you can read about on: https://anthonylarme.tripod.com/phantas/phsg.html the Phantasmagoria 2 strategy guide contains very little in the way of behind the scenes information. It is mainly just a huge illustrated walkthrough. People who would like to know what went on behind the scenes should visit: https://anthonylarme.tripod.com/phantas/phantas2.html E E ********** * DISCLAIMER * ********** E E **** DISCLAIMER BY SIERRA RE: PORTRAYAL OF MENTAL ILLNESS IN PHANTASMAGORIA 2: A PUZZLE OF FLESH [ From: Sierra ] Since the announcement of Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh, Sierra has received a number of letters from people who are alarmed that the game might present a stereotyped portrayal of mental illness, professional therapists, and psychiatric treatment facilities, thereby making light of the situation endured by the mentally ill and casting aspersions upon our country's mental health facilities. This fear has apparently been based on our advertisements for the game, since we have not yet released a demo or beta version of A Puzzle of Flesh. However, as tempting as it might be to give the letter-writers a ration of flak for complaining about something they haven't actually seen, their concern is a valid one, since the mentally ill have been very unfairly portrayed for many years in movies, television, and literature. And since we are particularly proud of this game's psychological horror aspect, we would like to address these concerns openly. The fear of insanity is one of mankind's most intimate and personal terrors. Even the loss of a limb, blindness, or deafness can not possibly compare to the tragedy of losing that part of you which defines your reason, mind, or personality. And there are few horrors greater than the possibility that it might be happening to you. This is why so many heroes of literature and film have questioned their own sanity... because it is a fear that lies within us all. This game is not about the asylum that Curtis was released from a year ago, and it's not about the abuse that he suffered at the hands of the callous and morally corrupt staff of that asylum. The problem of doctors and orderlies who take advantage of mental patients is nothing new to film (an example that springs to mind is Terminator 2), but that's not the subject of this game. Instead, A Puzzle of Flesh is about the terrible things that happen a year after Curtis's release... in the ordinary world of office cubicles, restaurants, apartment buildings, and nightclubs... and about Curtis's fear and the hideous feeling that he might be losing his hard-won sanity. And there is no more appropriate subject for a horror story than that. Lorelei Shannon, the author of Phantasmagoria 2, wanted us to post this open letter to everyone who may have concerns about the upcoming game: * An Open Letter from Lorelei Shannon * I understand that certain mental health organizations feel that A Puzzle of Flesh is in some way making light of mental illness. This is in no way the case. The character of Curtis is a well-rounded human being; one aspect of his character has to do with his illness. He is not "crazy"; mental illness does not define him. There is mental illness in my own family. It has affected people whom I love. I would never mock such a thing. People have also commented that our portrayal of therapy is overly simplistic. This is true. Games, like movies and television, are a time-compressed art form. We simply didn't have the time or space to do the profession justice. However, I think that what we have is pretty damn good. Finally, the mental hospital in the game is a corrupt, privately-run facility, and in no way reflects actual, state-of-the-art mental health care. It is a fictional "nightmare" place. (This is, after all, a horror game!) I think anyone who actually plays this game from start to finish will realise that the portrayal of mental illness in the story is much more complete and sensitive than they will find in most other horror stories. Rather than using a "crazed psycho" character, like so many other genre stories do, we have attempted to explore the characters as human beings. I would strongly suggest that anyone with concerns about our portrayal of mental illness should reserve judgment until the game is released and he or she can play it and see the complete picture. Sincerely, Lorelei Shannon, Designer. F F *************** * SAMPLE REVIEWS * *************** F F [Some of these links may no longer be valid. New reviews of Phantasmagoria 2 appear on the Internet and in computer games magazines on a regular basis. Be sure to watch out for them. Also, search for new reviews using popular Web search engines.] 1) http://www.gameslice.com/review/phantas.html If you want examples of the user interface and a short movie clip of a scene from the game, then this is the place to go. 2) http://www3.sympatico.ca/philip.jong/phantasmagoriaii.htm Here you will find a helpful analysis of almost every aspect of Phantasmagoria 2. 3) http://www.gamespot.com/adventure/phant2/ The most unfavourable review of P2 written so far - 3/10 ! 4) http://www.gamesmania.com/english/reviews/new/ph2/ph2.htm A relatively favourable review. Fairly critical of P1. 5) http://www.ogr.com/reviews/phantasmagoria2.shtml A mediocre review. 