Mor. Utopia: Walkthrough

The series has ended, but everyone is still discussing what really happened there. If at first they were getting over the shock and criticizing the last season, now it’s time for analysis. I’ll try to formulate point by point what makes this series of books and TV series so successful.

First modern and adult fantasy films

Before this, only old classic stories or very teenage and children's books were filmed. But in modern science fiction over these decades, many cool stories have appeared, and here is one of them.

Inverted classic fantasy scheme

Previously, in fantasy, the plot was built the other way around: there was a magical and wonderful world, and now magic is leaving it. In the song “Ice and Fire” everything happens the other way around; the unknown and incomprehensible comes into the established boring world of people.

The fragmentation of the world of the Middle Ages

The modern viewer understands the feelings of the inhabitants of the fictional Middle Ages. The world is fragmented into pieces, there is confusion in power. There are religions that have magic, but no moral teachings. Prophecies come true, but people make them. We have to get used to this feeling of “growing up” - the fate of people depends only on their personal actions.

Feeling the magic coming

Could you imagine ten years ago that cars would drive themselves, you could pay with virtual currency, and neural networks would draw? It’s unlikely, but you are a modern person. And we are subconsciously afraid of all these new things that are coming, which previously seemed like a fairy tale to us. The same thing happens in Game of Thrones, season after season there are more and more amazing things: dragons, resurrection, walkers. This is a correlation of the mood of the book with the world's subconscious.

Multi-linearity

Tolstoy also sinned with many of the central characters, so here everything returns to its place. People were a little tired of simple heroes; they wanted variety and complexity. The series was one of the first to give the viewer multi-linearity and diversity.

Blood, sex and complex dialogues

There's an HBO adult sass to it all. The cable channel does not hesitate to show interesting scenes more than necessary. Now the series about the maniac "Dexter" seems completely children's, although it was also filmed for an adult audience. But the main thing is complex dialogues, where every word has subtext and consequences, like the TV series “The Wire”.

Historical analogies

All characters, events and locations in the book have historical analogues in our world, because Martin is a historian. For ordinary people, such turns of events will be a revelation, and for a history buff - an interesting reference. Even the English language itself in the books is stylized in the Middle Ages.

Elaborated and deep world

There is a “network of logic” behind every, even minor event. This all turns out thanks to the meticulous work of the author, who writes out the logic of events, even those that are only briefly shown to us. Therefore, the world feels very alive and deep.

The main thing: Social-logical type of narration

The logic of what is happening to the characters does not come from what we want or the author needs it for the plot. Everything happens to the heroes because of local social norms, laws and political institutions. The world around us dictates the development of the plot, and not the “plot wishes of the writers,” as in the final season of the series.

The series turned the expected into the unexpected

The series didn't show all the details, so it was able to rework expected plot twists into effective scenes. At the same time, the “unexpected” turns were always logically justified (at the beginning of the series) and the viewer felt it.

In general, I completely immersed myself in the topic and became a full-fledged fan. On the third week of this kaleidoscope, I even thought about getting a polyhedron on my shoulder. Indeed, none of the ice pick games, either before or after, caused such a storm of emotions.

In the first note I wanted to briefly and in simple words describe what this game is and why it is good. I hope this is noticeable in the first part of the text. But then, as a fan, I started listing everything that fascinated me about the game. It turned out sweeter than I wanted. But okay, I'm not ashamed to praise a game that I sincerely love. Moreover, there are not as many such laudatory articles on the Internet as we would like.

The second note is practical guidance. On the streams that I watched about the game, I often noticed mistakes and misunderstandings of some mechanics. At the same time, the only truly good walkthrough is on Steam, but it contains spoilers, and there is too much literature in the article from LKI. I didn’t find any spoiler-free advice that I wanted, so I decided to write it myself. It’s a shame I didn’t write down in detail what people have problems with. It turned out not as concise and clear as I wanted, but I hope it will help some.

In the third note, I wanted to criticize the game, especially since the first part turned out to be too sweet. I recorded the game's bugs, unpleasant and annoying moments. Those moments in which history could not convince me to believe in itself, although I had already penetrated headlong. But it always turned out too chaotic and unclear.

And it’s already a little wrong to talk about the decisions of the game. This is a historical fact; it cannot be taken away. The studio hasn’t done many things like this for a long time; they have been corrected in the following games. In the remake, everything will obviously be different, with different points of contact. Based on the podcasts, the lead designer now has more narrative assistants to help balance the quests. And the studio team is no longer the same, back then they were young, daring game makers who were doing something new and didn’t know how to take on it. More than ten years later, it is now an experienced and iconic studio.

I understand why sometimes quests seem cut off. We didn't have time to do it. Or when the dialogues promise something, but then it doesn’t come to fruition in the game. For example: a description of goods in a store, where they promise that some may be contaminated. I avoided them the whole game, and then I realized that it just didn’t work. Also, most likely, they didn’t have time or couldn’t.

Moreover, such unfinished pieces greatly harm the game. It’s already muddy in places, so here you get even more confused. The task says “it needs to be done faster.” But what does it mean? It could just be an artistic turn of phrase that doesn't affect anything. There could be a hint that if you don’t make it in time, the mission will fail. Or it could be that they simply forgot to attach a timer to the mission, nothing will happen. You won't guess what they want from you.

The same with forks and a variety of solutions. There are few of them, everything is very linear. But the fact that there is a feeling of forks, and those branches that exist - this is already quite a lot for those years. It was probably even ahead of its time. Because many quests still look convincing if you don’t look at them carefully.

You can remember the manifesto and principles that the ice pick studio stated during the production of its first games. But it’s stupid to argue with them; they guessed very accurately, even if they completely failed to use their foresight. Games have long been an art and always have been, hardcore and survival are now in fashion, randomness and chaos are the key to the popularity of games. The player as a co-author is successfully used in games. But I still have the feeling that somewhere out there, in 2005, the malicious Dybovsky is sitting with the thoughts: “I pressed buttons here, and now you’re sitting there, freaking out, inventing something for yourself, working as a co-author.”

The idea of ​​the Imposter in its concept now looks disgusting in many ways. I understand that the game is old and the situation was not like that then. But at the moment I’m trying in every possible way to abstract myself from how her line looks like archaism and obscurantism. I’m trying to imagine that she has nothing to do with this, looking for an excuse for these unpleasant associations. For example, in the joke that the Imposter is a libertarian. That this is all thanks to the will of free people, and not a demonic-Christian solution to the problem, which allows the city to continue to rot in its contradictions.

