Previous Next

You play what Inspector Clouseau would call an Officer of de Luuure, dans un jeu francais. Oui, following US Gold's import success, French software house Infogrames are trying to break the UK market.

Title star Vera is less than forthcoming when you first meet her, not least because she is dead, and slumped messily across the floor of her apartment. Is it a simple case of suicide, as the note on her table would have you believe? Presumably not, or the game would be somewhat pointless. As newly appointed head of the St. Etienne Crime Squad, you must find the truth.

The game is in two parts. In the first, an excellent graphical representation of the scene of the crime is portrayed, complete with central corpse. By moving a "viewfinder" window with the ability to give close ups of certain objects, you must collect the evidence. Vital information such as the type of pistol used is gained here.

Part two, which sees you back at central office and again has superb graphics, resembles The Fourth Protocol, with use of single key commands and computer instructions. As well as the traditional methods of taking statements and conducting examinations such as autopsises, you have the French police computer system as your disposal, which can be used to obtain information on suspects, registration numbers and the like. You can also contact police forces elsewhere, who may have further details on leads you are following.

As you delve deeper into the investigation, increasingly sordid details emergy. Vera was a lady of the street; and, considering the needle marks on her left arm and the presence of the name of a drug smuggler in her diary, narcotics seem to be involved too. A real sense of deduction is created, each new, hard-gained fact spurring you on.

The translation of the game is in no way stilted, and the French atmosphere it retains is entertainingly unusual. Some of the messages from the computer, however, contain confusing French abbreviations and place names. It can be hard to tell whether something is a police code, a French district code, telephone number...

This is precisely the sort of thing that the instructions should deal with. The afore-mentioned Fourth Protocol had an excellent glossary bookley of technical police terms, as well as a game manual. Vera Cruz's only tells you the bare necessities, and this is the game's major flaw. Not enough examples of what you can do are given, while the computer system is extremely unfriendly. So when something meets with a negative response, you are unsure whether you are trying something the computer cannot do, trying something the computer can do but using the wrong words, or just on the wrong track with an idea! The unhelpful, standard game messages make life still worse. As a result, Vera Cruz is at times infuriatingly difficult, and progress murderously slow.

Apart from this, it is innovative, feels authentic and is enjoyable. Infogrames planned future releases sound very interesting, but documentation really must be improved. As it stands, this game requires great patience and perseverance: If you have this, then you will be rewarded.