MARTIN MYSTÈRE: OPERATION DORIAN GRAY (aka CRIME STORIES: FROM THE FILES OF MARTIN MYSTÈRE)

Why did inspector Travis need the help of the master of detectives?

Was the mysterious homicide of a famous MIT researcher in some way connected to the studies that Professor Eulemberg had been conducting for years?

Were Martin Mystère's reoccurring dreams a terrible omen predicting the tragic and inhuman event? An event that would compromise the fine line separating life and death?

A phone call, the murder of a famous researcher...

Features

• And so begins an intriguing "point and click adventure". This metamorphosis of events, deals with themes that push the boundaries of knowledge... buried secrets... nightmares.
• A cool head, astuteness and responsibility are the guiding principles of Detective Martin Mystère, his partner Diana and his faithful friend Java. Intriguing adventures, enigmas to be unraveled and places to be explored.
• From the streets of New York, through to terrifying and amazing places the Master of Detectives meets curious characters, old friends, unusual women stubborn police officers, and dangerous unscrupulous criminals.
• Inspired by OPERATION DORIAN GRAY, created by ALFREDO CASTELLI this is Martin Mystère's greatest adventure yet.
• Dramatic, atmospheric music, composed by two high caliber maestros LUCIO FABBRI and CARLO FORESTER.

~ from the back of the UK box

Does anyone remember Martin Mystery, the animated kids show that aired on the UK's Channel 4 in the early 2000s? I have vague recollections of it being in the same universe as Totally Spies which got a lot of press back then though I must say I've not seen either to have much nostalgia for it. What I do have nostalgia for is Martin Mystère: Operation Dorian Gray, a point-and-click adventure game made by Artematica Entertainment in 2006. Despite being birthed from the same comic-book origins, they are very different beasts.

Being an Italian developer, it's probably a given that Artematica created a game that's much more in keeping with the Italian source material. The brainchild of Alfredo Castelli (who passed away in February of this year), Martin Mystère first cropped up in print form in the early 80s and enjoyed the same success around the same time as Dylan Dog. Both were originally published in their home country by Sergio Bonelli Editore and belatedly achieving cult status in the west in the late 90s thanks to Dark Horse Comics. Both are well worth hunting down for a fun read.

Open up the map to quick-travel to any known location (left).

Some areas can be zoomed in to get a more detailed view (right).

And this game in particular is also fun, though it is a little short. We begin with Martin lounging around in his New York home wearing his night clothes. A resolute workaholic, he's been forced to stay inside and rest by his slightly overbearing wife Diana who's colluded with their Neanderthallic help named Java to hide the keys to his wardrobe. It seems like a relaxing day is ahead were it not for a phone call informing you that the famed Professor Eulemberg has been found murdered in his home. While not a detective exactly, Martin runs in the same circles as the professor and has used his expertise in police investigations before to great success. As such, he - and in turn you - is on the case.

What follows is a fairly standard point-and-click adventure that wouldn't challenge long-time fans of the genre. But it will likely entertain them. For the most part, it is well-written with only the odd blips in translation from its original language. It's adequately acted for its time too, though I would say the programming of the voice work is a little janky. Voice clips are separated into mp3 files that are only a few seconds long at most meaning that sentences are noticeably chopped in half with a very brief pause between them. A lot of the script seems to be written around this limitation so it won't distract you during most of the play time. In its original form, some sentences would be cut off in modern hardware (I don't recall this happening on my Windows XP machine on the game's original release) but re-coding the files does solve this. (Note: this issue is only resolved in version 2 - see the download section).

The few single-screen puzzles are more about observing the area rather than logic (left).

The game features dialogue trees, but be warned, everyone really loves to prattle on and on (right).

Throughout the adventure, our hero will mostly be hunting for items to use on other items to give to people, open up new areas or otherwise progress the plot. The logic behind them, while convoluted at times, doesn't delve into unfathomable lunar territory. You might have to forge a gendered ticket to a strip club so you can steal some blue flowers before painting them purple to give to a secretary who will endow you with an ancient medallion that will convince a professor on location at a Mayan temple that you are who you say you are (actual ID be damned), but the route is generally straightforward and gently hinted at for the observant. 

The game's interface is perfectly serviceable for such a game, though it is limited to three icons cycled through with the right mouse button. Look will give you a description of an item, though it's hit and miss as to whether it will be voiced or not. Use will not only pick up items if you can, but will also interact with it or combine it with another objects in your inventory. When an item it in your hand, the representation of it in your inventory will display a red border and the cursor will turn into a gear icon. The other option is talk, which is self explanatory. If Martin doesn't have anything to say, he won't say anything. In fact, if what you wanted to do isn't actually correct, nothing will happen. It seems like the designers neglected a lot of the "I can't do that" phrases, instead returning silence. But that's a minor gripe.

Playing as Diana, following in the footsteps of Martin as he gets himself in a bind (left).

The mysterious Alfie, a dying alcoholic, is an inspired choice for a third playable character (right).

What isn't minor, and is something that frustrated me no end, is Martin's slow walking speed. He will meander across the often large locations at a casual walking speed with no means to run. Sometimes, a double-click (or more likely triple-click) on an exit will fast travel to the next screen, but again it's hit-and-miss as to whether it's been programmed or not. Martin himself can come across a little bit of a bore, not exactly making the most engaging of protagonists. Any little attempts at humour feel forced as if written and performed by your average aging accountant. Luckily, you don't always get to play as him. In the latter half of the game you get to control his wife Diana, who has more of a spunky personality, and a drunken old bum named Alfie. Both make for a decent change of pace as the story ramps up nicely.

And it's the story's central mystery that proves the most compelling thing about the game, even as it delves into the paranormal that is Martin Mystère's calling card. With decently thought out puzzle designs, nicely drawn backgrounds and well rendered 3D models of the characters, Martin Mystère: Operation Dorian Gray (or Crime Stories: From the Files of Martin Mystère as it is known in the US)  is a worthwhile adventure game from a time when the genre was just about to gather speed for a resurgence. Well worth a play.

To download the game, follow the link below. This custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber runs natively on Windows. Manual and Professor's Letter included. Read the ChamberNotes.txt for more detailed information. Tested on Windows 10.

  11.10.2024 Ver.2 -  Re-converted dialogue files to fix sound issues.

File Size: 505 Mb.  Install Size: 539 Mb.  Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ

Download


Martin Mystère: Operation Dorian Gray is © Artematica Srl
Review, Cover Design and Installer created by me

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