Initial release date 1992 Platforms Philips CD-i, DOS, MS-DOS | Developer Coktel Vision | |
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Publishers Coktel Vision, Sierra Entertainment, Philips Interactive Media, Philips Média France Similar Coktel Vision games, Adventure games | ||
Inca is a 1992 computer game developed by Coktel Vision and published by Sierra On-Line. A sequel, Inca II: Nations of Immortality, was released in 1994.
Contents
The game describes the conflict between Incas and Spaniards in a sci-fi, space opera setting.
Gameplay
Inca combines many different genres including space combat simulator and adventure game. Some levels are purely shooting, some have maze exploration, or include inventory-based puzzles or riddles.
Game progress is marked with numerical passcodes that are given after specific points of the game (12 in the disc version, 16 in the CD), allowing the player to resume playing from that chapter.
Plot
Huayna Capac, last grand Inca, after 500 years of his death, prepares a warrior called El Dorado to bring three gems of Time, Energy and Matter; and fight Aguirre, the Spanish leader. The action begins in an asteroid space station called Paititi (its surface is marked with lines similar to the Nazca lines) from which Eldorado hurls to space flying a Tumi-shaped spaceship.
The quest will bring him dodging asteroids, dogfighting with Spanish spaceships, fighting his way through mazes and performing puzzles (rituals) to summon the mummy of Pachacutec the Renovator for hints. The directions will lead him to the statues of the "Founders of Huaca", Mama Ocllo and Manco Capac, who will give him the Jewel of Time. On his way back, he is captured on board the Spanish mothership (actually a Galleon flying in space) trying to escape.
Afterwards he will rid Paracas (a moon marked by a shape similar to the Paracas Candelabra) from Spanish ships and he will meet the Aclla who will acknowledge him as the new Sapa Inca and give him the Jewel of Matter.
The Jewel of Energy is guarded by Mayans on a planet. After wandering in a maze and passing through puzzles, Eldorado will reach the "Intihuatana of Machu Picchu" where he will claim the final jewel. Afterwards he will use them in combination to solve the final puzzle and be awarded the sacred tumi, sign of his anointment as son of the sun.
In the final stage Eldorado finds himself again in Aguirre's galleon, where the two duel against each other.
CD version
Originally released in diskettes, the game was also released as a "Multimedia CD". That version of the game provides some longer or additional cutscenes and an updated soundtrack (as well as full voiceover soundtrack) in Audio CD format, read directly from the disc; the introduction features the song "Inca People" by J.M. Marrier composed for the game.
The game in the CD version is divided in 16 chapters instead of 12, allowing the player to resume to more specific checkpoints.
The Mayan level has an additional area with more puzzles.
Sequel
A sequel was released the next year, under the name Inca II: Wiracocha, in which the player controls Eldorado and Aclla's son, Atahualpa.
Reception
Computer Gaming World stated that despite excellent audio and good graphics "the game failed to achieve its full potential", with abrupt arcade sequences interrupting the story; "As a result, Inca comes across as a loosely strung together series of action sequences, mazes and puzzles", which would "not strongly appeal to either action gamers or adventurers". The magazine advised purchasing another Sierra game and the Inca soundtrack on CD. Reviewing the CD-i version, GamePro praised the "outstanding, imaginative story line that spans time and space" and the "cool, magical music punctuated by South American flute tunes", but commented that the poor controls and frequent load times slow the game to a crawl.