But let's return again to the Bachelor. Annoying Cains, I hated them the entire game. Every day my hatred for them only grew stronger. Playing the Bachelor, I understood Vlad and Saburov more than this family. Although, according to the logic of this story, I should have loved the Cains. Because in the second half of the game the Bachelor seems to be replaced. He immediately believes in miracles and trusts the Cains. No matter how you resist, the hero is led in this direction.

The beautiful Stamatin brothers appear in the plot only towards the end, like jack-in-the-box. It was already possible to forget who it was and that they were our confidants. It's as if the priorities during the quests were set incorrectly all this time. I could assume that this is a problem of my personal experience, but I have seen other people's passages. Everything happens exactly the same there.

Theoretically, I wanted to keep the polyhedron, even if I only saw it twice during the game. I saw slaughterhouses more often, and they seemed to me a much more mystical and special place. I understand why for the Bachelor this polyhedron is more important than a small town. But the fact that I was helping the Cains for his sake gave me unpleasant feelings. Perhaps this is a hint from the game that if you want to lay down the lives of many people for the sake of one idea, then there will always be unpleasant despots in charge.

As soon as the player has mentally prepared for the decisive stage, then at that moment they send a letter and we learn about the “sandbox”. For many people, including me, this was terribly frustrating. It ruins the mood and prevents you from enjoying the ending. It’s as if they are stealing the independent decision of the ending, proving the meaninglessness of existence. At this moment, most of all I want to spit and choose the ending where everyone dies. Because none of this matters, and you just give up.

Achievement in the game hints that this sensation may have been planned. He could understand and accept the rules of the game, and then still make a choice. But this does not change the vile theft of my first final.

But how powerful it would be if these children were shown only for the second playthrough! You have already made an honest decision once, saved the city, and the second time you play as a cheerful explorer. And then they give you this plot twist.

It can only save you from frustration if you accidentally save all the people close to you. But this is not always possible. Only then does the final letter from the theater arrive, which calms the player. Because it's honest, it helps remind you that this game was always real, even if it's just a game. “I just wanted to save the city, even if it was a toy city.”

And wind. There really isn't enough wind here. Without them, the steppe turns out wrong, empty.

I myself grew up in such a small steppe town. Three blocks, which were built under one factory in the middle of the endless steppe. I also smelled wormwood if the wind blew from the fields. I remember that I got an awkward disc somewhere at the local market and tried to beat this game in August. It’s a pity that back then the dates differed slightly by day. I looked out from the balcony, felt a strong wind and looked in one direction. A factory chimney towered over the city and could be seen from anywhere. I imagined that there could be a polyhedron there instead.

Then I didn’t really understand that here, ironically, it turned out to be a game with the questions “who is to blame” and “what to do,” with a classic passion for death in dramaturgy. With no less classic curvature and grayness. I just enjoyed this atmosphere, where everything is the same, but dramatic and cool, and instead of a dull factory chimney there is a cool ugly structure sticking out there.

This is the moment I actually miss most about The Sea. So that I can always see the polyhedron towering over the city. This moment is not enough to make the game even more wonderful.

Spoiler vulnerability

Character selection

If you consider yourself the smartest, then you should start with a Bachelor. His company will be more of a visual novel and a walking simulator. Everything else will come too, but a little later. The main thing that everyone recommends this character for is the plot part. A metropolitan dandy in a raincoat comes to the village to do everything right and understand the local specifics. It will be easier to understand an unfamiliar world at the same time as the main character.

If you're not afraid to get your hands dirty, this is the Haruspex. Less chatter, more action, and more time after assignments to complete those actions. You need to read notes, run across the steppes, craft in the laboratory and collect ingredients. It is worth noting that the action and crafting here are not the best. At the same time, the Haruspex's motivation is much more humane. He comes to his home to sort out the inheritance and at the same time cut out a couple of hearts. But in terms of intrigue and elaboration, the Bachelor’s company is noticeably better.

First day

First, talk to people several times, check if you missed something important.

The controls are standard for games from the 2000s. Try the interface, see what buttons are in the menu, experiment. To activate an item, click on it with the mouse in your inventory. There are no special features in it, but it is not explained much.

First day of Bachelor:
For the first day of Bachelor, there are three valid tips accepted by the community. Everyone knows about them, one way or another. They bring many benefits, but you can easily miss these things due to inattention.

Tips: 1. As soon as you talk with the Cains, then go to the cemetery, which is located behind their houses. There you will find bread and milk.
2. While you walk to Isidore’s house, you will see a fire where a witch is being burned. Search two dead men near the fire. There is a revolver and cartridges.
3. On the first day, buy food with all the available money.
First day of the Haruspex:
The Haruspex's first day begins with running around. It is better to leave the locals at full speed without getting into a fight. To do this, just go forward and don’t look back. They are slow, so they can only catch up on turns, and then only for a couple of strokes at most. If you enter and exit any open house (shops, characters), then random opponents on the street disappear.

Letters and notifications

Reminder about letters! Letters! Most people simply don't notice them, and if they do, it's only after many hours of play. This is the L button, be sure to check them, especially at the beginning. Then you will begin to discern a barely noticeable signal of their arrival.

Those close to you

If one of the other characters gets sick, don’t worry, most likely it’s not your fault.

The game is often linear in completing missions, but sometimes provides additional options or forks. Don't be afraid of doing something wrong or ruining it. If you play a role and decide according to the dictates of your heart, then your conscience will always be clear. But it’s better to try to complete the main task if you want a sane ending.

The morning is wiser than the evening

Some assignment emails may take place in the late afternoon or late afternoon, but that's how they are designed. Empty haste will lead to nothing. But slowing down and being stupid is also dangerous.

Map

There are modifications that simply add more marks and names to the city map. For example, here is more, to which names have been added. I haven't had any problems with this, but it may help some people.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" he asked me after we’d both finished day three.
“I needed to see the infected organs” I told my friend, realizing as I typed that this defense probably wouldn’t hold up in court.

A look at the same events from different angles is probably one of the main timeless diamonds of this game. It's a pity that only a few will get to it.

