Shivers 2: Harvest of Souls

Copyright: KBkids.com

Shivers 2 appears much more gory than it really is. Yes, this game is creepy and eerie, but the box makes it look more gory and 'offensive' than it really is.

You have arrived on your trusty dirt bike in the town of Cyclone, in hopes of finding your friends. They are members of a rock group called Trip Cyclone, and have mysteriously disappeared. You soon find that this small Arizona town is anything but ordinary. For one thing, it is all but deserted! There is a mysterious canyon nearby with petroglyphs that are not quite what they seem. Several of these innocent drawings are actually your friends! Others are evil demons you will want to watch out for. It is up to you to solve the mysteries surrounding this creepy town and it's inhabitants.

The music, graphics and gameplay here are wonderful. 360 degree motion allows you to move around in a very natural manner. The game has a decidedly eerie feeling. There is always the feeling that something is about to happen, or something is about to jump out at you. Usually it is! Sounds often emanate from their real position, giving the game a very realistic feel.

As you wander through the town of Cyclone, you will pick up objects, collect information, and try to piece together puzzles, which will ultimately help you free your friends. You are 'guided' by a ghost, and constantly hounded by the evil Darkcloud. Clues can be found anywhere, including cryptic ones within the rock video sequences left by your friends. The adventure involves a lot of thinking, rather than shoot-em-up skill. Many difficult puzzles will stretch your brain to its limit. The logic puzzles are very difficult and can be extremely time consuming.

The puzzles you will be asked to solve throughout the program involve tangrams, puzzles with ever-changing pieces, mazes that never stay the same, and a few codes which need to be broken. This is a great program for those who thrive on solving puzzles. Just in case they are too hard, there is a button which allows you to skip past a given puzzle...for wimps only! If you like Internet play, you will like the chat icon included. This does not make the game 'multiplayer,' but allows you to chat with other players through the Internet as they are playing their game. This makes the game somewhat 'cooperative.'

Each of twelve puzzles must be finished in order to return twelve prayer sticks to their rightful place on the altar. This program goes far beyond it's puzzles, however, and requires Myst-like problem solving skills. There is much more required here than simply solving a few tough puzzles. Several different endings may extend the games replay value for those determined few. You may find your next trip to Native American ruins a bit scarier than you anticipated!

Bottom Line: Wonderful program for those who don't mind a very eerie atmosphere and enjoy solving puzzles. The atmosphere is the bread and butter of this program!

While difficult to find in stores any longer, you can still find copies directly from Sierra (while they last) http://www.sierra.com/store/quicksheet?SKU=8317410200