6) http://www.gamesdomain.co.uk/gdreview/zones/reviews/pc/dec96/ph2.html Another favourable review - contains a few screenshots. G G ********** * PREVIEWS * ********** G G [1] Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh * Horror from Sierra's "Interaction" Holiday Issue 1996 Author Unknown TERROR WHERE YOU LEAST EXPECT IT. BLOOD IN THE FLUORESCENT-LIT HALLS OF A MAJOR CORPORATION. INTENSE PLEASURE FROM PAIN. NOTHING IS WHAT IT SEEMS... CONTROVERSY WAS WAITING for Phantasmagoria when it hit the market in 1995. A horror game specifically designed to appeal to the mass market of adult PC gamers, Phantasmagoria featured violence and adult themes that shook to its core the established modern horror genre. While hardly extreme when compared with the standards of modern films, it broke the rules of what had been "acceptable" in the polite society of computer games. It also challenged head-on the stereotype that computer games were strictly kid stuff. IN AN UNPRECEDENTED move, Phantas was the first major game ever to receive the "Mature Audiences Only" from the Software Ratings Board, instantly giving it notoriety. As gamers delved into the game they came across the graphic horror scenes and sexual violence, thus calling for an immediate boycott by parents' groups and religious organizations. Major retailers refused to carry the game and it was even banned by the governments of three countries. OUTSIDE THE CORE computer gaming press--which reviewed the product positively, using words like "groundbreaking" and "intense"--there were less tolerant major newspapers that claimed Phantasmagoria wallowed in gratuitous blood and gore. One even suggested that Phantas "makes a game of sexual violence." PHANTASMAGORIA WAS EVEN spotlighted in Senate hearings calling for further regulation of content in the computer software industry. Letters from community actions committees and special interest groups rolled into our offices in droves. WITH ALL THE condemnation and accusations, bans and boycotts, outrage and controversy, Phantasmagoria quickly set industry sales records and became Sierra's biggest selling game to date. THE SERIES CONTINUES with the recent release of Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh. While Phantasmagoria established the standard for computer horror games, Phantas 2 explores new venues as it deals with fragile minds, corrupt corporate politics, and the mysteries beyond the realm of consciousness. Sure to generate as much more controversy, Phantasmagoria 2 is just as compelling and engrossing as the original. Count on it to be the biggest selling horror game of 1997. AN INNOCENT BOY... A SCARRED CHILDHOOD, AN UNSPEAKABLE HOSPITAL STAY AND A SECOND CHANCE. JUST WHEN HE MIGHT MAKE IT, THINGS BEGIN TO UNRAVEL FOR CURTIS. WHEN THE NIGHTMARES BECOME REALITY, THE PAIN GREATER THAN THE PLEASURE, CURTIS MUST SEEK THE TRUTH OR DIE TRYING. From the opening electroshock treatment, to the dark and psychologically twisted end-play, Phantas II is a horrifying and gripping tale. Unlike other horror experiences, which take place in haunted houses or unrealistic nightmare dreamscapes, this story plays out in modern office cubicles, seedy singles bars and the cramped apartments that provide the backdrop for modern urban life. The disturbing experience is made all the more real through extensive use of Hollywood quality cinematic production and special effects. HEEDING THE CALL OF SOME UNNAMED SOURCE, CURTIS SEEKS THE THRESHOLD, HOPING TO FIND PEACE. WHAT GRUESOME HORROR HIDES THE TRUTH? PHANTASMAGORIA 2: A PUZZLE OF FLESH. WARNING: Due to some high scenes of intense violence and sexual content, Phantasmagoria 2 is intended for Adults. Sierra encourages parents to take a look at the game before providing it to children under the age of 17. Though players are offered two modes of play -- MORE INTENSE and LESS INTENSE -- those options are intended to meet the needs with those with weak stomachs so that they can enjoy the depth of the story without all of the blood and gore. The LESS INTENSE option allows you to control access to more explicit scenes. $54.95 Available Winter WIN95 CD Order Direct: 1-800-757-7077 ********** [2] Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of Flesh by Eric Twelker of Midnight Publishing's "G+" 02.16.03.01 Website: ftp://ftp.midnight.com.au/pub/ The horror continues... Meet Curtis Craig. Curtis is a quiet young man with a steady job and a lovely girlfriend. Reforming his life after an unpleasant visit to a mental hospital, Curtis's only wish is to live a normal, healthy, and happy life. But someone or something seems to have other plans. Strange events, inexplicable and terrifying, begin to happen around him. Photographs bleed. Rats speak. His computer develops a viscous mind of its own. Then the Hecatomb, a horrible, inhuman entity, appears to Curtis and unveils unbearable childhood memories long suppressed. When friends and co-workers begin to mysteriously and violently perish, Curtis begins to doubt his own sanity and the very fabric of reality. As the second instalment in Sierra's horror anthology, A Puzzle of Flesh, offers a completely original story of psychological horror, madness, murder, and the blackest depths of the human soul. Filmed nearly entirely on sets and location with a cast of over 30 professional actors, and utilising a brilliant original game interface, A Puzzle of Flesh brings the most immersive and interactive experience ever to player's computer screens. Over 30 hours of challenging, thought-provoking and truly terrifying gameplay will entice players through the twisted story. Like the first title in the anthology, A Puzzle of Flesh offers a rating toggle switch for enhanced password protection. Featuring a new editing system that replaces mature scenes with re-edited censored versions, A Puzzle of Flesh will appeal to fans of classic, graphic