Big game

There are a lot of cool moments that are memorable one way or another. And they were not made according to scripts, these are absolutely gameplay moments where people act under the pressure of circumstances. Either you make serious decisions, then you get out of difficult circumstances, then you solve a riddle, or simply go through difficulties like a terminator. I remember it as if I personally took part in an epic confrontation. And he loaded the revolver, treated people, killed them using stealth, then twisted the young ladies. At one point I realized that the soundtrack was missing a little Russian rap. Weapons, ubiquitous hunger, money, danger, depression, streets and young ladies.

1. What is Mor. Utopia"
2.
3.

Ilya “Maddison” became a funny performance, it would have been a shame not to continue it. I'm glad the developers didn't stop, as often happens with indies. Obviously, The Mercury Man tried to approach the matter a little more seriously. This means that the claims will be more serious. The last game was based on a post-apocalyptic theme, this time we are waiting for cyberpunk without cyberpunk.

The overly long intro of text blocks in this game is annoying. Instead of introducing information gradually, through history, they immediately lay out information about this world in one big piece. At first I assumed that this was due to the oversaturation of the game, but there are game days in which the story practically does not develop.

By the way, different types of cursors are a bad idea. It’s high time to completely abandon such quest rudiments. This was justified in the first part of Petka, there are many different comments on each subject. And there is quite a bit of text here that can be fished out with these cursors. It is better to use a description when hovering, rather than spawning entities beyond measure. Or then fill the world with various comments under these “cursors”.

Driving a car is a great idea. I’ll say even more, from such a taxi driver mini-game you can make an excellent turkey, like Cyberpunk Bartender. From the first seconds I want to start rocking out to retrowave. Judging by the idea, this should be the most autistic element of the game, relaxing after battles. But we couldn’t create any cool gameplay. Driving is boring, slow and annoying. I had to drive with one hand and read a book with the other in order to somehow relieve the boredom of driving.

Although there is no steering wheel here, the character controls the car only with the help of pedals, without placing his hands on the steering wheel. At least draw the wiring going from the steering wheel to the head of the main character, because cyberpunk. Let him at least control his brain, and not just be armless.

The test at the shooting range was a pleasant surprise. I was afraid that they would force me to beat mobs again, but here it’s a nice change. Only the complexity is incomprehensible in places. I couldn't complete the first mission in ten attempts, but I passed the second one on the first try.

Depending on the strength of the person, the game can become very boring. This is one of the main problems of "Quicksilver Man". The game doesn’t quite understand where it’s fun, where it’s challenging, and where it just becomes dull and boring. No balance found. It's hard to find reasons to play beyond the first two days without some additional value, like playing on a stream or wanting to write a note about the game.

Okay, let's assume the balance can be found with the help of patches and experiments. The Quicksilver Man has a great atmosphere, a narrative designer with talent. A strange story from a fantasy world, taking lowly everyday things to the point of absurdity, glued together with the help of cool Hollywood cliches. This produces a phantasmagoric effect in places. At the same time, the developers don’t seem to care about what happened. There are two unnecessary cursors for immersion in the world, but they won’t hit anything. There are a lot of things in different locations, but you can’t take actions with them. There are large, uniform chunks of text, but little dialogue. The description of the bed promises terrible nightmares, but there are none. Every morning begins with silence and silence. It’s as if they were saving on the text in the hope of cutting down on costs for voice acting and translators. Or as if all the writing energy was spent on the initial blocks of text and the ending, and then the desire to make the game dried up.

That being said, I really liked the game in places. A hodgepodge of Blade Runner without cyberpunk, noir templates and Russian detective stories about ducalis. Attempts to resemble Hotline Miami, Max Payne and a hint of visual novels. This covers almost everything I love. But the middle of The Mercury Man is unbearably dull and dull.

Part of this tediousness is redeemed by the ending. There are cool scenes where a police officer drinks and silently looks at a sleeping girl. New locations and cool sprites that are used only for one scene. At this moment you understand that it was the artist and animator who really wanted to make the game. It is they who pull it to the surface with their zeal.

Even after many years, the first minutes of the game are impressive. These abstract decorations still excite to this day; even the cardboard characters do not spoil the impression (especially since they are practically absent here). Then the effect smoothes out, you get used to abstractions. It seems like I’ve already explored the familiar locations, and the new ones don’t surprise me. But then one day something appears that sticks in your soul. And what it will be - a garden, a younger sister’s apartment or a city is up to the player’s taste. Moreover, I would especially like to note the urban locations; after all, in this game they feel especially magical. At such moments you even regret that there are few such levels. I don’t know with what you can compare the anxiety in your soul from mostly empty locations. Unless with Myst, and that’s unlikely.

Growing a garden in Turgor is beautiful

The problem with the game is that you need to get a feel for the concept. But it doesn’t look particularly attractive; to become interested in it, you need to feel the concept, only the desire to push yourself and feel the concept arises.

Moreover, Turgor in some sense is not complex. If you figure it out, understand the bare mechanics and learn a couple of secrets, then everything becomes simple. Instead of a couple of hours, it will take only half an hour to kill your brother. Therefore, after completing it, it seems that everything was easier than it actually was. It’s just that the time and number of attempts until you understand this is comparable to any game similar to Dark Souls.

There are sisters for different tastes

I won’t hide the fact that the boss fights here turn out to be truly exhausting and therefore impressive. The first time I killed a large worm for four hours, with all my strength and in the last bit of time, saving every drop of color.

A game about survival, catharsis and the search for creative energy. But here they demand a high price and a lot of time. Too high a price for a toy. It is clear that catharsis is not an easy matter, it will not happen just like that. But games are simplified simulations where I have to get the necessary emotions faster and easier. And here the balance is broken. The energy that the game took from me would have been enough to gain catharsis in the outside world. For example, I could write a short story.

The gag for most, as I noticed, occurs at the moment when the player is released to farm a color in the free world. The rules of the game are already becoming clear, the necessary locations have been studied, we need to further deal with resources and time management. On top of all this is a oppressive atmosphere and a constant alarming lack of time and resources. At this moment, hands begin to give up, the desire to finish to the end passes. Which is very symbolic, because the game itself is about the search for this very energy in every sense. He behaves like a swimming coach who throws a student into the sea while he himself hangs on an inflatable toy. I would like the game to somehow miraculously help me find energy within myself. She doesn’t do this and perhaps this is her main failure.

