Twinsen's Odyssey
Sold Out		(Win95/Win98) or (DOS) (Retail) (TWINSODYDR)

Adeline Software International / ActiVision

Game

Suitable for all audiences

Ratings:

4/5 from The Adventure Collective

Where Your Imagination Goes
After It Leaves Your Head

Twinsen, the plucky hero of Relentless, returns to face his greatest challenge ever. When strange aliens arrive from a neighboring planet and begin kidnapping magicians and children, Twinsen uncovers a diabolical plot to obliterate his homeworld. In an epic adventure that will propel him across the galaxy, Twinsen must defeat the aliens and their evil god, the Dark Monk, and save his planet.

Adventure of a Lifetime From Frederick Raynal, the world-renowned creator of Alone in the Dark and Relentless, this epic game is twice the size of the groundbreaking original, spanning 200 fully-explorable location on three planets.

Eye-Popping 3D Graphics. The proprietary game engine renders each scene with up to 10,000 polygons, complex texture maps, Gouraud shading and realistic lighting effects.

The Many Faces of Twinsen. The easy-to-use interface allows complete freedom of movement, multiple camera angles, and control over Twinsen's four behavior modes.

Cast of Colorful Characters. Interact with 225 wildly original 3-D characters rendered in real-time, such as Paratrooping Hot Dogs, Freedom-Fighting Bugs and Sniper Cacti. Stunning 3-D cinematic sequences advance the story.

Mosquibees - A combination of a bee and a mosquito, these flyers have long trumpet noses and carry rapid firing gun-type weapons. The Mosquibees live in the under-gas of the planet Zeelich and are the "freedom fighters" who battle the evil of the Dark Monk. Their village is a magnificent cocoon anchored on the rocky hills of Zeelich.

Rabbibunnies - A cross between a mouse and a rabbit, these high strung characters have a wide range of skills that make them great magicians and wizards in addition to store owners and thieves. They live on the planet Twinsun.

Knartas - Where else would a race of "sausage" people live than in structures that look like inverted hotdog buns. They are blue-collar walking hotdogs that refine the gems extracted in the lava mines, and convert them into the fuel gazogem. (Gazogem powers all the vehicles of Zeelich). In addition to working in the mines, knartas are aslo employed as guards, policemen and other power wielding positions.

Sups - The prototypical alien with a traingular shaped head. The Sups live in the upper city of Otringal on Zeelich and are the planet's intellectual elite. When on Twinsun, Sup jobs range from body guards and secret service ("Men in Black" look) to ambassadors. As ambassadors they are polite and friendly, but sometimes too friendly, as they have ulterior motives.

Beyond Your Wildest Imagination Lie Three Extraordinary Surreal Worlds. Learn magic from a Rabbibunny sorcerer. Gamble with a Gloum. Go spelunking with a Blafard. Outsmart the mysterious Sups. Fly a UFO with Grobo. Beat those pesky Knartas. Hold court with a Mosquibee Queen. Heal your sick friend Dino-Fly.

Requirements:

Windows 95 or MS-DOS: 100% IBM PC-compatible computer, U.S. version operating system, Quad-speed CD-ROM drive (600K/second sustained transfer rate), 35 MB of uncompressed hard disk space, 256-colors SVGA 640 x 480 graphics with a VESA local bus (VLB) or PCI video card, 100% Sound Blaster 16-compatible sound card (for digital and general MIDI audio).

Additional System Requirements for MS-DOS: Microsoft MS-DOS 6.22 operating system, 486 DX4/100 MHz processor, 8 MB RAM.

Additional System Requirements for Windows 95: A 100% Windows 95-compatible computer system (including compatible 32-bit drivers for CD-ROM drive, video card, sound card and input devices), Microsoft Windows 95 operating system, Pentium processor, 16 MB RAM. Note: The Windows 95 version requires your system to have the latest Windows 95 drivers that can fully support Microsoft's DirectX.

