The Experiment (PC)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Brett Todd
• Reviewed on: 02/21/2008
• Released on: 02/05/2008
• Originally published on GameSpot: The Experiment (PC) Review

Since being stuck in a strange place with no idea who you are is such an ancient gaming cliché that it should be drawing social security, it's tough to warm up to The Experiment (also known as Experience 112). But developer Lexis Numerique manages to put together such a unique take on the "Who am I?" story gimmick that this tale feels awfully original. A secondhand control system that essentially breaks the fourth wall, an innovative interface, and loads of spooky scenery and sound land you in an alternate reality that is as strange as it is believable.

The biggest difference between The Experiment and more conventional adventure games is the perspective. Instead of controlling an alter ego as in the usual point-and-click puzzler, here you pretty much play as yourself. You play the role of an anonymous person locked in the operations room of a ruined ship grounded on a tropical beach. Aside from the ability to control cameras mounted throughout the vessel's interior, you have no ability to communicate with anyone to determine who you are, how you wound up in this place, or how you can escape.

But you're not entirely alone. A scientist named Lea Nichols, who was working on some sort of ocean-going research project before it went horribly wrong and everyone was killed, wakes up in a cabin before one of your cameras at the start of the game. She has no idea who you are, though, so all you can do to find answers is to help her flee the corpse-strewn corridors of the vessel. You never take direct control of Lea, however, so you're stuck leading her from room to room by turning on and off lights and various other devices, along with unlocking doors. The idea is to get her in the right position to solve problems on her own, with you monitoring her progress on the many surveillance cameras scattered in every nook and cranny of the ship and chipping in to help by providing computer access codes, answering questions by nodding or shaking cameras, and occasionally operating robot vehicles of one sort or another.

Generally, Lea provides an objective and you then lead her toward it by using lights, computer screens, and the like as carrots. When she reaches a key quest location like a freezer, safe, desk, or lab table, Lea completes the task at hand or prompts you to help her by providing more information dredged up from the research center's computer system. Sometimes you also need to access all of the cameras in a certain area and pan them around looking for clues. As the game goes on, Lea adds more functions to the camera system, such as the ability to light up dark rooms or the ability to zoom in on documents, but you're always detached from your surroundings and doing nearly everything through Lea.

A great control scheme modeled on a stereotypical computer graphical user interface makes it easy to guide Lea. You spend most of your time keeping an eye on a map screen where you can click on the light and object icons that direct Lea forward. Camera icons on this map can be activated by simply clicking on them, which brings up as many as three windows that let you see what your companion is up to. There is a little fussing around with windows, but nothing here is out of the ordinary for anyone who has ever multitasked in Windows.

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