Director(s) Hiroyuki Naruhama Mode(s) Single-player Developer System Sacom Publishers Sega, Atlus | Programmer(s) Howard Delman Initial release date 28 June 1996 Platform Sega Saturn | |
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Artist(s) Noriko Takeda and Koh Okamura Writer(s) Kenji Takemoto (story), Kenichi Tanigawa and Nobuhiro Miura (English version) Designers Kenji Takemoto, Nobuhiro Miura, Noriko Takeda Genres Adventure game, Interactive movie Similar System Sacom games, Adventure games | ||
Gekka Mugentan Torico (月花霧幻譚 Torico), also known simply as Torico is an adventure game developed by System Sacom and originally published by Sega for the Sega Saturn in 1996. The title was released under the title Lunacy in North America. Torico is an interactive movie adventure with a simple interface and many complex puzzles. The game is primarily a long series of interconnecting FMV sequences.
Contents
Storyline
As Torico opens, a traveler called Fred finds himself imprisoned in Misty Town jail. He came to the village in search of answers to his past, a past of which he has no recollection. On his head, he bears a crescent shaped tattoo. In his cell, Fred meets the strange and seemingly all-knowing Anthony, who tells him of the legends of the City of Moons. It is said that the road to the City lies through the Misty Town. Anthony offers him the key to his cell, but after an attempted escape, Fred quickly finds himself back in the hands of Lord Gordon, the ruthless town ruler.
Lord Gordon condemns the traveler to death, but offers him a chance to save his life. If he can find the entrance to the City of Moons he will be spared. Fred begins his search for the fabled city, shadowed by Lord Gordon's sadistic henchman Jade. Throughout the village he meets the various people that populate the Misty Town, such as the irritable Dr. Morse, the soft-spoken Rose, and the melancholic Gray. A dried up well may or may not hold the key to his mystery and as his quest unfolds, Fred's path will lead him across various items that may serve one magical function or another. Matches, oil, treesap and red paint prove to be an integral part of the puzzle...
Characters
The inhabitants of Misty Town
The inhabitants of the City of Moons
Gameplay
Torico is set on two major locations: Misty Town and the City of Moons. Correspondingly, the game is divided into two discs. Once the player finishes disc 1, disc 2 can be accessed and continues from there.
Although the game maintains the illusion of free three-dimensional movement, in reality each action loads a pre-scripted FMV sequence. Gameplay is essentially restricted to moving left and right, forward and backward or moving in to examine certain objects. The story is followed through first person perspective. Some events may not trigger until Fred has spoken to one of the townspeople. Items can be collected and every important encounter is stored in a memory log. The player can save progress anywhere, anytime.
While the storyline of disc 1 follows a fairly linear course, disc 2 allows for multiple outcomes to the game, depending on what choices the player makes at a given moment or which items are used.
Miscellaneous
The number 4 seems to hold some significance in Torico. The gateway to the City of Moons can only be accessed once every four years. Correspondingly, the wind blows only once every four years in Misty Town. In the City of Moons, the object is to free four butterflies, each of which connects roughly to one of the four elements: earth, water, wind and fire (light). When Fred descends into the well to find the gateway to the City of Moons it is these four elements that open the portal when brought together.
Anthony seems to be the only character unaffected by the City of Moons, as he is not imprisoned when he arrives nor does he suffer from amnesia after he leaves.
A number of hidden bonus movies can be accessed after the game is completed by re-inserting disc 1 and entering the code x, y, z, a, b, c, l, r at the title screen. Depending on the outcome of the main game, the player will get to see 1 or 5 movies, among others the hidden sequence where Zaboo reveals her past.
Reviews
Diehard GameFan gave the game an average 91 out of 100 rating to an import copy. The reviewers said the game (along with D) was a rare example of an FMV game done right, praising the graphics, music and setting.
GameSpot gave the American release a mixed review, with reviewer Glenn Rubenstein saying that it was not really a game. However, he praised the dialogue, which he described as "David Lynch meets David Mamet" and called the game a "twisted version of Myst". He scored the title a 5.8 out of 10 and wrote that it "makes up for its lack of interactivity with sheer entertainment value."