Can a game seem so real that you can not distinguish between it and real-life? The short answer is no. Although Majestic attempts to do just that, and it certainly is a noble effort.
That's not to say that Majestic is a failure straight out of the box. Short of a holodeck, this may be an impossible goal, today's technology is good, but not that good. Then again, Majestic doesn't rely on hardware muscle as most of today's games do. The "game engine" is a combination of web pages, emails, AOL Instant Messages, and even actual phone calls and faxes. The only semblance of a traditional game engine is a small client that delivers these events to you at the correct time and tracks your progress.
So how real is it? Unless you're already working for the CIA, you shouldn't have any trouble telling the game's story apart from whatever's going on in your life. Partly because the content is so out there, but also because no one's ever been fooled by a bot. And that's the game's Achille's Heel. A lot of the story is relayed by streaming video. In these videos you watch your allies as they get more entangled in the ongoing conspiracy and ask for your help. Watching these can get pretty exciting, but then there's the moments where you're supposed to interact with them. This is done through AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). Using AOL IM to stop a global government conspiracy is already somewhat preposterous, but what makes it really bad is that you never talk to a real game character in the flesh. I admit that it's a pretty tall order to have game staffing almost around the clock, but the bots are so stuck on rails it's not funny. There's no way to have a normal conversation with any of them unless you stick to the script- which you don't have. Even asking how someone is doing doesn't get the right response. If you're lucky the bot will tell you they don't have time to chat, but at worst case the bot gets mad and takes off. And once the bots decide to end a chat (usually done with robotic abruptness) you can not get them back on again.
The phone calls come off even worse. First, I have to admit, getting a phone call from your game is a good freak you out gag. Here's a recommendation: if you have a cell phone, let the game call it. I was visiting a friend's new house when my phone goes off with a call from a traumatized scientist. Surprise moments like that almost make you want to rush to a PC and take care of new events the game throws at you. But what sucks is that you're talking to a recorded message and after 2 of these, the novelty is long gone.
That's the worst of the game's shortcomings, and as annoying as they are, once you get used to it the game is actually enjoyable. First of all the Majestic client is easy to use and light-weight enough to be super stable. Second is the fact that the game is saved by its users. Chatting with other players is as fun as anything else in the game especially when you work together to figure out what the next clue may be and where to find it. Once in a while you'll encounter players a little too immersed in the whole thing, but it's always fun to jump into someone else's paranoia for a while. I recommend pretending everything's real in these situations- they tend to go a bit berserk.
But going through the tasks of finding clues and making sense of them is fun. Most of this is done through web surfing (the game "knows" when you've seen the clue). The idea is that any web site out there is fair play for game content but anyone who can read a URL won't be fooled. If the game points you to a bogus site, the URL always gives it away. It's still fun to follow them sometimes and you'll be amazed at the level of realism that went into the writing of the game's plot when you see certain elements corroborated on external sites.
In the game's pilot episode the basic premise is one of a government conspiracy to hide the truth behind a mind control project by destroying those exposed to the information. I don't want to give too much away, so I'll simply add that even a casual X-Files watcher is going to feel at home with the plot. The pilot story is filled with plot twists and suspense- just about everyone who plays is going to get suckered by some of the story elements.
Again, the game doesn't stand out technologically like other games do. You're dealing with a typical online client, watching videos, and surfing the web for the most part. The graphics involved here are good and do help to convince you of the validity of the sites you visit. The video quality is actually outstanding, especially for those with broadband. Lots of effects are mixed in with these to simulate bad transmissions or encryption. The video production alone tops it all, though. EA seems to have spared no expense: calling in extras where needed, renting out fire trucks and pyrotechnics. Even the acting is good (gasp). How many games can't even muster up a good voice actor?
Majestic is available as a download or boxed up. Definitely go for the download and do the free pilot episode. If you decide to keep playing there's no need for the hardcopy since the game is all delivered online and you can't play through the episodes multiple times (without paying again). But it's worth a try, especially when so many games are devoid of any originality. This game dares to be different, and in a big way.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.