Reah: Face the Unknown

Reah
Developer(s)
  • Project Two Interactive
  • Black Friar
Publisher(s) Detalion, LK Avalon
Engine V-Cruise
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows Edit this on Wikidata
Release 1998
Genre(s) Adventure, puzzle

Reah: Face the Unknown is a 1998 first-person puzzle-oriented adventure game with a non-linear plot, described as a Myst-clone. It was developed by Project Two Interactive / Black Friar and published by Detalion and LK Avalon. It was distributed by Erbe in Spain in October 10, 1998.[1] It was published by Project 2 Interactive in the Netherlands, and distributed in the U.S. and Canada by GT Interactive.[2]

The game was originally made in the Polish language before being dubbed into English, and has subtitles available in English, German, French, Dutch, Italian and Spanish.[3] A sequel of the game was released entitled Schizm: Mysterious Journey (a.k.a. Reah II).[4][5][6][7] The game was originally released in two different formats: a CD version and a DVD version.[8] It was later released on the Internet by Gog.com.

Development

Conception

The game was developed in Poland by LK Avalon and Detalion.[8] The Detalion founders had met in the early 1990s while collaborating with Polish developer-publisher LK Avalon, and soon began working on ambitious projects like A.D. 2044 and Reah: Face the Unknown. Around this time, Detalion was known as a developer of surreal, Myst-like games with "phantasmagorical, fantastic worlds".[9][9] The game was intentionally designed to be non-violent so as to appeal to a broader range of players.[10] The full-time team who worked on Reah and its sequel, Schizm: Mysterious Journey, consisted of six people, though the productions had an extended roster of hired help including actors, text writers, and sound designers.[9] Resources were increased in later games due to the industry standards of professional outsourcers, localization and animation studios, while maintaining both quality and low costs.[9]

Production

The game used the V-Cruise gaming engine,[10] the QMixer sound engine licensed from QSound Labs, and the DVD-ROM version used MP3s from Fraunhofer Institut.[11] Once the gameplay and text were completed by the in-house staff, it was sent to the relevant people to flesh out. However, the staff felt a sense of confusion and uncertainty about their work, and decided that in the future they would hire a professional sci-fi writer to develop the story from the very early stages of production.[9] While this was not the case with Reah, Detalion decided that as a rule of thumb, the story writer should also be the gameplay author.[9]

As the Polish video gaming industry was still in its infant stages, everyone involved in the production knew each other. There were no tertiary courses to teach people the required skills, so they learnt while making games with more experienced colleagues. The small teams in the production of games such as Reah had no issues with communication or bureaucracy that appear in larger organisations.[9]

Release

The Computer Show thought the game could have been a surprise hit upon its original proposed release date of April 1998.[12] PC Action announced the game would be released in August 1998.[13] However, PC Zone noted that they had still not received a copy of the game by January 1999, remarking that such was usually indicative of one of two things: that the game is bad and the company is therefore scared to have it sent off for review before it is sold, and that they hadn't yet decided on release dates.[14]

Project Two Interactive revealed in May 1999 that the DVD version of the game would be released in retail outlets in June through GT Interactive Software's affiliate label program.[15] This version was 10 gigabytes with a compression ratio of 50%, compared to the CD-ROM version which was 3.6 gigabytes over six discs with a compression ratio of 80%. This made the DVD version one of the largest games in the market[16][17] when it was officially shipped on June 16.[18][19]

Author Terry Dowling, who was playing Reah at the time, contacted Detalion and was propositioned with writing the sci-fi story of the sequel, Schizm, which he accepted.[9]

The game went out of print for a number of years,[20] until October 24, 2017 when GOG.com made Reah: Face the Unknown and Schizm: Mysterious Journey available without digital rights management restrictions.[21]

Gameplay

The game is a first-person perspective puzzle-oriented adventure game.[8] Elements of the gameplay have been compared to Myst, Riven, The 7th Guest, The 11th Hour, and Zork Nemesis.[22][23] The game has over 150 scenarios, a supernatural-sounding musical landscape, and a non-linear plot.[24]