It is not clear to me what was supposed to lead me to the finale, after I got acquainted with this phantasmagorical world of Turgor and all the plot lines became clear. Perhaps he should have warmed to one of the sisters, the motivation should have been to help her overcome the barrier. But I didn’t find it in myself. Perhaps this is the answer that the game about finding creative powers gave me.

P.S. About the difference between versions

There are two versions of the game. The original “Turgor” and the expanded version “Turgor: Voice of Color” released for worldwide distribution. In the second version, the technical basis was slightly improved, the mechanics were slightly simplified, the dialogues were changed and the plot of the game was corrected. You can find many Old Believers who did not like the innovations. But, despite some ideological differences, the second version is much more intelligible and enjoyable. You should start playing Turgor: Voice of Color.

We removed unnecessary boring mechanics that only got in the way. Old Believers don’t like this, you can find a lot of notes about how this ruins everything. But in fact, all these small simplifications only make the game better.

The first half of the updated game leads us through tasks that are more clearly indicated. In the original Turgor they simply throw him straight into the sandbox, while awkwardly trying to explain everything at once, which is why the mysticism of the game breaks down. All the amendments to the plot make the game more organic and correct some logical flaws.

There are quite important differences in the dialogues. In “The Voice of Color,” no matter how funny it may sound, color has its own voice and speaks to you. My favorite character, in fact, I can’t imagine how I could play without him.

The sisters have different dialogue in the two versions. In this regard, I understand the Old Believers who recommend the first version. The sisters say much more in the original. Now it’s much easier to get into them. And if you don’t like any of the sisters, then a lot of the game loses its meaning. As I understand it, this happened due to the fact that “The Voice of Color” had to be translated into different languages, which means that each line increases the cost of translations.

At the same time, the original Turgor is more unpredictable and seems to be more alive, more like a sandbox. But the expanded version maintains the pace and tension much better, preventing it from slipping into pure farming. And this dualism is incredibly annoying; you don’t understand which version is better. Every difference makes you feel as if this is still an unfinished and chopped-off game.

Apart from the dialogue, the second version is better in everything. We need to start with her. You won't be able to pass on your first try anyway. The second time (even if you didn’t pass the first time) you can start from the original. There will be no need to worry about missions and listen to tutorials, she will add bugs and a couple of changes in the form of complications, there will be more dialogues with the sisters. Then, due to familiarity with the game, instead of tension there will be meditative farming and pleasant communication with your sisters.

However, the further you go, the more bloody humor appears in the film. At first, the main characters are afraid of everything and behave like frightened chicks. Gradually they gain confidence and begin to fight for power. At one point, a turning point occurs. The film moves from fooling around into something more serious and bloody. But the funny thing is that it was at this moment that I started laughing.

The entire film changes the moment Captain Lorca from Star Trek Discovery appears in the frame. An unexpected plot twist brings the universes together, revealing the secret of whether Lorca died after falling into the spore reactor at the end of the season. Apparently he ended up in the same disputed corridors that threw him at that time. And here it looks as organic as possible. Having been in two universes, between the federation of love and the empire, Lorca finally found his calling. He was always impressed by this military role. An amazing character, his audacity and humor set off all the NKVD officers and office rats. Just as brutal as always, he comes and punches everyone in the face.

Let's go back to more recent series, the same thing happens there. Fabulous " Dirk Gently's Detective Agency" The first season - strong intrigue, funny jokes, bright characters. With each episode, the intrigue unfolded like a spring. And so stupidly they leaked the entire second season, depriving it of a fascinating plot. Yes, there were even more colorful characters and more funny situations. But without a fascinating plot, the series fell in terms of internal sensations from an unattainable peak to mediocre.

Netflix, by the way, has changed amazingly. Each of his series has always been a gorgeous work. Now it looks like industrial waste. It’s not for nothing that South Park jokes about him so much. Although he himself South Park"is also very weak, it belongs on the new Netflix.

This is especially noticeable in the example of superhero series, which they used to do well. Both Daredevil and Jessica Jones have been impressive in the past. True, the second season of Daredevil was already on the verge of patience, too boring. The drawn-out tediousness was still tolerable in Luke Cage, the rapper in the background helped to cope. But what started this year is already on the level of Arrow and Supergirl - both externally and internally (and it is not customary to discuss such series in polite society).

« Iron fist" turned out to be a continuation of the worst thing about Daredevil. The one that makes the second season sometimes painful to watch. The ninja theme sucks. There is a dissonance due to the very presence of ninjas with such a serious and dark narrative. They are too stupid, as if they came out of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon. The plot of “Iron Fist” repeated the outline of previous series from the line. By the fourth time I was already tired of this scheme. Moreover, the hero is the most banal of all that you can think of. It seemed like kung fu fights would brighten things up. But this empty hand waving in the air is the weakest link of the series. The blows do not even reach people, stopping a meter away from the person. After such battle scenes, you want to turn on any Jackie Chan film and cry.

Actually, for the same reason, the Netflix-Marvel “ Defenders" failed. They brought their characters together, well, okay. It didn’t work out to connect anything worthwhile, so again it’s just pure nonsense about endless ninjas.

On this background, " chastener" - the only gray spot on a black background. Gray, boring, faded and drawn-out series. Again, for the fifth (or sixth) time, a repetition of one plot scheme of the Marvel Netflix. With the same plot twists. It's also drawn out and boring. But there were no ninjas or bad kung fu fights here. This alone is enough for the series to be included in the lists of the best of the year in various publications.

Let's move on to another topic, comic-hallucinogenic and book-hallucinogenic. Series " Legion"is a wonderful example of a beautiful picture, vivid scenes, hints and references to comics. At the same time, he stayed within the framework of realism for a long time. A wonderful series in places. It's a shame that it ended with a hint of a second season, it won't work again.

« American Gods“—in some places it’s the same. I remember the book; I perceived it as an incomprehensible hallucinogenic journey. Due to the visuals, the series seems more sane and understandable. Even the cheap special effects scenes look very appropriate here, as if they were meant to be. It also drags due to the bright, juicy scenes. But the problem is that the main character here failed. If in the book I warmed to him, then here the hero is too stony. The most important vulnerability of the entire series is where it stops working.

Another ever-ongoing series about hallucinations is “ Mister Robot" Completely stopped making me laugh. Everything fell into repetition and raising the stakes. It's like Dragon Ball. One Super Saiyan is still cool, but when this happens for the hundredth time, I don’t care. And it doesn’t matter what happens there, planets, galaxies or universes explode. In general, I am sure that a sane person should not watch such series that pretend to be serious beyond the first season. Because they give the best at the beginning. And then the series just santa barbarize, turning their interesting idea into a kindergarten.

