Waxworks

Waxworks is an excellent, yet overlooked, first-person horror RPG from the makers of blockbuster Elvira series. The plot (which is detailed in the superbly written storybook that came with the game) could well have been concocted by Lovecraft, with a dash of Hitchcockian suspense-- here it is in the company's own words:

[When] you were eight, your twin brother Alex vanished into the mine tunnels beneath Vista Forge - home of your Uncle Boris' demon-filled Waxworks. Twenty years later, Uncle Boris dies, leaving you his collection of fiendish displays - and the stupefying news that Alex is alive.

Possessed by a 500 year old family curse, your brother schemes to resurrect the undead denizens of five blood-soaked worlds of the past, present and future: 19th century London, ancient Egypt, an abandoned mine shaft, a haunted cemetery and the malevolent chambers of the Waxworks itself. Your only hope [is] to save Alex by removing the curse of an evil witch.

The game interface will be familiar to Elvira fans, with vastly improved graphics and item descriptions. As in Elvira, there is a significant amount of inventory-based puzzles, most of which require inventive use of the various macabre items throughout the game.

Combat is a simple but fun, with dozens of traditional and exotic weapons you can wield, each of which is most effective against a predictable kind of monster. With chilling atmosphere, gory graphics, and solid gameplay, Waxworks is a must play for every Lovecraft fan and anyone who likes adventure game elements in RPGs. Thumbs up!

Review By HOTUD