Plot

The main player is stranded at a human colony base of a planet named Reah which had been set up to investigate an alien artifact. The player must return home to reveal their shocking discoveries.[25]

Critical reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
IGNMediocre[26][27]
Just Adventure (February 2001 review)A−[28]
Just Adventure (November 2001 review)C−[29]
Game RevolutionC+[30]
PC MagNegative[31]
Adventure Gamers3 out of 5[32][33]
The Adrenaline Vault4 stars out of 5[34][35][36]
Gamespot4.9/10[37]
Game VortexPositive[38]
Games Domain (November 1998 review)Negative[23]
Games Domain (April 1999 review)Negative[39]
PC Powerplay issue 3278%[40]
GamePro2 out of 5[41]
CD Mag2.5 stars out of 5[42]
Gamespot4.9[43]
Game Revolution2.5/5[44]
Meristation7.7/10[45][46][47]

The game received mixed reviews from critics. The general consensus was that the scenery was beautiful and detailed, while the writing and plot were underdeveloped and without forward momentum. Reviews regarding the puzzles and gameplay mechanics were mixed. However most critics felt that despite the downsides, they ultimately had an enjoyable experience.

When reviewing Schizm, Just Adventure's Cindy Kyser commented that the prequel Reah was "a visually stunning yet dismal game [design and writing] that ranks high on my personal list of 'worst of genre' ", adding that Schizm "corrects almost every flaw that made Reah so painful to play".[48] Tap Repeatedly criticised the game's "three too-too-hard endgame puzzles" which when completed led to an unclimactic resolution, and thought that Detalion had committed the same error in Schizm.[49] IGN did not appreciate a topless full-motion video shot in the game,[50] and would imply in 2000 that the game was not remembered by the public.[51]

While the game is not pronounced "Rear", it has been misinterpreted that way in parts of the gaming community, leading to the suggestion that the game is associated with the buttocks.[52]

