I love adventure games.  Maybe it is the wannabe Sherlock Holmes in me (or maybe it was The Great Brain), but I love watching the plot unfold and trying to figure out where things are going…watching the connections develop.  I love that feeling, about two-thirds of the way through the game,when you finally get it.  That AHA! moment when the introduction finally makes sense. 

All of this explains why I found Fade so intriguing.  I am not exactly sure when it happened, however, at some point I declared the game absolutely impossible to figure out.  Just when you thought you understood what was going on, you entered the next scene and, seemingly, a completely new game.  Of course, I had to keep going.  I had to know how they were going to tie it all together.  Fear not, however, because believe it or not, by the end of the game, everything was wrapped up, right back to the first screen of the game, and in a way which made perfect sense.  This edge of your seat cliffhanger kept me guessing from the first moment I picked it up.  As such, it was a shoe in to make my list of "Hidden Gems" from the Smartphone and Pocket PC Best of 2007 Awards.

Installation and Registration: Installation works in the usual way.  Simply download the file and load it into your device.  There is no trial version, which is unfortunate.  I know a lot of people who will miss out on this one because they cannot try before they buy.

The Story: Let’s take a look at how the Fade Team introduces the story:

Louis knows several problems related to his past: he has amnesia, has strange dreams every night, experiences somnambulism crisis, follows a treatment for his daily headaches, and most of all, is in a very bad financial position. When his richest customer, Mr Belleville, offers him a mysterious job, he has no choice but to accept without hesitation. But soon, he’ll get into a sinister adventure that goes behind his understanding, with conspiracy, betrayal, and strange happenings.

Against his will, Louis will fall into this infernal spiral to solve the deepest mystery ever, and meet his final destiny, no matter what the price may be…

Of course, this description is only the tip of the iceberg.  What it does not mention is that Louis will periodically "fade" out, as the whole screen turns white.  When he awakens, he is typically somewhere completely new and utterly unrelated to where he has been previously in the game.  Figuring out where he is, how he arrived there and how to get away only adds to the mystery and suspense of the game.

This periodic fade to a new location (which gives the game its name) really keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the game.  I never did figure out how these seemingly unrelated pieces all fit together until the end when they were kind enough to explain it to me.  I won’t tell you the results, except to say that yes, everything is explained in a way that makes perfect sense, and it will absolutely blow you away.

Graphics and Gameplay: Gameplay in Fade is different than many adventure games.  Unlike most games which focus is primarily on the animation, Fade is made up of interactive still pictures, text and dialogue.  When I start playing, I had flashbacks to my old Apple II+ and the game Ulysses and the Golden Fleece.  After a few moments, however, I found this style of play was extremely effective. So let’s take a look.

Each screen consists of three elements: the image, four navigation icons in (what I refer to as) the navigation bat, and the text box. 

Your primary means of exploration will be through the images of each screen.  The game consists of over 450 individual screens which you can explore.  Although each screen is a fixed image, you can navigate to a certain extent throughout that image.  You can take a closer look at the items you find there, and even pick up something which you feel will be useful later, or speak with other characters whom you encounter.  Heck, in many of the screens, you can even walk around a little within the image.  Each of these screens are exceptionally well drawn, making the game a real treat for your eyes.

Beneath the image is the navigation bar, which contains the four navigation icons.  These icons, in conjunction with tapping the images, allow you to interact with the game.  The four icons (starting from the left) consist of:

• Exit to Main Menu
• Summary Log
• Inventory
• Move to the Next Screen

Beneath these icons is the text box.  This will provide a brief description of each screen.  Additionally, if you interact with any items you can learn more about them here.  Finally, as I mentioned you can speak with other characters.  Any dialogue will appear in this text box.  Typically, this will take the form of the other character speaking, and then the game providing you with the option of several different responses.  Choose the response you want and the dialogue will continue.  Of course, providing the wrong response could affect your progress through the game.

Main Menu: The Main Menu is fairly simple really.  You can access it at any time by tapping the left icon on the navigation bar (the one which resembles an assortment of drawing tools).  From here, you can start fresh with a new game, load a saved game, continue your current game, or exit the game.  As a quick aside, I just love the picture behind the main menu.  I think it is the perfect representation of the game.

Inventory and Summary: Each time you find an item in the game, it will be placed in your inventory.  To access the inventory, just push the button which looks like a toolbox.  The inventory screen actually consists of two screens.  On the right is a list of everything in your inventory.  The left side of the screen displays a picture of the item you have selected.  Tap the picture and a menu will pop up giving you the option of examining, using, or combining the item.  Select examine for a more detailed description of the item.  Selecting use will return you to the screen you had been viewing.  You can then choose any object on the screen with which to use the item.  Combine will allow you to combine the item with another item in your inventory.  This can be incredibly useful, at times and, when done correctly, will result in the creation of a new item consisting of the two original items.

If you ever get stuck, or forget what you are doing, check out the summary log.  This is the book icon.  It will keep a log of everything that happens in the game and can be a valuable resource for you as you progress through the various stages.

Moving:The final icon in the navigation bar is a door.  Tap the door and a menu will appear listing the names of adjacent screens.  Simple select where you wish to go and you will proceed to the next screen.  Additionally, you can tap that direction on the screen and you will be given the option of moving there.

Menus: As you may have noticed, this game is very menu driven.  When you tap an object on the screen, a menu appears giving you your options.  Similar menus help you use the items in your inventory, scan the summary log, and even move from one screen to the next.  This is where Fade starts to show its age (it was released in 2001).  These menus all consist of very small entries, which I found difficult to select, even with a stylus, let alone my finger.  I would love to see this menu interface updated in order to better utilize today’s devices.

Audio: I thought the audio did a great job of complimenting the images on the screen.  Because there was no true animation, the audio helped create the illusion of motion with sounds like creaking doors, car engines, ocean waves, and more.  There was no music or soundtrack, which worked just fine for me.  I think an ongoing soundtrack would have created too much clutter for this game.  I do wish, however, that there had been an in-game setting to control the volume of the audio.  As it was, the only way to mute the sound effects was to turn off the system volume, which is hardly desirable.

Saving: This is an extremely lengthy game, and the ability, not only to save, but also to return to a previous spot in the game can be critical to its completion.  Saving a game in Fade is easy, simply exit to the Main Menu and select Save Game.  You will then find three save slots.  Simply select the slot you wish to use and the game will be saved there.  To load a game later, select Load Game and you will return to the screen showing your three saved games.   Simply select the one you wish to use and you will be on your way.

Conclusion: Wow!  All I can say is wow.  As soon as I started playing Fade, I knew it would be one of the "Hidden Gems" I discovered while judging the Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine Best of 2007 Software Awards.

Despite the fact that some of the menu systems in the game are starting to show their age, the graphics are every bit as gripping as any game I have played.  Although I was initially apprehensive about the lack of animation, I found this hardly left the screens without interaction, which was critical.  There were hundreds of characters, items, and locations to inspect and interact with.  This gave the game the illusion of animation, even though there really was none.  This is one of the best adventure games I have ever played.  I was hooked from the very first screen, and didn’t stop playing until I finally figured out what the heck was going on.  As I mentioned at the beginning, I did not even come close to figuring this one out until the last moments of the game. The end implies that there will be a sequel, but none has been developed yet.  Let’s hope the Fade Team decides to do so…and soon!

Vital Stats:

Name: Fade

Developer: Fade Team

Platform: Windows Mobile 6 Professional

Other Available Platforms: Windows Mobile 2003, Windows Mobile 5

Price: $29

Available from: Fade Team

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