horror films and books as well as the more thrill-loving, yet "squeamish" game player. ********** [3] Excerpts from Sierra's "Interaction" Autumn 1996 by Lorelei Shannon * You'll uncover things too horrible to believe. Things that strain the imagination and stretch the fabric of reality. * I want to dive into the deepest, coldest, blackest part of the human psyche, and drag you down with me. * If this game gives you nightmares, don't come wining to me! You've been officially warned. * Am I suggesting that you just might be playing a psychotic murderer in this game? Damn straight! So, I can't wait for you to play. I've spent nearly two years in the darkened world of "A Puzzle of Flesh", and now I'm anxious to let the beast out of the cage. It's been chewing on my mind all of this time, and now it would really like a juicy bite of yours. Do you dare? Well...do you? ********** [4] Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of the Flesh (Sierra) by Doug Radcliffe of Online Gaming Review Website: http://www.ogr.com/ The original Phantasmagoria was one of the most hyped adventure games of all time. Players anticipated a huge adventure with a gripping horror storyline which pushed the envelope in terms of sex and violence in a mainstream PC game. However, upon release, the 7-CD gargantuan wasn't quite as long as players hoped, nor was it all that difficult. Plus, despite being banned in numerous countries and not sold by some software outlets, Phantasmagoria really wasn't that horrific. Phantasmagoria was probably a victim of its own overflowing hype. Adventurers complained about everything imaginable, from the weak "single-mouse click" interface to the fact that everyone wore the same clothes for the entire " week-long" game. Perhaps if it was released without so much fanfare, players wouldn't have scrutinised it so much. Sierra hopes to change players minds about the name Phantasmagoria with the release of Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh. First of all, Phantasmagoria 2 isn't a continuation of the first game's storyline. We won't see Adrienne again, and no, Don hasn't risen from the dead. This "sequel" is a whole new game, with all new characters and a new story. You play Curtis Craig. A young man just one year out of a mental hospital. He has a normal job and a great girlfriend, Jocilyn. Just as his life has begun to be normal again, strange things start happening. He begins hallucinating. Or is he? Photographs are bleeding and rats are speaking, Curtis is plagued by nightmares which are becoming waking realities. He beings to investigate his past and his childhood. That is when things really begin to get weird. He sinks further into the dark, bottomless pit. It's the very low when he meets Therese, a co-worker who draws him into an underground world of sex and pain. Oh and, that is when the murders begin. Gone is the computer-rendered environments, Phantasmagoria 2 uses real sets and real actors (hopefully good actors). Phantasmagoria 2 will be all-video. I know what you are thinking, here comes the latest attempt at an interactive movie. But, designers are promising a ton of gameplay to go along with the hours and hours of video. Whereas most gamers whizzed through the original Phantasmagoria in about 8 to 10 hours, designers are estimating around 25 hours to finish the sequel which should please most adventure fans. As most adventure games, Phantasmagoria 2 will boast some of the usual tools of the trade. The game will be filled with puzzles and the player will carry the usual fare of inventory objects to use in solving them. Designers promise more complex and more difficult puzzles than the original game. The player will also engage in conversation with many of the bizarre characters in the Phantasmagoria 2 world. Like Gabriel Knight 2, all the conversations will be recorded in case you need to refresh your memory. Lorelei Shannon, writer of Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of the Flesh, says the sequel will be "scarier, creeper, and bloodier than its forebear." With a truly unusual storyline and the promise of better, harder, and longer gameplay, Phantasmagoria 2 might do what the original couldn't: Be a hit with all adventure fans. Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of the Flesh will ship on 5-CDs and should hit store shelves around November. ********** [5] Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh by Chris Hudak of GameSpot Website: http://www.gamespot.com/previews/phantas2/ A Puzzle of Flesh will be Sierra's attempt to follow-up and surpass its first (and, some contend, rather wobbly) crack at the interactive-movie, horror-game experience. The original Phantasmagoria (written by the ubiquitous Roberta Williams) was arguably a nervy step for the normally reserved Sierra: a big, hyped, honkin' 7-CD interactive horror adventure filled with very attractive environments, big-budget production, full-motion video, suggestive themes, startling forays into violence, and some of the most god-awful acting this side of the porno industry. Hailed as stunning, and chilling by some of the more Milquetoast computer-related pubs, Phantasmagoria left the serious gaming public feeling more lukewarm than chilled as such; the game careened from not-particularly-engaging rounds of point/click activity to flat-out gore, the end payoff just didn't justify the CD Harlem Shuffle one had to endure, and the horrific elements were fairly pedestrian. A Puzzle of Flesh seems aimed at changing a lot of that. Designed by Sierra's Lorelei Shannon (whose office