China: The Forbidden City
| China: The Forbidden City | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Cryo Interactive Entertainment |
| Publishers | Cryo Interactive Entertainment Canal+ Multimedia Réunion des Musées Nationaux |
| Producer |
|
| Platforms | Windows, PlayStation |
| Release | 1998 |
| Genre | Adventure |
| Mode | Single-player |
China: The Forbidden City (French : Chine: Intrigue dans la Cité interdite) is a 1998 adventure video game developed by Cryo Interactive Entertainment and jointly-published by Cryo, Canal+ Multimedia and the Réunion des Musées Nationaux.
Gameplay
[edit ]China: The Forbidden City is a first person point-and-click adventure game. The player is often tasked with solving puzzles, commonly with the assistance of the in-game encyclopedia.
![[icon]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=link}
Plot
[edit ]The game is set in 1775 in the Forbidden City. Superintendent Anjing is summoned by the Qianlong Emperor in the early hours to investigate the death of chief eunuch Wang. He retrieves a letter from the Empress dowager, in which Wang reveals a conspiracy where he was forcedly implicated in the illegal copying of documents and imperial seals, part of a vast plot to kill and replace the emperor. To unravel the plot and expose the culprits, Wang has carefully dissimulated clues and confessions throughout different parts of the city, including offices, palaces, the Imperial Gardens and more.
The game features an encyclopedic mode and an interactive guide to the city.
Development
[edit ]Cryo Interactive's 1998 suite of historical adventure games (including "Egypt", "China", and "Venice") achieved a net profit up 121% to 12.6 million francs while turnover grew by 54% to 239 million francs.[1]
Voice actors
[edit ]| Character | Voice actor |
|---|---|
| Superintendent An | David Gasman |
| Lady Shouxiu | Karen Strassman |
| Great Councillor Yu | Jerry Di Giacomo |
| Superintendent Da | Leslie Clack |
| Prince Yong | Gay Marshall |
| Master Wei | Allan Wenger |
| Director Li | Steve Gadler |
| Assessor Yang | Christian Erickson |
| Lady Fu | Sharon Mann |
| Chief Ma | Ian Marshall |
| Chief Wen | James Shuman |
| Chief Jin | Michael Morris |
| Emperor Qianlong | Leslie Clack |
| Chao | Christian Erickson |
| Hua Bao | Gay Marshall |
| Chief Wang | Ian Marshall |
| August Empress Douairiere | Gay Marshall |
| Chief Lu | Jerry Di Giacomo |
| Keeper of the August Seals | Michael Morris |
| Meilin | Gay Marshall |
| Guards | Allan Wenger |
| Officials | Steve Gadler |
Reception
[edit ]| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| PC Gaming World | 4/10[2] |
According to Cryo Interactive's marketing manager Mattieu Saint-Dennis, China: The Forbidden City sold 210,000 units in Europe alone by December 2000. Of this number, France accounted for 60,000 copies. Michel Richard of the Réunion des Musées Nationaux noted that China ultimately "lost money", which the team blamed on the game's setting.[3]
Jeux video argued that the encyclopedia featured within the title is more valuable than the game itself.[4] Adventure Gamers described the game as "calm, languid, elegant, oriental".[5] Les Echose praised the game's technical prowess and breathtaking 3D.[6] Metzomagic found it off that some of the character spoke with a Scottish accent.[7] La Nacion felt the title could have an application for parents to help their kids study.[8] MeriStation felt it was an adequate game while not pushing any boundaries, and that it was identical in gameplay to Cryo Interactive's Versailles 1685 which had been released a month earlier.[9] Just Adventure praised the title for being "entertainingly immersive and educational".[10]
References
[edit ]- ↑ "Cryo introduira sa filiale Internet en Bourse avant la fin de l'année". lesechos.fr (in French). 13 April 2000. Retrieved 2019年02月13日.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Houghton, Gordon (April 19, 1999). "Forbidden City Review". PC Gaming World . Archived from the original on June 5, 2000.
- ↑ Silva, Beatriz Vieira da (October 2001). "Interviews". Culturtainment - a New Interactive Entertainment Genre (PDF) (MSc). Faculty of Social and Human Sciences. pp. A 20–A 27. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 17, 2018.
- ↑ "Test Chine: Intrigue Dans La Cité Interdite sur PS1". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). 15 October 1999. Archived from the original on 2019年03月19日. Retrieved 2019年02月13日.
- ↑ "China Review". Adventure Gamers. 19 May 2002. Archived from the original on 2017年04月28日. Retrieved 2019年02月13日.
- ↑ "De la Bible à Tintin Chine, intrigue dans la Cité interdite". lesechos.fr (in French). 21 December 1998. Archived from the original on 2019年02月28日. Retrieved 2019年02月13日.
- ↑ "China: Intrigue in the Forbidden City Review by metzomagic.com". www.metzomagic.com. Archived from the original on 2020年09月30日. Retrieved 2019年02月13日.
- ↑ "China, crimen en la Ciudad Prohibida". www.lanacion.com.ar (in Spanish). 1999年08月23日. Retrieved 2019年02月13日.[permanent dead link ]
- ↑ "China (PlayStation)". MeriStation (in Spanish). 2012年03月14日. Archived from the original on 2024年12月11日. Retrieved 2019年02月13日.
- ↑ "China: The Forbidden City - Just Adventure + Review". 2003年06月04日. Archived from the original on 2003年06月04日. Retrieved 2019年02月13日.
External links
[edit ]- China: The Forbidden City at MobyGames
- China: The Forbidden City at Behind The Voice Actors