SANTA FE MYSTERIES: THE ELK MOON MURDER & SACRED GROUND

 

There are two games in Activision's forgotten series of adventures known as the Santa Fe Mysteries. The Elk Moon Murder came out in 1996 while Sacred Ground arrived a year later. I wouldn't necessarily call them separate games, though, as both share far too many art assets, game mechanics and design choices to really stand out from each other. If you take them not as a game franchise, but as a couple of interactive detective tales, then you're more likely to appreciate them both.

There's a certain melodramatic quality to both titles, and this is likely due to the input of the games' co-creator, Sam Egan. In case you didn't know by the insane amount of hype his name brought to the advertising blurbs, he was a writer and producer of the highly successful TV show Northern Exposure. As you watch the interlaced interviews, this makes sense. A fair amount of effort has been made to make each character just that; a character. There are quirky gossips, stereotyped businessmen and feuding families that wouldn't be out of place in an episode of Murder She Wrote.

At the end of Day 5, fill out the info on the suspect's casefile and visit them to make an arrest (left).

Consult your PDA at any time to go over any evidence (right).

Santa Fe also has some similarities to the Alaskan community of Northern Exposure (and I'm not talking about the climate obviously). It's a small town far from any big city where everyone seems to know everyone. The desert surrounding is also home to many Native Americans which adds a very 90s racial element. In fact, your partner, Detective John Night Sky (who I kept mishearing as Nice Guy) plays a major role in the societal dynamics of some of the residents.

In The Elk Moon Murder, you search for the murderer of a Native American named Anna Elk Moon and this is why Night Sky has been assigned to assist you. He hangs around for the kidnapping of Randa Tasker in the second game but he's the closest the games have to a principle character. Being a nameless, faceless and voiceless protagonist, Night Sky does all of the heavy lifting in front of the camera. In fact, were it not for the opening cutscene I wouldn't have known I wasn't playing as him.

Mostly, the gameplay has you interviewing a bunch of people and figure out if their alibis match up. You do this by passing it off to Sargent Rebecca Orlando through your high-tech PDA. It will take a short while until she gets back to you, so managing your requests becomes a key element too. Everything you do takes time. Asking an interview question takes 15 minutes. Taking a crime scene photo takes 15 minutes. Hell, even listening to a 30-second video call takes 15 minutes. This forces you to think about who you interview, what evidence to process and how much time you can waste in the Mongoose Tavern (hint: the answer is none).

A handy page that details how long it takes to do anything (left).  Sitting in the Mongoose Tavern 

are a group of clairvoyants and armchair detectives for when you're stuck (right).

You have a strict 5-day deadline to solve each of the mysteries and if you don't, it's game over. If you accuse the wrong suspect, it's even worse. The innocent party may pull a gun on you and shoot you! To prevent this, make sure you pay attention to the evidence. You can revisit everything you've learned through your PDA and scouring over them does a good job in making you do feel like you are solving a case instead of a puzzle. It's a shame, then, that you can abuse the save system and just accuse everyone through trial and error until you make the correct arrest.

Regardless of the outcome, it will only take a few hours each to see an ending. They are short and undemanding games with very little interaction. That being said, the dramatic interviews, the shocking plot twists and an occasionally weird vibe makes both entries in the Santa Fe Mysteries one of the better excuses to digitally transfer video out there.

To download The Elk Moon Murder, follow the link below. This custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber uses DOSBox to bring the game to modern systems. Tested on Windows 10.
  14.06.2021 - Ver.2 - Updated conf file to fix fullscreen scaling

File Size: 973 Mb.  Install Size: 1.21 Gb.  Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ

Download


To download Sacred Ground, follow the link below. This custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber uses DOSBox to bring the game to modern systems. Tested on Windows 10.
  14.06.2021 - Ver.2 - Updated conf file to fix fullscreen scaling

File Size: 963 Mb.  Install Size: 1.23 Gb.  Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ

Download


Santa Fe Mysteries: The Elk Moon Murder & Santa Fe Mysteries: Sacred Ground are © Activision
Review, Cover Design and Installer created by me

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