door plaque claims that every day is Halloween) and comparable to the original in terms of interface, this second episode of the Phantasmagoria universe plows closer to the heart of horror in the oh-so-sophisticated '90s - the unravelling of one's personal reality. Curtis Craig, our game protagonist, is a quiet guy: reliable, steady job, girlfriend, the whole nine yards. Looking at him, you never think him only a year out of the nut hatch. All Curtis wants is to live a normal, happy life - but some thing seems to have other plans for him. His reality starts to get squishy at the edges. Photographs bleed. Rats speak. His computer develops a vicious mind of its own (perhaps it's running Windows). Then the Hecatomb, an inhuman entity, appears to Curtis, speaking of his warped childhood, his worst fears, his most unbearable memories. Curtis begins to fumble for reality as if it were a bar of soap in the shower; very soon, the water turns red as peers and friends begin having very nasty and terminal accidents. If it can be supposed - and it has been - that Roberta Williams has read too many horror works of the conventional sort, then Lorelei Shannon may have recently been on a steady diet of Clive Barker. One of the hooks of A Puzzle of Flesh is not so much its gameplay but its psychological maturity. As the player begins to explore the darkened lower levels of Curtis's shadowy company, WynTech, the lines between just what the player must confront begin to seriously blur. The bowels of the company building become the black corridors of the protagonist's mind, and he discovers a rip into another world - a secret buried in his own heart. Will these lofty themes translate into especially clever and intuition-driven gameplay? We don't know yet. But by all indications, Sierra is gearing up to get very serious indeed with its high-profile horror title. ********** [6] Phantasmagoria Returns Drenched in Sex, Blood and Murder by Cindy Yans Phantasmagoria - The mere word strikes terror in the hearts of adventure gamers everywhere. Either you were actually terrorised by the original version and spent more than a day or so playing in a dark room, or you are horrified at the thought of having to spend big bucks for yet another misconceived pile of wishy-wash. The wait, however, is almost over - Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of Flesh is on the scene, and we'll see where the bloodbath lies. - An outpatient's garden of delights So long, asylum, he's out - one year and counting. He's traded in that straitjacket for a straight jacket, or at the very least a spiffy tee shirt. After a long history of trauma, Curtis Craig (played by Paul Stetler) is ready to face the world again - whole and hardy - until the inexplicable starts happening. Talking rats, bleeding photos - these are not the products of a rational mind. A computer with a vicious mind of its own (well, that's a lot more feasible, especially if you're running OS2). But Curtis is cracking, that's for sure. The delicate mind that had found its rightful place goes haywire once again..... *** Find out *much* more at: http://www.cdmag.com/ - Phantasmagoria 2 Preview. Preview includes backstage insights from Sierra's Cindy Vanous. ********** [7] Excerpt from: "Sex and Violence '96: More, But Is It Better?" by Keith Ferrel in PC Games August 1996 pp. 42-45 Website: http://www.pcgamesmag.com/ Sometimes, it's what happens to characters that's the point. Sierra hopes to lure players of last year's Phantasmagoria, one of the first games to really up the ante in terms of sex and violence, to the even sexier and more violent Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh. "This one has more in every way," says senior product manager Dale Christensen. "We've taken the 'yuck' factor through the top." That means gore, gore, and more gore in the new horror game. There's also plenty of sex, particularly of the S&M variety. Christensen is upfront about the goals for the second Phantasmagoria. "This is the most graphic non-porn game yet," he says. The more graphic, perhaps, for the fact that it's an all-video production, storyboarded like a movie and shot like a movie. There's every reason to believe that the increased explicitness will result in bigger sales. "In the first Phantasmagoria, the sex and violence helped create the controversy, and controversy is good for business," Christensen believes. "But if you took all the sex and violence out of it, it would still be the same game." That's not true in A Puzzle of Flesh. The story itself - a dark, psychic horror tale - is drenched in violent overtones. The lure, and the danger, of losing control, propel players into the story. How they handle that dark attraction determines the flow of the plot, and may well tell players something about themselves. As with the best horror stories, A Puzzle of Flesh points out that the darkest terrors are those that dwell within all of us. Of course, Christensen doesn't deny the marketing potential offered by our very human fascination with matters of dark sexuality. "It's a great way to sell things," he says. ********** [8] "Phantasmagoria 2: Sierra" PC Gamer August 1996 pp. 63-64 Website: http://www.pcgamer.com/ - In a Nutshell :- Tons of blood, sex and violence in the sequel to the original Phantasmagoria. Same full-motion video technology, new actors and story. - The Creators Speak :- "Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh offers a completely original story of psychological horror, madness, murder, and the blackest depths of the human soul," says Sierra's Rebecca