It Came from the Desert
| Developer: Cinemaware | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: Mirrorsoft | Sound: |
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| Year: 1989 | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Adventure-arcade | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 1 | Rating: |
8/10 | |
An adventure game that will delight fans of 1950s science fiction films (Them!). The story takes place in a small American town, Lizard Breath, near which a meteorite has crashed. You are a geologist, which is convenient. But your little excursion searching for radioactive rocks quickly turns into a hunt for mutant ants! You will need all the help you can find, but before that, gather evidence, otherwise the local authorities will never take you seriously…
This game reminds me of Mortville Manor for its retro atmosphere, the total freedom given to the player, and the terrible time constraint (each second, a minute passes in the game, and each of your actions costs you some time, hastening the fateful moment when the insects will destroy the town). In terms of atmosphere, however, it’s more lively. The characters have friendly faces (well, some of them) and the dialogue phases are peppered with mini-games like “giant ant-blasting” with guns or grenades, among others. The entire aspect of cumbersome inventory items to be used at a specific moment to solve a puzzle is absent. This is good and refreshing. Here, you progress through the story by exploring locations and talking to people.
The plot isn’t exactly intricate. However, multiple branches can be followed, meaning you can replay the game several times without doing the same thing over and over.
The developer, Cinemaware, is known for creating little gems that are beautifully presented but sometimes lack in the gameplay department. This time, it seems to work. They’ve delivered a well-crafted game, parodic without overdoing it, immersive without turning the player into a mere spectator, and above all: easy to control!
An expansion will be released the following year: Antheads: It Came from the Desert 2.
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