I can’t make these claims against the second season.” Stranger Things”, because he keeps himself on the level. It's just too boring. I felt like I was staring at a screen that was turned off.

Season three Twin Peaks. It’s clear that I won’t consider the continuation as the main series of the year. Although, somehow I managed to watch all the first two seasons and the new one this year. It turned out that this is really interesting and not at all like what they write everywhere. A clear, interesting, funny and sometimes infernal series.

« Mindhunter"is a stylish and somewhat boring series. At first he captivates with his cunning photography, and then hangs out in the same style among the dull characters. The plot turned out to be more complicated than it initially seemed - this is only about the beginning of criminal psychology, about which many films would later be made. True, this series did not show in detail the creation of a new industry. Instead, I saw a tribute to all those Maniac movies. It’s as if Zodiac was made again, Red Dragon again, all the other films about maniacs together again.

My favorite stupid space series " Dark matter" ended on the most offensive point with a cliffhanger.

What's incredible is " Rick and Morty" The series, like Sherlock, soared in terms of expectations after the second season that they were afraid to make a third. It was bright, funny, dark and magical. The ending was leaked a little, but it doesn't matter compared to the other episodes. A cartoon that lived up to overly high expectations.

So, there were two best TV series this year (the story with games is repeating). Two series, one came out at the beginning of the year, the other at the end. Both are simply great, released with the support of Netflix, for that you can forgive them anything.

A Series of Unfortunate Events or in Russian " 33 misfortunes" An incredible series that made me feel like a small, defenseless child. At the same time, it seemed so fascinating that it was impossible to put it down. The series of children's books on which the series is based had something special - bad things constantly happened to the main characters, and then even worse happened. And it was impossible to tear myself away from this. Yes, I immediately remember the old film “Lemony Snicket: The 33 Unfortunate Events,” but in comparison with the series, you can see how faded the story was made by its re-interpretation as an adventure and Hollywood sweetness. The series reminded us that tragedy as a genre can also be very interesting. And funny, sometimes spectacular, sometimes incredibly outrageous; in the end, tragedy is the sister of comedy. The most complete, ideal and interesting series of 2017, which is unlikely to be missed.

On the other side of magnificence - the series is a little crooked, but at the same time beautiful " Star Trek: Discovery" The best Star Trek in the last 30 years, since The Next Generation. Like Star Wars, the main enemies of the series are itself and its fans. Because when a great series returns, crazy fans who have degenerated during this time come out of the ground. However, the series itself gave a reason for this, showing the first two episodes to be terribly boring.

The new Star Trek has restored faith in this universe. Stylish and cool picture, new sci-fi features and ideas, still surprising worlds in places. Stoic and noble characters, even if they constantly try to disguise them with additional chiaroscuro, as if everything is not so simple. But the main thing is that the characters behave extremely logically, and do not hysteria like housewives. The plot very well bypasses all the hackneyed cliches. Just when you think that now everything will begin according to the pattern, everything goes the other way around. The captain is doing something sinister and there will be intrigue? No, he will just come over and talk about these doubts.

It’s especially painful to look at “against this background.” Orville" There the situation is exactly the opposite. It started out as a kind and funny world from the first Star Treks, which they decided to remake in our time. The same funny and funny situations with a little moral filling, an honest crew that gets into stupid situations. The only difference is that here “The Orville” showed something wonderful at first, and then immediately degraded to the level of the Star Trek series of the nineties and two thousand. However, I can argue with myself about this endlessly; someday I’ll write separately about all the “Star Treks” in a row.

Results: Star Trek: Discovery is the best series of the year, and 33 Unfortunate Events is arguably the best series of the decade.

How did you feel when you found your first twiri stalk? This happened to me on the sixth day of my stay in the city in the form of a Haruspex. It's difficult to express my feelings in words. Let me just say that I gave up on all the tasks and went to the steppe, collect and listen to twirl... Only the next day I loaded from the last save and continued to be an errand boy. In general, it is very easy to find tvir, and besides, it is found within the city. In almost every courtyard of those close to him, for example, near the cart of the younger Vlad. And the steppe is full of it. You just need to learn to see it. Or, if you prefer, feel.

A couple of notes. For some reason, all residents of the city have one kidney. The creators of the game decided that two kidneys from one killed was too much? Or are the residents mutants? Since childhood, we have been taught that alcohol destroys the liver. Using the examples of the livers of local drunkards, we can be convinced that all this is a vile lie! Their liver is no different from the liver of people who don’t drink.

There is a catastrophic lack of space in the bag, so from those I personally kill, I only take blood (without it, the Worms will not change) and the heart (it is the most expensive). By the way, organs can be cut out not only from those killed by oneself, but also from victims of bandits.

The haruspex is allowed additional exchanges, in addition to all general ones.

GATHERING WORMS. Take: heart (5), kidney (40), liver (4), blood (3), raw meat (80), dried (20), smoked (40), crackers (4), milk, egg (40), raw fish (80), smoked fish (20). They give: bloody twir (10), brown twir (12), black twir (14), white whip (15), savior (20).

ANDREY STAMATIN. Takes: any tvir (1), savyur (2), white whip (2). Gives: any cartridges (1), sawn-off shotgun (50). Replace the herbs, exchange it for a sawn-off shotgun and sell it - that's your money.

To complete main or additional tasks, you will need certain items in a certain quantity. In order to avoid unpleasant surprises, I warn you (and he who is forewarned is forearmed) what you need to stock up on in advance, so as not to run around the city biting your elbows later.
To complete the MAIN tasks you need: Day 6 - 50 yellow immunes, contagious heart.
To complete ADDITIONAL tasks you need: Day 2 - 10 stems of brown tviri; Day 3 - 10 twirin infusions (i.e., initially 10 twirin stems for their production); Day 4 - master key.

So, HARUSPIC. The first day
The day starts off bad. For self-defense you become an outlaw. True, children, drunks and people in houses still communicate with you. This is already something. Talk to the PERFORMERS. Having looted two corpses next to the carriage, you will become the proud owner of a knife and a tourniquet (already something). Then try to get into the city by going around the station building on the right. Watch a short story about how they once again want to punch you in the face and about your miraculous rescue from NOTKIN.