Buxton. A line on the back of the box says it all: "You'll be wallowing in death like a pig in puke." - Potential :- The horror genre of computer gaming hasn't been fully explored before. With Sierra's graphically superior game engine that incorporates FMV into an interactive game adventure, you know they're going to do a good job scaring the heck out of many players. - Pitfalls :- Not everyone is going to be inclined to play a game that features so much blood and violence. There's a good chance that some retail software stores won't carry the title because of its content. - The Verdict :- Phantasmagoria 2 will have some great video and a lot of gruesome scenes. For fans of horror, you can bet it'll be a winner. However, keep the kids away if you want them to ever sleep again. - Yes, It's True :- Monique Parent, one of the stars of Phantas 2, will be featured on Playboy's "Rising Stars" program this summer. ********** [9] "Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of Flesh" by Steve Klett PC Games July 1996 Website: http://www.pcgamesmag.com/ Whether you liked Phantasmagoria or hated it--there seemed to be little middle ground--you'd have to agree that Sierra's horror adventure game broke new ground when it debuted last summer. Not only did it fill a staggering seven CD-ROMs, but it featured stunning computer-generated backgrounds with some of the smoothest video-based characters ever seen in a computer game. In addition, its classic gothic storyline was far more sophisticated than that of your average adventure game. While few could complain about the game's technical merits (except that the main character wore the same clothes throughout the game's week long time period), gameplay was surprisingly short and easy, and not scary enough. Sierra is hoping to fix these problems with the second title in the Phantasmagoria series, A Puzzle of Flesh. PC Games hopped a puddle-jumper up to rainy Seattle to get the exclusive lowdown from the game's designer, Lorelei Shannon. The first thing we learned was that A Puzzle of Flesh is not a sequel, but a brand-new game with a new story and new characters. "Think of it more as an episode of Tales From the Crypt--another episode in a scary series," says Shannon. Scarier, Creepier, And Bloodier - Shannon, who wrote A Puzzle of Flesh's story (and, ironically, has authored some children's games in addition to horror stories), promises that A Puzzle of Flesh will be scarier, creepier, and bloodier than its forebear. "It will be a lot more psychologically frightening," she says. "The first one was almost a tribute to 1960s horror--you know, a possessed husband in a big haunted house." Sierra is billing A Puzzle of Flesh as a "psychological horror story of madness, murder, and the blackest depths of the human soul." Players assume the role of Curtis Craig, a quiet, seemingly normal young man with a steady job and a steady girlfriend. (We'll all miss the attractive Victoria Morsell, who played Adrienne in the original.) Curtis has spent some time in a mental hospital, but that's all behind him now. He just wants a normal, happy life. Don't count on it. Before long, rats start speaking to him, photographs appear to bleed, and his computer develops a vicious mind of its own. When a mysterious evil being called the Hecatomb appears to Curtis, evoking his tormented childhood, his darkest fears, and his most painful memories, he begins to doubt both his sanity and reality itself. Unwilling to return to the mental institution and the sadistic doctor who delighted in torturing him, Curtis enlists his best friend Trevor in an attempt to understand what's happening. As Curtis delves into his family history, he unearths more questions than answers, and finds some ugly family secrets. His mother abused him relentlessly when he was a small child, and eventually hanged herself. Immediately afterward, his father died in a strange, brutal accident that was never explained. Curtis begins to suspect that the pharmaceutical firm he works for, WynTech, is behind everything. Meanwhile, Curtis continues to be plagued by visions and the Hecatomb. He grows distant from his girlfriend, and is seduced by Therese, a co-worker with a hankering for downtown S&M clubs. Before long, murders--incredibly brutal murders--start to happen, and Curtis is fingered as the prime suspect. Desperate and pursued by madness, Curtis explores the bowels of WynTech, where he discovers another world and a bizarre secret (which, of course, we're not going to reveal). According to Shannon, the biggest twist is that players won't know until the very end of the game whether they're the ones committing the murders. "It's really very disturbing, [and] when you're done playing, you're going to be left saying, `Ewwwwwwww,'" says Shannon. All Video, All the Time - The intriguing story certainly sounds ripe with potential for surprises and frightening moments. But the big question is, "What's the gameplay like?" Well, it's going to be different. The first thing Phantasmagoria fans will notice is that the original's computer-rendered artwork is gone. A Puzzle of Flesh is shot entirely in video, using real sets and real actors. That's right--except for the last scene, which is computer-rendered, it's an all-video game. That's a development sure to raise doubts in the minds of gamers wary of virtually unplayable all-video games such as Johnny Mnemonic and Fox Hunt. Shooting was still in progress when we visited the set in April, so we couldn't actually play anything. Sierra seems very aware of the playability issues surrounding all-video