A first-person account of a (male) Private Eye who gradually learns how to 'ride' in other creatures' minds, (see through their eyes, experience what they experience etc.) This opens a fair range of possibilities, and I have tried to leave the game as open as possible so players can explore the aspects of the game that interest them most.
There are a few variables that the player has to balance to advance through the story. There may be more than one way to move the variables one way or the other.
Update 0.99.3 INCOMPLETE UPDATE- In the process of adding a new area, and working on continuity errors.
Update 0.99.1 mostly story smoothing and bug fixing. (See changelog for details)
Update 0.99 bug fixes and story smoothing only.
Update 0.98 essentially completes this part of the story, and the game. You need 0.95.2 image file and the 0.98 topup image files.
Update 0.95.2 is the image file (to 0.95.2) in one zip.
IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE DOWNLOADING, or would prefer smaller downloads, please check the first post of the discussion thread for links to smaller downloads which you can combine with the HTML
IF YOU ALREADY HAVE the previous version of the game you can download the smaller "TOP UP" updates (past "Top Ups" also linked in the first post of the discussion thread.)
NOTE: If you have questions that you would like to have answered, please post them in the game's discussion thread. It is simply not practical to hold conversations in the review thread.
The parallel plot devices are
1. The private eye is contracted to hunt for an elusive woman.
2. The private eye meets a psychic and learns to use his psychic powers (the story of how he came upon these abilities, and how they changed him.)
There are several side encounters, red-herrings, a couple of easter eggs, but the gameplay refers to the above storylines.
There are a number of ways to 'finish', and there are some side events, and other 'boss' events depending on the path you take.
You - The (male) Private Eye who gradually develops his psychic abilities through dreams.
Conrad - The 'suit' who represents the corporate interest who hire you to find Dianne.
The Psychic - A gypsy woman who helps you deveop your dream powers, for reasons of her own...
Dianne - The 'mark' who I am contracted to find and deliver to the corporation represented by Conrad.
Fred - A corrupt policeman who sometimes helps me ... for a price.
Georgette - A mystery woman
Joe - An associate (informant) who has gone missing
The Ferret - An associate (informant) who has gone missing
William - An associate (informant) who has gone missing
Various other incidental characters.
Charlotte - A personal trainer
Emma - A personal trainer
Natalia - A mystical women
Some basic tips include:
The entire game is a kind of juggling act, trying to keep everything balanced as you progress through the story.
You brain is affected by use of psychic power, a brain burnout can result in 'death' (Game Over).
Narc (narcotic) use calms the brain, but overuse of narcs can lead to helpless addiction (Game Over).
Some kinds of foods and drinks can help offset these, but you can only eat/drink so much.
Everything costs money, and you have limited cash from the initial contract (if you take it) so, unless you are incredibly frugal, you may need to suppliment income by selling on the blackmarket.
Every time you walk the streets there is a chance of being mugged. Several possible outcomes, including death. (Game Over)
Any use of the Blackmarket has a chance of attracting police attention, and possible jail time (Game Over).
Progression often depends on develping your powers and revisiting old haunts when you reach a new level of power may unveil a new possibility.
There are a couple of 'Easter Egg' style asides just for fun, but you would be lucky to find them on the first playthrough.
Some endings allow you to continue to play on, if you have not completed the Dianne storyline.
Changelog 0.99.1
Very small update. (HTML only)
Mostly fixing continuity errors in narrative (text reflecting gender etc). Over 30 errors fixed, plenty more to go.
You now have to have 'met' Georgette in the club before you can notice her in the Gym, or seek her help for others.
Pushed Natalia's story a little further (incomplete)
@@color:red;I am aware that there are still more bugs and narrative errors to fix. I am posting this update to keep people up to date with (slow) progress. Please post them on the forum or in a message to me on TFGames.@@
Changelog 0.99
Mostly tidying up errors.
Edited and added to several rooms to reflect the player having a reason to be in the mansion (riding the mind of the guard or employed as a stripper.)
Added the possibility to avoid some bad endings in some cases if player has sifficient power and/or luck.
Tidied up pool area and added a new warning to kick in before being trapped.
Changelog 0.98
The storyline is essentially complete (this chapter anyway).
Over 162,000 Words
Over 600 passages
Nearly 450 variables.
Mansion complete. (Upstairs now completely playable.)
Plot conclusions for William, Joe and Charlotte.
Four new game endings.
To do: Two sexy distractions incomplete, so not yet unlocked.
Changelog 0.97
Added 15,000 words (145,000 total)
Added 40 new passages (561 total)
Added 125 new links (1435 total)
Added 21 new variables (430 total)
Dining room completed.
Upstairs rooms partially complete.
All plot endings mapped out (incomplete)
Changelog 0.96.2
You can now visit Conrad's pool (6 new passages)
Mansion kitchen events are now unlocked
Three more endings mapped (but not complete)
Minor bug fixes.
Changelog 0.95
Added 26,000 words (total 130,000)
Added 70+ passages (total 510)
Added 200+ new links
Added 60 new variables (your old saves won't work sorry).
Many bugs fixed (thanks to play testers)
Sidebar images tweaked slightly to better reflect TF and arousal.
Painkiller slightly increased in effectiveness
There are now consequences if you try to use mind power on a prison guard and fail.
Now possible to be spotted by talent scouts in the strip club.
The final area of the game, Conrad's mansion, is now open! (Not yet finished but playable.)
Find out what old 'friends' are up to, and meet some new characters
This manages to tell a really good story, excellent use of the format with a well-realised core mechanic.
All around one of the better games behind only big projects like Wanton Cove, Lost in Laminate and Transylvania.
My main suggestion would be to rename and close off areas after they change or become redundant to reduce the frustration factor.
For example I don't think there's any purpose in visiting the burning house again after you find the bullet, as it can be quite weird to revisit it and find it still burning after a few weeks, maybe replace it with a picture of a burnt out husk of a building? Likewise the Strip club ceases to be relevant to your contact's location eventually and could just be renamed strip-club.
Also signposting things that actually change your psychic abilities in a different colour could be a useful quality of life improvement.
This game has an appropriately good film noir style about it, you can almost hear Philip Marlowe thinking "It seemed like a nice neighbourhood to have bad habits in." You have a mystery to solve, clues littered around the city, and the information you want has to be pried from a cast of shady characters. The writing is good, the images are appropriate, and the plot is interesting.
Actions are interdependent; you need to have done "C" before you can complete "A" etc. You don't get anywhere if you don't explore. Do a side job or three to get some money, and spend some of that on gym membership. Remember to eat, visit the psychic often, and try to stay off the narcotics. As to transformations, when you take control of something or someone, something might 'rub off on you.
Just saw the game pop up on the "featured community favorites" And came to check on a update. This is definitely top 5 HTML game on the site in my opinion. I have replayed it as the updates came for countless times and Its rare, that I remember the actual plot from these games, but this game had such a unique take with the possession > transformation concept, that i still remember it clearly. Juggling the survival element was also not tiding like it sometimes is. The side content was some of the best i had played. Patiently waiting to see continuation or any of your other works :)
Like many in the genre, this games gives you tone of links which lead nowhere. You stumble between screens trying to figure out how to progress the game. Eventually you managed to push the plot forward a little, but to do it you had to grind through multiple screens of repeated actions. Unlike most games in this genre, trying to progress the plot can get you killed quickly which makes the experience of playing oh so much worse. Wouldn't recommend.
Sadly, this is a perfect example of TG games I do not like.
It's hard to find content, unless you do things in a very precise way.
It's hard to not encounter game over before reaching what it feels like could be the good part.
You can't find any walkthrough to guide you.
