Sierra Studios, 1996
Lighthouse is a superb adventure game that I truly enjoyed playing, attached to the acclaimed name of Sierra Studios, the software company, which is ruling the graphical adventure game scene from almost two decades now. In this game you travel to six different worlds with completely distinctive environment and solve some of the most challenging puzzles I have ever come across in my entire adventure gaming life. The game casts you in the role of a writer living somewhere on the Oregon coast when one evening you receive a message on your answering machine from your neighbor, Dr. Krick, who has recently populated the renovated lighthouse and living there along with his infant daughter. In the message Dr. Krick asks you to reach his place as his infant daughter, Amanda is home alone and you must be there to look after her. Anyway, when you reach the lighthouse and make your way inside the lighthouse you witness that a strange Dark Being emerges into the room through a strange Vortex; grabs baby Amanda and leaps back into the strange portal. This incident happens so quickly that you have no other choice but to follow them across the portal for an out of this world experience and a long mission to rescue baby Amanda and also your neighbor from the manacles of this Dark Being.
Visually, the game is a reminiscent of original Myst but with a lot better graphics and control interface and unlike Myst, you can exchange dialogues or combat with the game characters. Puzzles are top-notch, unique and hard enough to put you really off the ground. While the game play is completely non-linear, the sound effects and music quality are very good and atmospheric. I highly recommend this game to every adventure gamer and especially to Myst fans for a lot more entertainment.