games, and seems to be making every effort to ensure a quality playing experience. "A Puzzle of Flesh is a story-driven game," says Shannon, "but above all, it's a game, not a movie. The majority of video-based games have been built around a movie; this one is being built around a script with real sets, which should help a lot.'' Puzzles and Inventories - So should the emphasis on puzzles, which should be clear from the name alone. The game's 200-page script is riddled with puzzles that Sierra hopes will present more of a challenge to gamers than those in the original Phantasmagoria. While difficult, the new puzzles will be as logical as possible given the bizarre storyline. A Puzzle of Flesh will feature a classic adventure-game inventory system in which you'll carry around the items you find until you've used them in the proper place and time. In order to open a bolted toolbox, for instance, you'll need to find a hammer and chisel first. Once you use them, the hammer and chisel will be gone from your inventory. The conversation scheme is also based on your inventory. You grab an item from your inventory, click on a character to bring up the subject, and then listen to what the character has to say. (The game automatically records every conversation, so you can listen to them as many times as you like.) The game's interface will be mouse-driven and shown mostly through a third-person perspective, which lends the game a voyeuristic atmosphere. To go somewhere or open something, you just click and it's done. No more endlessly walking back and forth to revisit important locales, an unfortunate hallmark of many of Sierra's classic adventure games. You'll be able to click through movies if you want, but Shannon cautions against doing this the first time through, as there will be few "throwaway scenes." You'll also be able to save at any point in the game, and there will be multiple save slots as well. You won't encounter the possibility of death until the final stages of the game, and when you do die (and you will), you'll have the option of restarting at your last save or right before your death. Even though A Puzzle of Flesh will ship on only five or six CDs, it should last far longer than Phantasmagoria. Many experienced adventure gamers finished the original game in as few as 8 to 10 hours, meaning there wasn't much bang for the buck. Shannon estimates A Puzzle of Flesh will take a minimum of 20 to 25 hours to complete, which she hopes is an acceptable compromise. "I don't think hard-core players will be totally happy with this game either," she acknowledges, "but it's definitely going to be harder than the first." Controversial Content - When Phantasmagoria first came out, its adult content generated quite a stir. (In fact, it's a testament to the game's popularity that after being banned by stores such as Wal-Mart, it still managed to sell more than 300,000 copies.) The original included a fairly innocent love-making scene with partial nudity, as well as a disturbing scene in which the main character was raped by a demon. Even so, there wasn't as much adult-themed material as the game's title and hype suggested. That shouldn't be a problem this time around. Dismemberment, exploding heads, cleavers, bondage, good old-fashioned sex--they're all there, in spades. Shannon is quick to note, however, that there is no sexual violence in the new game. "There's quite a bit of sex and quite a bit of violence, but they never match up," she says. Despite a healthy helping of blood, the game's violence remains somewhat muted, just as it was in the original game. The camera doesn't linger on the gore; you'll get a quick, shocking glimpse of murders as they happen, and then it's on to the next scene. The sexual situations are the same way. During our visit, we viewed one of the sex scenes, a tasteful tryst between Curtis and his girlfriend, Jocilyn (played by Monique Parent, who will be featured this summer in Playboy's Rising Stars video). It's R-rated material, nothing more. Nevertheless, despite a parental toggle that censors most of the suggestive content, Shannon recommends that kids under the age of 17 not play the game. A Promising Puzzle - A Puzzle of Flesh looks to have all the right ingredients to be an entertaining, challenging, and sufficiently twisted experience for adventure gamers with a love for a good horror story. It's hard to forget, though, that the majority of all-video games have looked good while in production, then failed dismally when actually released. We won't know for sure if this is one that will make the difficult formula work until the game hits store shelves in October. But we're looking forward to finding out. -- Descriptions of / Captions from the accompanying game screenshots :- **A giant claw reaches down to grab a woman** "Horrible visions, such as this claw that looks like it's about to have Detective Allie for lunch, aren't just reserved for Curtis's dreams." **Curtis and Jocilyn kiss in the hall** "Curtis and his girlfriend, Jocilyn, enjoy a quiet moment in one of the game's few warm-fuzzy scenes." **Curtis in the background looks shocked at an image of his mother hanged** "Curtis's mother hanged herself when he was a small boy. As you can see, her death still haunts him." **Lightning bolts shoot from Curtis's eyes** "Sierra hopes A Puzzle of Flesh's ending is as shocking as its special effects." **View from behind, as Curtis faces Trevor** "With the help of his friend Trevor, Curtis investigates his family history in hopes of discovering the source of his mental troubles." **First in a 3-photo series; Curtis looks up at beautiful Therese** "Curtis thought Therese looked like the nice, all-American girl next door." **Next photo; Boy, did she change! Therese is in a black-leather bra with a whip** "But he was wrong!" **Last photo; Curtis looks back at Therese in photo two, looking panicked** "Looks like poor Curtis has bitten off more than he can chew..." **Curtis struggles in his straight jacket** "Is Curtis really crazy? Does he belong in a straitjacket? You'll have to play the game to find out." **Dead zombie guy, very bloody, carries a hammer** "The Hecatomb has many frightening forms. Here he plays a character from his favorite movie, Night of the Living Dead." **Dead zombie guy knocks someone's head off with hammer. Very bloody.