References

  1. ↑ https://translate.google.com.au/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://meristation.as.com/pc/reah/juego/1506406&prev=search
  2. ↑ "Reah: Face the Unknown by Project 2 Interactive & LK Avalon. Reviewed by Suzanne Houghton". 2001-04-16. Archived from the original on 2001-04-16. Retrieved 2017-12-25.
  3. ↑ "reah". 20 April 2001. Archived from the original on 20 April 2001.
  4. ↑ "Mr. Bill's Game Reviews". 15 August 2000. Archived from the original on 15 August 2000.
  5. ↑ http://www.mrbillsadventureland.com/reviews/q-r/reahR/reahR.htm
  6. ↑ "New Games On the Horizon". 15 August 2000. Archived from the original on 15 August 2000.
  7. ↑ "SCHIZM Start Page". 31 August 2000. Archived from the original on 31 August 2000.
  8. 1 2 3 http://www.detalion.com/reah/game.html
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Lukasz Pisarek - City Interactive - Interview - Adventure Classic Gaming - ACG - Adventure Games, Interactive Fiction Games - Reviews, Interviews, Features, Previews, Cheats, Galleries, Forums". www.adventureclassicgaming.com. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  10. 1 2 "Reah - game". 6 June 2000. Archived from the original on 6 June 2000.
  11. ↑ "Reah - features". 6 April 2001. Archived from the original on 6 April 2001.
  12. ↑ "Reah: Face the Unknown by Al Giovetti". 2011-10-10. Archived from the original on 2011-10-10. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  13. ↑ PC Action Magazine (September 1998) (in German). September 1998.
  14. ↑ "PC Zone - Issue 072 (1999-01)(Dennis Publishing)(GB)". 1 January 1999 – via Internet Archive.
  15. ↑ http://au.ign.com/articles/1999/03/16/space-sim-ships
  16. ↑ "Reah DVD Coming in Early June News". 2005-02-08. Archived from the original on 2005-02-08. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  17. ↑ "The Games Room - Reah". 12 April 2001. Archived from the original on 12 April 2001.
  18. ↑ "Project Two Ships Reah on DVD News". 2005-02-08. Archived from the original on 2005-02-08. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  19. ↑ http://au.ign.com/articles/1999/06/17/news-briefs-297
  20. ↑ "Reah - game". 16 March 2012. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012.
  21. ↑ "Release: Reah: Face the Unknown & Schizm: Mysterious Journey". GOG.com. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  22. ↑ "IT Reviews - PC games, PlayStation games, Nintendo 64 games - Review of Reah (Black Friar)". 4 March 2001. Archived from the original on 4 March 2001.
  23. 1 2 "Reah: Face the Unknown - Review". 16 April 2001. Archived from the original on 16 April 2001.
  24. ↑ "3D Planet s.r.l." 21 February 1999. Archived from the original on 21 February 1999.
  25. ↑ "Reah Face the Unknown on PC Games - Yahoo! Games Domain". 4 January 2005. Archived from the original on 4 January 2005.
  26. ↑ "Reah". IGN. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  27. ↑ Staff, I. G. N. (19 April 1999). "Reah".
  28. ↑ "Review: Reah". 22 February 2001. Archived from the original on 22 February 2001.
  29. ↑ "Review: Reah". 16 November 2001. Archived from the original on 16 November 2001.
  30. ↑ "Reah - PC Review - Game Revolution". 16 April 2001. Archived from the original on 16 April 2001.
  31. ↑ Inc, Ziff Davis (9 March 1999). "PC Mag". Ziff Davis, Inc. – via Google Books.
  32. ↑ "Reah: Face the Unknown - Adventure Gamers". 25 October 2004. Archived from the original on 25 October 2004.
  33. ↑ https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/17491
  34. ↑ "The Adrenaline Vault - Review - Reah". 12 April 2001. Archived from the original on 12 April 2001.
  35. ↑ "The Adrenaline Vault - Review - Reah". 26 April 2001. Archived from the original on 26 April 2001.
  36. ↑ "The Adrenaline Vault - Review - Reah". 28 May 2001. Archived from the original on 28 May 2001.
  37. ↑ "Reah Review for PC at GameSpot". 13 February 2005. Archived from the original on 13 February 2005.
  38. ↑ "Reah: Face The Unknown". www.gamevortex.com.
  39. ↑ "Reah: Face The Unknown, Second Opinion - Games Domain Review". 2 January 2003. Archived from the original on 2 January 2003.
  40. ↑ Next Publishing Pty Ltd (1 January 1999). "PC Powerplay Issue 032" – via Internet Archive.
  41. ↑ "Reah: An Atmospheric Adventure Game Review for PC on GamePro.com". 7 January 2006. Archived from the original on 7 January 2006.
  42. ↑ "Reah Review". 8 February 2005. Archived from the original on 8 February 2005.
  43. ↑ Poole, Stephen (24 May 1999). "Reah Review".
  44. ↑ "A REAH-ality Trip Review - GameRevolution".
  45. ↑ http://meristation.as.com/pc/reah/analisis-juego/1506406
  46. ↑ http://meristation.as.com/pc/reah/analisis-juego/1506406?browserOutputType=mobile&p=1
  47. ↑ http://meristation.as.com/pc/reah/analisis-juego/1506406?browserOutputType=mobile&p=2
  48. ↑ Kyser, Cindy. "Schizm (Mysterious Journey) - CD Version Review". justadventure.com.
  49. ↑ http://www.tap-repeatedly.com/Reviews/Schizm/Schizm.shtml
  50. ↑ http://au.ign.com/articles/2000/11/14/project-three-interactive-signs-first-game
  51. ↑ http://au.ign.com/articles/2000/11/02/project-two-returns-from-the-dead
  52. ↑ "PC Zone - Issue 073 (1999-02)(Dennis Publishing)(GB)". 1 February 1999 – via Internet Archive.
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