E3 2002: Post Mortem preshow report

Microids will unveil Post Mortem, its upcoming adventure game, at the 2002 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. The game will let players assume the role of Gus Macpherson, an American detective in post-World War I Paris who is hired by a mysterious woman to find out who murdered her sister and her brother-in-law.

The game's setting treads the line between fantasy and reality. The developers hope to tell a story that is both historically accurate and imaginative. The game is being designed so that you'll automatically be driven by a desire to solve the mystery, rather than a desire to mindlessly follow the storyline or wander around the game's areas.

Much of the investigation into the murders will involve conversations with various non-player characters. The game will use an advanced dialogue engine that lets you approach subjects in different ways and avoids the linear conversations found in most adventure games. On occasion, you may find yourself in front of a character who refuses to talk to you, and it will be up to you to find a way out of the situation.

Microids will be demonstrating a playable build of Post Mortem at the show that will include three or four of the game's environments, one of which will have dialogue. The company also plans to release a video trailer for the game. We'll post more information about the game as it becomes available.