** "And it's a home run!" **Man tears himself in half, with fire inside** "Cover picture!" ********** [10] * SOURCE UNKNOWN - July 1996: SIERRA's Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh is the follow up to the 1995 hit adventure game Phantasmagoria. As part of Sierra's horror anthology, this second iteration is NOT a continuation of the Don and Adrienne story. Rather, it's a psychological horror story of madness, murder and the blackest depths of the human soul. Designed by Lorelei Shannon, this twisted and disturbing adventure has nothing to do with haunted houses, and is definitely aimed at a grown up audience! 100% full-motion video filmed on sets and locations provides the gaming environment; the only 3D rendering will be for the spectacular special effects. Gameplay will be logical but challenging as players attempt to understand the devastating events unfolding around them. ********** [11] From Sierra's Website A psychological horror story of madness, murder, and the blackest depths of the human soul ... (available Fall of 1996) Curtis Craig is a quiet young man. He has a steady job working for the WynTech Corporation. He has a lovely girlfriend, Jocilyn. He's been out of the mental hospital for exactly one year. All Curtis wants is to live a normal, happy life, but something seems to have other plans. Strange events, inexplicable and terrifying, begin to happen all around him. Photographs bleed. Rats speak. His computer develops a vicious mind of its own. Curtis begins to doubt his own sanity, and the very fabric of reality. Curtis can't bear the thought that he's losing his mind again. The idea of returning to the asylum, and to the sadistic doctor who seemed to delight in torturing him... Curtis decides he would rather do anything, anything at all, to prevent that. With the help if his best friend Trevor, Curtis investigates his own family history, hoping to find a clue that will let him understand what's happening. Instead, he unearths more mysteries, and a closetful of bloody skeletons. Curtis's sleep is plagued by horrible nightmares which blend into his waking reality. Curtis feels like he is losing himself, sinking further into his own private hell. He grows distant from Jocilyn, his gentle girlfriend. He is drawn into a web of sex and sweat and pain by Therese, a co-worker with a secret life in the darkness of downtown S&M clubs. Then ... the murders begin. ********** [12] Excerpt from Sierra's "Interaction" Summer 1996 by Christa Philips Phantasmagoria II: A Puzzle of Flesh Rated M - Mature Available Oct. '96 - $54.95 Win95 CD The original Phantasmagoria still tops the bestseller charts almost a year after its release and has become the biggest selling Sierra game in history. Now a unique addition joins this horror series. For the more than one million fans that have already finished the original, it's time for a new challenge. This one is... A PUZZLE OF FLESH! What if you woke up one day and started seeing things? Disturbing things like bleeding photographs, talking rats, and creatures that are simply too horrible to describe? How tightly would you grip your sanity? What if your friends and co-workers began dying in bizarre, grotesque ways, setting off frightening memories of your tortured childhood and the mysterious deaths of both parents? Would you start to think you were losing your mind...again? Maybe you are. Or worse, maybe you aren't. At least you know your name: Curtis Craig. Welcome to Phantasmagoria II: A Puzzle of Flesh. It's been a year since you were released from the mental hospital where you were subjected to sadistic 'treatments' at the hands of the attending doctor. As you feel your sanity start to slip away, you don't know which would be worse-to live with the terrible visions or return to the hospital. Psychological horror is the theme of Phantasmagoria II: A Puzzle of Flesh. This modern horror story explores sanity, reality, and the darkest reaches of the human mind through a nightmare of urban cafes, corporate cubicles, and sadistic nightclubs. A Puzzle of Flesh is the sequel to the phenomenally successful Phantasmagoria, Sierra's best-selling computer game. The original Phantasmagoria proved that interactive multimedia had enough guts to make mature stories possible. A Puzzle of Flesh explores this genre with the cruel touch of a razor-sharp scalpel, uncovering more horrors and deep-seated fears in a way that both entices you and scares the living daylights out of you. Phantasmagoria II carries on the tradition of horror with a completely new story, setting, and cast of characters. While the first Phantas was a gothic horror tale of a haunted house and demonic possession, its evil was an external one that could be fought face to face. This story deals with the internal horrors of severe schizophrenia as horrible