Reviews:

Computer Shopper, November 1997

"The lovable Twinsen, star of Relentless: Little Big Adventure, returns in Activision's Twinsen's Odyssey, a weird, funny, and addictive game that will appeal to a broad spectrum of players.

"The game begins with Twinsen and wife Zoe settling in for some domestic tranquilitiy after successfully thwarting the evil designs of dictator Dr. Funfrock. But Twinsen soon stumbles on the malevolent plot of a group of visiting aliens, called Esmers, which puts his entire planet in jeopardy. It is up to him (and you) to thwart the invaders and onece again save his world from domination.

"If you've played Relentless, you'll feel right at home with Twinsen's Odyssey. Perhaps the biggest change from the original is the ability to change camera angles, freeing you from the imposed isometric 3-D perspective of Relentless. Other changes include more power-ups and weapons, a zoom feature, and a Save Game option that lets you save whenever you want."

"The 3-D graphics and game play are the two standouts, although the music and sound effects are both above average as well. the uniquely rendered characters - if sometimes a bit too cute - consist of rounded shapes, giving them a completely different look than the highly polygonal characters in many other games. Game play is a successful blend of action and adventure, ranging form simple conversations and explorations to puzzle-solving and outright armed combat. Conversing with many of the characters is both edifying and entertaining, and necessary to unravel the game's mysteries. Also, don't be surprised to find youself segueing from a fact-finding conversation with a bizarre character to a platform-sytle running sequence, with an armed confrontation thrown in for good measure, all within the space of a few minutes.

"We do have a few minor criticims, however. For example, even with the movable camera angles, there are times when it's difficult to see what's going on. And unless you're a highly skilled player, be prepared for some of the puzzles to take a bit of time before the solution becomes obvious.

"With its simple interface, beautiful 3-D graphics, and intriguing characters, Twinsen's Odyssey will appeal to younger or beginning players looking to move up the ladder to more difficult games. But its clever puzzles, original blend of action and adventure segments, and addictive gameplay offer enough challenges to keep more seasoned games busily entertained, too."

The Adventure Collective by Jose Dias

"The Twinsen series is created by Frederik Raynal, Serge Pagnol, and Didier Chamfray, who are also responsible Alone in The Dark from which this series is inspired. Twinsen’s Odyssey takes the player through three different planets with more than 220 different characters to interact, all designed in detailed 3D rendered graphics. The interior view uses a 3D isometric rendering mode similar to that in Relentless, whereas the exterior world uses true 3D texture mapping and lighting..."

"...The new 3D engine has created an exterior environment that has a much more realistic feel than its predecessor, whereby any adjustable view can be generated on the fly. The sceneries are colorful, varied and beautifully drawn, with huge brown cliffs, sweating hot deserts and fresh green plains. All these different elements and colors help to create a much more authentic environment that surpasses the closed isometric exterior world in Relentless. The beautiful cut scenes are a nice diversion, yet able to further a stronger bond between the storyline and the player."

"A beautifully designed sequel that is visually stunning and full of humor, capable of seducing both arcade and adventure game players with its incredible playability."

Mr. Bill's Adventure Games

"Twinsen himself is absolutely adorable, and so is his little pregnant wife Zoe and their pet Dino Fly. He looks like a miniature Samurai Warrior complete with robe, top knot and ponytail. He is a wizard and a hero to his people since he successfully rid his planet (called Twinsun, because it is warmed by two suns) of the evil Dr. Funfrock in 'Relentless'. But now a new evil rears its head."

"The adventure puzzles are varied, engrossing and related to the story. They are not too difficult, although some are quite complicated and involve going to several different places, finding objects and solving problems at each place. You get to fly on Dino Fly and in a UFO, sail in a boat (Twinsen can't swim!), and tool around the desert in a sporty little convertible. You have a magic ball for use as a weapon, and you get others (lasers, blowguns) as you complete puzzles. They even sell a Nitro Penguin (!) at the local 'Power Up' store."

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