Why is it that science fiction makes the best comedy? It seems to be deeply entrenched in the culture, from books like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series to films like Spaceballs, space opera is definitely ripe material for satire. Even the computer game world is riddled with examples of funny futurism, going all the way back to Infocom's Planetfall games and extending to Mindscape's recent Commander Blood (see review this episode). Science fiction just seems to take itself so seriously and is usually so goofy in the first place that it begs and pleads for a few sharp jabs with a silly stick. It's a natural thing. How else can you explain a sixth installment in the Space Quest series from Sierra?
As you may recall, Space Quest 5 had our hero Roger Wilco leaping in the ranks from lowly Space Janitor to Captain of his own garbage scow! What an honor! Needless to say, it didn't last. A lot of players informed Sierra that they didn't have as much faith in a universe that would put Wilco in a position of any kind of power. So Roger is back where he belongs, in his yellow jumpsuit maintaining the cleaning equipment aboard a brand new space cruiser, Deep Ship 86.
In this latest episode, Roger is going about his janitorial duties, when he is suddenly kidnapped by an evil alien who means to do the universe harm! Oh heck! One can only guess what part a nebbish like Roger could play in such a fiendish and diabolical plan, but the world need never know. In the nick of time, he is saved by one of his loyal crewmates, Stellar Santiago, a rather attractive young Corpsman. However, this is only the beginning of our story, because the fiendish presence has entered the body of Corpsman Santiago! In order to show his gratitude, and to further the plot, Roger must get small and inject himself into Santiago's Innard Space!
Yes, it's guts galore, literally, as Roger makes his way over hill and dale, through stomach and spleen, to eventually get to Santiago's brain. But he'd best be careful, for the alien is waiting in ambush, and only one of them can leave alive! I'm not really sure why only one can leave alive, but you can bet your boots there's a darn good reason.
Along the way through Corpsman Santiago's goopy interior, Roger and the player will encounter more bad puns based on sci-fi stuff than has ever graced a Space Quest game. And why not? Like almost every other adventure game in the universe these days, it's a CD-ROM only release, which leaves ample room for every painful pun you could ever conjure. The pop culture references fly fast and furious, from Deep Space Nine and Earth 2 all the way back to classics like Silent Running and, of course, Fantastic Voyage. Sierra promises cameo appearances by hundreds of famous science fiction characters, places and clichΘs, plus more gags, slapstick and jokes than any previous installment.
The extra room on the CD also means this is a very large game compared to previous Space Quests. The game universe contains approximately 90 rooms, all represented through a combination of machine-rendered and hand drawn artwork in SVGA 3-D rendered graphics. The game will also feature full multimedia sound, lots of musical effects and 15 different digitized voices. Will any of these voices belong to famous people? Probably. Who exactly are we talking about? Well, keep an eye on our news articles and you'll be among the first to know.
There's even a completely playable video game-within-a-game that Roger finds and the player gets to waste a little extra time on. It's the latest kick-punch-maim-gouge-hit, I mean, hit, Stooge Fighter III! Imagine the Street Fighter games with all the charm and slapstick of the Three Stooges, complete with eye-poking and pie-throwing, and all the appropriate noises. (Oh, a wise guy, huh?)
Incidentally, don't expect this game to be a breeze just because it's funny. The designers (the same people who brought you Leisure Suit Larry and Freddy Pharkas) are determined that even the most experienced of adventure game players will have to scratch their brains, or rather, heads, to make their way all the way to the bitter end. In many ways, the humorous context means that normal logic is out of place and the puzzle solutions will be just as outrageous as the rest of the story.
But whether you've been waiting with bated breath for the latest adventure of Roger Wilco or you just like a good laugh, be on the lookout for Space Quest 6 this spring.