visions, tormenting voices and unspeakable evil overtake the mind of an ordinary office worker - you. As the second installment in the Phantasmagoria horror series will prove, some of the creepiest places on Earth are large corporations. The location is WynTech Chemical Company, a large conglomerate with some pretty serious problems hiding beneath its polished, congenial surface. Its motto: "WynTech. Because nature isn't always right." In this high-tech, corporate stronghold of locked doors and secret files, more than just skeletons are concealed in the creepy, sealed-up basement rooms. Twenty years ago, your father worked on a top secret WynTech project called Threshold. He died under very suspicious circumstances, and Threshold was filed away to be forgotten. Until now. What is the Threshold project, and what exactly do you have to do with it? Playing as Curtis you have two choices-uncover the truth or lose everything (including your life) as you fall back into a bottomless pit of madness. ********** [13] Excerpt from Sierra's "Interaction" Summer 1996 by Christa Philips BEHIND THE SCENES Designer: Lorelei Shannon Few people in life are as willingly weird as Lorelei Shannon, Rats, bats, and other vermin hold a special spot in Lorelei's heart, and her "Gross Fact of the Week" is the most eagerly awaited e-mail in the Sierra offices each week. As designer of the upcoming Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of Flesh, Lorelei's background as a published horror writer, make her uniquely suited for the task at hand. "I love horror in all forms. I especially like psychological horror movies like 'Jacob's Ladder,' and wanted to bring across that kind of paranoid, or very frightening, very real kind of horror... I really admire Clive Barker for his extreme gritty realism. I'm not going as blatantly gory as he gets.. it's a little much for most audiences. I think it's incredible easy to make someone sick but it's very hard to scare them. It's a cheap cop-out to just make them spew." Special FX: Robert Standlee The first thing you notice about Robert Standlee's work room on the Puzzle of Flesh set is a big container filled to the top with a vile-looking sticky red substance. But fake blood is not what Standlee is about. Although his finished products look like things you'd find in Hannibal Lector's lunch-box, Robert Standlee is an artist. An accomplished sculptor whose work is shown in art galleries, he uses materials such as foam latex and urethane to create realistic objects, creatures and body parts. As a determined teenager, Standlee knocked on doors in Hollywood offering to clean brushes and sweep floors in exchange for the opportunity to work as an apprentice to the special make-up effects artists. These days he is an effects master in his own right, creating the monstrous Hecatomb and all of the special effects props and make-up for the filming of Phantasmagoria II. So come October, when you're sitting down to play A Puzzle of Flesh, be prepared to come face to face with the realistic and horrific artistry of Robert Standlee. ********** [14] From: Happy Puppy Website: http://www.happypuppy.com/ Scaring Up a Sequel - Title: Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh Publisher: Sierra Developer: Sierra System Requirements: (for PC) 486/33, 2xCD-ROM, 8Mb RAM, Windows 3.1 or better, SVGA Genre: Adventure Age Rating: Not Available * [System Requirements have changed considerably] * Preview by James Stevens Sierra is taking a bold step with the sequel to Phantasmagoria. Rather than continue on with the same group of characters, Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh will have new characters and a completely new story while still keeping the overall sense and feel of the original game. A Puzzle of Flesh tells the story of Curtis Craig, released from a mental hospital exactly one year ago. Now, recent events are making Curtis doubt his sanity once again. Photographs have started bleeding, rats have spoken to him and he was visited by the Hecatomb, a terrible, inhuman entity who forces Curtis to bring back a number of painful memories. Curtis cannot stand the idea of losing his mind again, so he tries everything he can to make sure he is still sane, including breaking into the offices of his new employers. Then the murders start, and Curtis finds himself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse. Phantasmagoria 2 will feature a number of location shots and was filmed in general on live sets meaning a better level of quality in terms of the video. An on-line hint system has been included as well for the convenience of many gamers [this feature has not been included in the release version]. H H ******* * CREDITS * ******* H H ----- * This HTML page was compiled by Anthony Larme. Sections A-D, F, and H are copyright Anthony Larme 1998 and Sections E and G remain the copyright property of their respective owners. P2info.html was not produced for any sort of commercial gain and is intended for informational purposes only. - Email Anthony Larme at :- larme@hotmail.com - Phantasmagoria 2 Overview Memorial Web Subsite :- https://anthonylarme.tripod.com/phantas/phantas2.html - Review of Phantasmagoria Memorial Web Subsite :- https://anthonylarme.tripod.com/phantas/phantas.html ----- * Special Thanks to :- i) Andy Bellatti E-mail: bellatti@impsat1.com.ar ii) T. D. Burapavong E-mail: tdb@nr.infi.net URL: https://members.tripod.com/~tdb/ iii) Jess Canada E-mail: jesscanada@mcn.net iv) Kara Johnson E-mail: kjohnson@ncinter.net
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