The Journeyman Project 2


Buried In Time

featuring Michele Scarabelli as Agent 3

box01In 2308, Earth was visited by an alien race known as Cyrollans who invited Earth to become part of a consortium of space-faring races known as the Symbiotry of Peaceful Beings. Earth was given just ten years to decide. In the meantime Elliot Sinclair had built a prototype time machine which was scrapped after it’s first voyage. The time machine was secretly reconstructed in the Temporal Security Annex for the purposes of safe-guarding history. Fearing a Cyrollan invasion, Dr Sinclair sent androids back in time to alter Earth’s history and thus make Earth a less likely target for invasion. If his plan failed, Sinclair was prepared to assassinate the Cyrollan ambassador.
Gage Blackwood, Agent 5 of the Temporal Security Agency, went back in time and discovered Sinclair’s plans. With the doctor defeated, Earth was accepted into the Symbiotry of Peaceful Beings.
In Buried In Time you are Gage Blackwood with an impressive and heroic record as Agent 5 of the TSA. As the game opens, you are approached by a time traveller in a familiar temporal jump-suit. Agent 5 (yourself) has jumped back in time from ten years in the future. He (you) has been framed and charged with altering Earth’s history. When your future-self is taken back to the prison, you must use his (your) jump-suit to travel through time looking for crucial evidence that will clear your name and discover the true identity of those who have framed you.

Earth’s future is in your hands!

“For, if you fail, the truth will lie forever BURIED IN TIME.”

bitvid1Buried In Time is a graphical adventure game with a difference. To begin with it is non-linear in that one event doesn’t necessarily have to follow another. Set in many different worlds, you can “jump” to each world at any time you wish. This is a great boon when you find yourself in a bit of a jam (which, unless you are an accomplished “gamer”, you probably will).
The game-play is engrossing with impressive visuals and enough puzzles to keep all but the die-hard enthusiast occupied for a time. Buried In Time has incredible music and this, together with the sparkling visual sets (spectacular worlds such as Leonardo Da Vinci’s studio; a besieged medieval castle in the time of King Richard the Lionheart; wonderful Mayan pyramids; together with a majestic, although battered, space-station) make for an altogether breath-taking atmosphere.

Even if you’re not much of a games-player, Buried In Time plays so much like an interactive film that you barely realise that you’re playing a game.

THE MICHELE SCARABELLI FACTOR

Michele forms part of the cast of professional actors as she plays Michelle Visard, Temporal Security Agent 3. Seeing a familiar face in amongst unfamiliar surroundings adds enormously to the reality of the game.

To discuss Michele’s role any further would destroy much of the suspense of the game. Therefore, if you wish to play the game and, hence, remain in suspense for a time, please do not click the following link.

If you do not wish to remain in suspense, read on!

bitvid2Michele appears in three major scenes (not counting the occasional glimpse of Agent 3’s jump-suit vanishing through time). Initially you will find her when you check for Gage’s (your) messages on the video answerphone. Michelle Visard appears to be on the side of good as she talks about the game of Gravball that she beat you in. What she says here should be noted for future use.

As you reach the end of the game, you should have in your possession an environmental cartridge which you can use to review more evidence to support your case.

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The recording continues as Michelle Visard goes onto list the four objects that the viewer should have. Of course, the viewer was never intended to be Gage Blackwood. So who was supposed to benefit from this information?

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As Michelle continues, she goes on to explain how to recreate the time-travel technology.

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While you are distracted, the real Agent 3 jumps to your apartment and…ZAP!

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You awake to find yourself trapped and with your jump-suit disabled. You are helpless in the face of Agent 3.

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As Michelle reviews the evidence that you have collected, she explains to you her motives.

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During her time-travelling, Michelle realised the alarming propensity humanity has for war. As such she has reached such a state of concern that she feels the time-travelling facility should be made available to all aliens and not just Earth.

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The people her “contact” represents feels the same way and so she has teamed up with them to ensure that time travel technology is available to all.

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As Agent 3 prepares to tie up loose ends – such as mind-wiping you, Gage’s little AI-buddy Arthur has discovered a way to foil her plans and send her away in time.

After this you must defeat Agent 3’s “contact”…

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It’s a bit of shame really when you realise Michelle‘s motives are really not based on evil. It seems a hollow victory that you had to destroy someone who only wanted to stop war.

These motives will probably come into question in… The Journeyman Project 3 : Legacy of Time