Inspired by Strugatsky brothers science fiction novel "Prisoners of Power" Akella's "Inhabited island: The Earthling" is like a breath of fresh air in the adventure games industry. Its original storyline and innovative concepts brilliantly succeed in bringing to life the "Noon Universe" and will most likely raise enough interest to make it a massive success.
In an era when space travel is accessible to virtually anyone, an amateur space explorer from Earth, Maxim Kammerer crashes with his personal craft and gets stranded on the unknown planet Saraksh. When he was younger Max used to dream about the possibility of discovering a new civilization but when the wish finally comes true it nearly kills him and this experience will forever change his life.
You barely escape from the burning spaceship and you find yourself alone on the shore, starving, almost naked and without a clear idea about what should be done next. There are certain items and hints to be found all over the landscape, but these are not really easy to spot and will require full focus; you simply can't afford to overlook any clues in order to progress to the next stage so the first part might be particularly difficult.
The interface is fairly simple and intuitive which is very useful in dealing with the concealed clues but it won't help a lot when you must solve a tricky "puzzle". As you advance in the game, there will be enough opportunities to test you IQ this way, and with no alternate routes one might find himself stuck in a place for longer than expected. Make no mistake, this is by no means an easy game but the storyline is terrific and the effort will definitely pay off.
{pagebreak}
Akella made sure that while you are trying to overcome these obstacles you'll have the chance to enjoy a cool environment, with realistic graphics and relaxing sound effects. There are more than 10 chapters and over 100 locations so variety in terms of both visual and audio effects will enhance the experience and insure the fact you'll spend some quality time while dealing with the challenging puzzles.
There are plenty of exciting features to discover as you advance deeper into the game, and encountering the inhabitants will only add flavor to your endeavor. The illusion of meeting a bunch of primitive but friendly natives is quickly shattered, instead you find yourself in the capital of a totalitarian state, searching for a way out. After years of conventional and nuclear conflict this country is governed through brutal police and military repression while the ordinary populace leads the life of privation and misery.
I don't want to ruin the surprise and I strongly believe that it is much better for everyone to discover the secrets behind "Inhabited Island: The Earthling" himself, so I'll only add that it's definitely worth spending the time solving the mystery engulfing the world of Sarraksh.