MAIN: Vlad Olgimsky (senior) (after 11 o'clock; +30 coins - his generosity knows no bounds!) → Victoria Olgimskaya (Chapella) → Vlad Olgimsky (junior) → Termitary (it is guarded by three guards at each door and two on the way , kill these two, that’s enough, you will receive the KEY to Isidor Burakh’s house) → Isidor’s house (it’s not necessary to talk to the guard at the entrance, after the conversation he will immediately start beating you, you can just kill him, without any talking; you can just go into the house ; enter the house armed, because 4 rats will immediately attack you; meet and talk with Match) → Weasel → Bear → Bachelor Daniil Dankovsky (house of Eva Yan; increase in reputation).
ADDITIONAL 1: Notkin → the dog-head at the water pump (let him go, your reputation will increase; kill him, your reputation will drop almost to zero) → Notkin (say that the dog-head seemed pitiful to you, and you still beat him up; your reputation will increase even more; if you killed the dog head, then Notkin will give you a revolver and 6 cartridges for it).
ADDITIONAL 2: Vulture → dog head at the water pump → Vulture (if released - increase in reputation; if killed - receive 5 cartridges for a sawed-off shotgun).
ADDITIONAL 3: Weasel → Hunchback (he will take blood from you only if you are in good health) → Weasel (increase your reputation, and after talking with the worker, you will acquire a KNIFE).

First, it is better to complete the first and second additional tasks (to increase your reputation). After this, at least you will stop being beaten in the streets. Go to the station, there you are ambushed by 4 bandits. After killing them, your reputation will increase and a pistol of the "OBRZ" system will appear. And with a sawn-off shotgun, you can go and get the key to the house, because it’s possible to deal with two guards with a knife, but it’s difficult.

HARUSPIC. SECOND DAY
From this day on, you will learn how to make twirin infusions. They can be made from any stems, in any combination, the results will be different. Here are some of the most effective and at the same time least harmful to health:
1 COMBINATION OF HERBS: 1 black + 1 brown + 2 savory = 100% immunity, -9 health.
2 COMBINATION OF HERBS: 2 black + 1 brown + 1 savor = 64% immunity, -3 health.
3 COMBINATION OF HERBS: 1 brown + 1 bloody + 2 savory = 56% immunity, -9 health.
4 COMBINATION OF HERBS: 2 black + 1 brown + 1 whip = 32% immunity, - 2 health.
5 COMBINATION OF HERBS: 1 brown + 2 savory + 1 whip = 80% immunity, -7 health.
6 COMBINATION OF HERBS: 2 black + 1 brown = 32% immunity, -2 health.
7 COMBINATION OF HERBS: 1 black + 2 brown + 1 savor = 92% immunity, -24 health.
8 COMBINATION OF HERBS: 1 black - 1 brown + 1 savor = 52% immunity, - 9 health.
9 COMBINATION OF HERBS: 2 brown + 1 savor + 1 whip = 26% immunity, -2 health.
BITTERNESS: 1 black + 1 brown + 1 whip + 1 savor = 52% immunity, -4 health.
MALACHITE: 3 savor + 1 brown = 100% immunity, - 15 health.
BASALT: 1 brown + 1 black + 1 savor = 80% immunity, -15 health.
SOME COMBINATION OF HERBS (obtained experimentally): 1 black + 1 bloody + 1 brown + 1 savor = 40% immunity, -2 health.
SOME COMBINATION OF HERBS: 1 black + 1 brown + 2 whip = 26% immunity, -2 health.
SOME COMBINATION OF HERBS: 3 black + 1 brown = 38% immunity, -3 health.
It was not possible to find infusions that, according to Ospina, would reduce hunger or fatigue. They deceived us again!

From the infusion and organ of a sick person, you can make a wonderful potion called “dead porridge”. The thing is quite useful (acts like an antibiotic): it reduces the level of infection in the body, but affects health. But it's very cheap.

MAIN: Olgimsky (senior) (after 7 hours) → Olgimsky (junior) → Factory (Isidor's laboratory, chest for storing supplies) → Alexander Saburov (+KEY) → Katerina Saburova → Ospina (take away the inheritance, in the same chest you can store your supplies; more supplies can be stored in Rubin’s autopsy room) → Laboratory (make any infusion, cheaper - from one stem) → Bachelor (show infusion).
ADDITIONAL 1: Andrei Stamatin → 10 stems of brown tviri (pluck or trade from worms) → Andrei Stamatin (- 10 stems of brown tviri; + 4000 and the address of a shop where you can sell goods at inflated prices).
ADDITIONAL 2: Maria Kaina (Andrey's tavern, appears if you brought 10 stalks of grass) → dissuade Andrey from the trip → Maria (here) (+5000; + recipe).
ADDITIONAL 3: Worm on the island (his guest) → Worm on the side of the Slaughterhouse (either persuade the Bride to go to the rightful groom (+ recipe from her dad), or get the girl off (+ 3 savers, + 3 lashes from her).

From this day on, Andrey begins to exchange grass for cartridges. Additional tasks 1 and 2 present you with a choice: dissuade Andrey from going and get 1000 more, but not find out the address of the magic shop. Dissuade, get 5000 from Maria (save 10 stalks of grass), and the shop is located behind the Kain estate, a manufactured goods store. You can sell anything there. If time permits, you can make several trips from it to other shops and back.

HARUSPIC. DAY THREE
BASIC: Olgimsky (senior) (after 7-00) → Ospina → Butcher (House in the contagious quarter, 2nd floor) → Olgimsky (senior).
ADDITIONAL 1: Bachelor → blood of the infected (you can kill yourself, or you can lure the patient towards you from the infected area, and the guard will kill him, your reputation in this case will not suffer) → Bachelor (your choice of medicine of different effects or dressing).
ADDITIONAL 2: Capella → Notkin (I didn’t expect such meanness from Capella, 2 bandits are waiting for you at Notkin’s warehouse. Notkin, as a token of gratitude, will throw you a SAW-OFF RUN. At the exit, 4 more bandits will be waiting for you) → Capella (+3000).
EXTRA 3: Notkin → 10 Twiri Infusions → Notkin (will make you a map of contaminated areas).

