Fade to Black Download (1995 Adventure Game)

Fade to Black, the sequel to Flashback, is pretty much the same game as the Sony Playstation counterpart. It picks up 50 years after Conrad made his daring escape from the Morph world and features many of the same elements found in Flashback. For the most part, it made the transition from 2D to 3D pretty well. It's not perfect, though, and there are a few noticeable problems.

As previously mentioned, Fade to Black is 3rd person and takes place in a 3D world, like Tomb Raider. The graphics and textures used are very pleasant looking and feature lots of detail and realism. Every level has a distinct and unique look, which really immerses players into it's world. And on every level, there's a specific goal to be reached. You'll have to search for keycards and other important items to solve some of the puzzles throughout the game. Characters and monsters all look great and realistic (well, the characters do anyway) and feature a good amount of animation. What's wrong, though? Well, because the game is in 3D, the camera can be a bit problematic at times. It's constantly zooming in and out around your character, panning from side to side; it's in constant motion. This can lead to disorientation and aggravation, especially when fighting the incredibly hard enemies. An important aspect to Fade to Black is sneaking around corners. When you do this, the camera switches to a side view of your character. No matter what you do, you cannot change it. At times, you'll be on the receiving end of cheap shots because you cannot tell where you're being shot from. And as alluded to earlier, the game is a bit difficult. Some of the enemies are just too powerful and accurate and AI seems to high. It's difficult to avoid getting hit and you'll die fairly often.

Another problem with this PC version is the control. The Sony Playstation's controller is set up nicely and favors games like this. It was very easy to maneuver Conrad and have him perform all the required actions. On the PC it's just not as easy. The keyboard set up is a bit bulky and a tad confusing. You cannot obtain the same fluid quality or feeling as you can on the Playstation.

If you can look past these, you'll find that Fade to Black is an enjoyable game. It's really fun and has a long and involved quest. The story is really good and pulls you in until the end, just as any good game should. So, if you were a fan of Flashback or are just looking for a challenging action/adventure game, Fade to Black shouldn't disappoint.

Graphics: The 3D world is very nice looking, featuring detailed and realistic textures. Everything from characters and enemies is animated very well. The FMV sequences are good, as well. The overall look of the visuals is crisper than the Sony Playstation version.

Sound: Some of the ambient effects are great and it sounds like you're actually in the Morph world.

Enjoyment: If you can look past the tricky controls, disorienting camera views and extreme challenge, Fade to Black is a decent game. The levels are nicely designed and the story is worth seeing through 'till the end.

Replay Value: Once completed, there's really no reason to go through the game again.

Fade to Black is the sequel to Flashback: the Quest for Identity. The player takes control of Conrad, the hero from Flashback who has been imprisoned by his old enemy, the Morphs. Gaining the trust and assistance of the mysterious Ancients, Conrad must fight off the Morph invasion, not knowing whom he can trust.

The game uses fully polygonal graphics for both character models and environment. The camera changes angles depending on the location of the player character, similar to the Alone in the Dark series. Conrad can use various weapons to eliminate the enemies and will also have to solve some puzzles on the way. He can not, however, perform as many moves as in Flashback; he can't climb or jump, and the only way he can potentially avoid being shot by enemies is by ducking.

How to run this game on modern Windows PC?

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Discworld, Darkseed, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers, Darkseed 2, Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within, Discworld Noir, Discworld 2: Mortality Bytes, Ecstatica