Tex Murphy: Under a Killing Moon

Adventure 1994 Dos Dosbox Access Software Movie style Crime investigation Fpp Detective mystery

Dated detective themed adventure

Tex Murphy: Under a Killing Moon is yet another interesting episode in the Tex Murphy franchise. The game makes use of an interesting blend of graphics. The backgrounds, static and either drawn by hand or photographs edited to be used in game, make way for the characters which are either captured and digitized using a camera or 2D areas filled with content that has been produced by ripping off video content. For the time, this combination must have felt pretty novel and interesting but today it simply looks awkward and not at all appealing. At any rate, within this surreal environment you are going to be engaged in a detective story, trying to solve a murder case, in a Blade Runneresque future. The gameplay consists of lots of different puzzles, quick time events and other contraption feeling sequences, which, while OK the first time round, the second time you encounter you will feel bored and dulled. I cannot really recommend this game, even though it runs as a classic in some circles. Due to its graphical choices as well as the technical elements it sports, it simply feels too mechanical and too dated to be played and enjoyed thoroughly today. So, if you want to see it in action be advised!

Blade Runner's Comedic Offspring

I'm a huge fan of detective stories and science fiction. If you can imagine Blade Runner as a comedy, and think you would like it, Under A Killing Moon will be perfect for you. This game is part of a series of adventures starring a lovable loser private investigator, Tex Murphy. You don't have to buy the others to understand this game, each adventure is self contained, but if you like it, you'll probably go back and buy the others anyway. They can be purchased on either Good Old Games or from other obscure game dealers. This game is a product of its times, full motion video was still being experimented with, and 3D environments were just starting to be seen. It's about on the same technological level as the Sierra adventure-horror game, Phantasmagoria. Part of what makes this game great is that it is a labor of love, the actor who plays Tex Murphy in the full motion video scenes is also one of the game's creators. Still, like most adventure games, sometimes there's a puzzle that's a little too obscure for a sane player to solve and I recommend having a guide handy.

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