HARUSPIC. DAY FOUR
MAIN: Bachelor (after 7-00) → Lara Ravel → Ruby in the warehouse.
ADDITIONAL 1: Notkin → post-plague quarter (yellow atmosphere) (kill 4 marauders - +4 crowbars) → Notkin (- 4 crowbars; + CARTRIDGES: 2 revolver, 5 sawn-off shotgun, 10 rifle).
ADDITIONAL 2: Match → Stump (cemetery gate) → house with a hiding place (-master key, there is an ambush of three bandits near the house; + SAW-NOT, + 10 rounds, + everything in the house).

Go to Rubin's warehouse at about eleven or half past twelve at night, so that you leave the warehouse after midnight. The bullshit is as follows: if you go out on the same fourth day, then you are ambushed on the street, and your next day begins in prison, almost without weapons, infested, with weakened health and from 2 p.m. Do you need it? Otherwise, at the warehouse, wait until midnight and leave. And your day will start as normal.

HARUSPIC. DAY FIFTH
The main task from the series: eat the fish and climb somewhere else... If you kill the dancer, you won’t get 10,000. If you kill Vera: the task will not be considered completed, you can lose one of your close associates (after seeing the crumpled portrait of Spichka, I it got worse). If you kill the butchers by the fire, the dancer will run away, complete the task, but again you will lose your Close One. From the same day, the acceptance of freshly caught rats at warehouse No. 2 begins. with a certain amount of luck, one rat can earn you as much as 500 coins.

BASIC: Bachelor (after 7-00) → Ospina → Vera (Stamatin's tavern) → Dense backyard (you can go right away, without waiting for the evening) (kill Vera - lower reputation; + her heart) → Gatherer worm (in the Bachelor's area) ( kill the dancer, your reputation will increase; + dancer’s heart, + recipe) → Bachelor (give him the dancer’s heart, not Vera’s; + blue vaccine, + 2520).
ADDITIONAL 1: Anna Angel → Dense backyard (killing Vera; lowering reputation) → Anna Angel (+10000).
EXTRA 2: Junior Vlad (+50 oil) → Rat Prophet → Junior Vlad (+7000, +2 recipes).

HARUSPIC. DAY SIX
The same acquaintance, observing the Haruspex’s catastrophic lack of money, said: “Why the hell do you need these yellow pills? There are already so many of them! Sell them!” I thought: “What the hell really?” And I sold it. And then came the sixth day. And Mother Superior demanded 50 yellow tablets. All my attempts to explain to her that she was crazy, that there was no money, etc., were unsuccessful. So, draw your own conclusions.

BASIC: Bachelor (after 7-00) → Clara (at Laski's) → Taya Tychik (Termite mound, long body) (-50 yellow immunes, + recipe) → Ragi mound (- contagious heart: grab on the way; infect the bull (+ blood bull) → Bachelor (-bull blood).
ADDITIONAL 1: Clara (at Anna's Angel (after 7-00)) → Rat Prophet (sewer behind the theater) → Clara (at Anna's Angel; + recipe).
ADDITIONAL 2: Victor Cain → Maria Caina → crypt (take the diary, there are two arsonists at the exit) → Maria Caina (+2000).

HARUSPIC. DAY SEVEN
BASIC: Bachelor (after 7-00) → Cathedral → Taya Tychik (short building of the Termitary) → City Council (left door) → Hunchback's house → Victor Cain → Cathedral (Aglaya Lilich) → Slaughterhouses (go left, Slaughterhouse Foreman, + avrox blood) → Laboratory (we make a panacea: avrox blood + any twirin infusion) → Cathedral (Aglaya).
ADDITIONAL 1: Taya Tychik → Termite mound (entrance on the left, 1-2 bandits will be waiting for you at the exit) → Taya Tychik (+ reputation).
EXTRA 2: (after completing the main) Aglaya Lily → Theater (eat the panacea) → Aglaya.

HARUSPIC. DAY EIGHT
MAIN: Aglaya Lilich (after 7-00) → Taya Tychik → Clara (from Mishka; find out the end of the fairy tale) → Taya Tychik → Slaughterhouses (Sergeant Major) → Ospina (+ bone) → Sergeant Major → Aglaya.
EXTRA 1: Junior Vlad → sewer behind the theater (4 rich bandits; + Vlad's entries) → Junior Vlad (- entries; +4000).
ADDITIONAL 2: Georgy Kain → Katerina Saburova → Taya Tychik → Georgy Kain (+3000 if you pass Junior Olgimsky).

HARUSPIC. DAY NINE
BASIC: Commander (Administration, right door) → Foreman (after 7-00; ask about Udrug, he will give you some rubbish to drink, from which your fatigue will begin to grow rapidly, it is not fatal, do not knock it down until you complete the task - empty waste of coffee and lemons) → Bachelor (ask Eva) → Polyhedron → Factories (building No. 3. If on the first day you released the Two-Spirited One, then they will simply give you the bachelor, and if not, then I don’t know where they are driving you) → Foreman ( now you can restore fatigue).
ADDITIONAL 1: Capella (wait until you receive a letter from her at 18-00, otherwise the conversation with her, and, consequently, the continuation of the task will not work) (Aglaya) → Match (be armed, because two Two-Spirits will rush at you with fists after the conversation) → Signal fire behind Ospina's house (comrade Matches) → 4 fires in the Earth (each fire has three enemies, all fires must be lit, from the dead: + decorations, twirin, coffee, powder) → Match (at door girl) → Chapel.

HARUSPIC. DAY TEN
In my opinion, the most difficult day is running from the farthest corner of the city to another (and so on several times). And Sergeant Major Boyen, who continues to mock, is, frankly, very infuriating.

BASIC: Bachelor (after 7-00) → Foreman (gives something nasty that sharply worsens hunger, which negatively affects health) → Ragi Mound (sleep on the central stone) → three Worms (each Worm kills a Butcher, after the third you can and eat) → Petty Officer → Bachelor → Capella, Katerina Saburova → Bachelor.
ADDITIONAL 1: Chapel → Bear → Three stones (+ tvir, + saviour, + white whip. From the stones, follow the “trail” of grass) → Island with a doll → Bear (+ avrox blood) → Polyhedron (+ avrox blood at the foot) → Bear.
ADDITIONAL 2: Taya Tychik → Vlad Olgimsky (junior) → wasteland of the Bone Pillar (talk to all four Worms, each will advise you to contact different children) → Bear, Notkin, Match → Weasel (girl) → Capella (? Weasel) → Uprava (? Weasel) → carriage behind Mishkin → wasteland of the bone pillar (first talk to the three Worms near the bull + 3 avrox blood, and then to the main one).

