Shivers (video game)
| Shivers | |
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| Developer(s) | Sierra On-Line, Inc. |
| Publisher(s) | Sierra On-Line, Inc. |
| Designer(s) | Marcia Bales |
| Composer(s) | Guy Whitmore |
| Platform(s) | Windows, Mac OS |
| Release date(s) | September 30, 1995 (USA) |
| Genre(s) | Adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Distribution | CD-ROM (1) |
Shivers is a single-player horror-themed PC adventure game, released on CD-ROM by Sierra On-line on September 30, 1995. It was developed with Sierra's Creative Interpreter.
Plot
The player steps into the shoes of a teenager dared by his friends to spend the night on the grounds of a "haunted museum"—Professor Windlenot's Museum of the Strange and Unusual. Upon entering and exploring the museum, it is discovered that evil spirits known as "ixupi" are inhabiting various elements in the building, which attempt to kill the player by stealing his "life essence". The player becomes tasked with finding a way to capture all of these spirits before the sun rises (though no actual time limit is imposed on the player), avoid death at the hand of the ixupi, and bring various ghosts trapped in the museum to peace. Along the way are puzzles of varying difficulty, mazes and secret passages, all of which must be completed and explored in order to complete the game.
Graphics
The game was created using scans of watercolors - some 2500 of them - touched up in Photoshop, along with 3D Studio Max and Ultimatte. The game is notable for its impressive 74 minutes of special effects, background music and other audio. The game's Twilight Zone-style voicework creates a familiar voice commenting on the player's success or failure as he or she navigates the game.
Unlike other Sierra games which were (with the exception of Phantasmagoria) considered safe for almost all ages, Shivers contains locations and situations designed to shock the player - for example, if one stands in the wrong place for too long or touches a deadly object, the game may come to an abrupt and premature end. However, it is very simple to start off from the moment in which one made a fatal mistake, so some may consider it entertaining to lead to the untimely death of the protagonist.
Playing in first-person perspective, the game is remarkably similar in style to the Virgin Interactive/Trilobyte production, the popular The 7th Guest, which introduced this style of gaming. Specifically, the numerous complex puzzles tied into The 7th Guest audience, which contributed in part to its popularity.
Sequel
Shivers was followed in 1997 by Shivers II: Harvest of Souls.
External links
- Commercial at Retro Junk
- Shivers at the Internet Movie Database
- Shivers at MobyGames
- Shivers Reviews & Info Adventure Classic Gaming
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