Bizarre but entertaining adventure
The legendary rock musical that is the Rocky Horror Picture Show might seem an unusual choice for a video game and in many ways, it is. However, its sheer strangeness actually works quite well on the small screen, and for fans of the musical or adventure games, this makes for an unusual experience. The game takes the form of an interactive adventure, where players must enter the home of Frank 'n' Furter in an attempt to rescue their other half. This is done by exploring the mansion, solving the various puzzles that you find within its twisted depths and collecting the nine pieces of the mysterious Demedusa Machine. Helping you out is the narrator (voiced by Christopher Lee) but hindering your progress is the 'game devil' (played by Richard O'Brien, the show's creator. Adding to the challenge is the strict time limit with only 30 minutes of real time available to complete your task. This is a surprisingly successful adaptation of the movie and musical. The puzzles on display retain the bizarre quality of the source material and are a mix of logical and crazy, but which are never less than entertaining to solve. The visuals retain the twisted charm of the originals too, with lots of detailed environments and character work that add to the appeal, while controls are a little tricky to get the hang of to start with but soon become second nature. While the game is perhaps not a classic adventure, in the league of Gabriel Knight, Discworld or Broken Sword, it remains one with a unique vision that offers a lot of entertainment if you're in the right mood.