HARUSPIC. DAY ELEVEN
MAIN: Weasel (Clara, after 7-00) → Foreman → Hole in the floor (room adjacent to the Foreman) → Select a victim (the person will still be alive, so don’t be sorry) → Foreman (kill him, it’s not difficult, health comes first raise it to maximum, just in case).
ADDITIONAL 1: Notkin → wasteland of the Bone Pillar → Patroclus (car behind Mishkin) → Bachelor.
EXTRA 2: Capella → Bachelor → Polyhedron → Capella.

Additional tasks for this day from the cycle “run away from nothing to do”: they don’t add anything, just so that it doesn’t get boring.

HARUSPIC. DAY TWELVE
The Bachelor sits at Eva's house, the Impostor in the long building of the Termitary. Meet with everyone. Everyone will ask for their Close Ones. Your task is first of all to make sure that your Close Ones are alive. Then you can help others close to you. Depending on this, appear at the council either in splendid isolation, or in the company of the Bachelor, or in the company of the Impostor, or both. There is no one on the streets. Therefore, you need a supply of master keys for this day in case you need food or decide to exchange powders. When you receive the letter, go to the Polyhedron. You will be allowed into the Theater if ALL those close to you are alive and well. At 19:00, appear at the Council and decide the fate of the city. At the council, meet with Capella, Aglaya and Blok (+ Two comrades in misfortune).
We party until 12 at night, watch the final movie, cry with happiness, and are proud of ourselves.

Game description

Mor.Utopia the first project of the Russian studio Ice-Pick Lodge. Long before its release, from the very first gameplay screenshots, it was positioned as something completely beyond the scope of an ordinary computer game. Lots of promises, all that almost a classic of the genre. When the game came out, it received a very mixed reception. Some almost erected monuments to the project, while others poured pure Russian three-story buildings. Of all the promises, the developers certainly fulfilled one thing - the game actually became very ambiguous. “Emergency survival simulator” says the manual. Let's see if it really is so.

The gameplay in the game is very complicated. After the player chooses one of two or three characters under the protection, he is placed in the game world, where survival is the main goal. No friendly nudges in the back, no obvious clues; the player has to figure everything out on his own. Does not work? There will be difficulties with survival.
What is your survival? The main character needs food, rest, coffee, to maintain immunity; starting from a certain point in the game, he may also get sick, as a result of which he will have to think about medicine. In addition, the action takes place in real time; only a pause can stop it. Time in the game is the only resource that is always in short supply. Proper use of time is the key to successful survival. It sounds good? But in reality, not everything turns out so rosy. The notorious arcade nature spoils the impression of the game. Here's a small example: drinking coffee harms your health, but using a first aid kit restores it. The same applies to treating the consequences of antibiotic abuse. For a game that is positioned as being rigged for real conditions, this is unforgivable! What prevented the creators from making several health bars, for the heart, for other internal organs, for the skin? The arcade style would, of course, remain, but at least it wouldn’t be so noticeable. The sanity system from Call of Cthulhu in Mor.Utopia would look great, but alas, there is only an embryo of it in the game, represented by periodic dizziness and clouding of the main character’s mind in case of illness.

The graphics in the game are very inconsistent:

In some screenshots she is good

...on others downright terrible

The city looks good. It’s a little dull due to the fact that the hero doesn’t run very fast, but overall it’s very atmospheric. The contaminated areas look especially cool and are scary to even approach. Houses from the inside in these contaminated areas deserve special mention. If you are scared on the street or in the house, then it is better for you not to meddle at all.
What is done extremely poorly is the character models. And one more thing: the city is populated entirely by “copy-paste” victims. The developers were a little greedy with the models of random residents; there are only about a dozen of them in the game. It's terrible to see the same people with the same phrases on the street. I understand that if the developers began to tinker with each individual character, the game would have been released in the previous year, but the impression from this still does not become better. Well, okay, this is a small thing.

Unfortunately, the soundtrack was not released separately, so we have to be content with tracks from the game resources. I would like to note the track from the main menu - it is gorgeous, and, moreover, is great to listen to outside the game itself. In general, the musical background is quite gloomy and homogeneous, which is why it almost never turns attention to itself. Unfortunately, there are practically no memorable tracks. Just as they were background in the game, they remain background during out-of-game listening. Only at Grif's warehouse does something truly catchy sound and, perhaps, in Stamatin's tavern.

The plot - yes, that's the only reason the game is worth playing. It's quite massive for a computer game. There are three main characters, only two are available for the first playthrough, which gives several points forward to its replayability. But the choice made by the player does not exclude other characters; in the game they will become NPCs and, in combination, competitors of the main character. The gameplay features and ways to overcome the plot are also different for different characters.
There are no completely negative or completely positive characters in the game. Likewise, there are no completely good and completely bad quests in the game. The game forces the player to act as he would have done in the place of the hero he has chosen. The plot is presented in large portions of unvoiced text, so lovers of everything modern and simplified will most likely faint. Yes, you will have to read a lot, read and understand the meaning. Without this, Mor.Utopia doesn’t even make sense; everything good about it is tied to the plot.

There are bugs. Therefore, install the official patch from the developers, located on the game’s website, and all kinds of bugs will bypass you.

Instead of the result: you can love and hate the game at the same time. This is a whole bunch of shortcomings, mixed with advantages into such a crazy soup, for everyone.

System requirements

• Operating system: Windows 98/2000/ME/XP
• CPU: Pentium III 1 GHz
• RAM: 256 MB
• Video: DirectX-compatible video card with 32 MB memory
• Free disk space: 2 GB
• Sound: DirectX compatible sound card
• CD-ROM: 4x-speed
• Additional software: DirectX 9.0c
• Control: keyboard, mouse

This prize is special. In order to become “Game of the Year” according to LKI, stunning graphics and polished gameplay are not enough. This prize can only be won by a game that will be remembered for many years to come. When in 2010 or 2015 we remember what 2005 gifted us with, what will come to our minds?

It is unlikely that these will be games with numbers in the title. No matter how perfect they are, their success is in many ways a reflection of the success of the first part. Occasionally, it happens that revolutionary changes that turn a game from an average one into a masterpiece happen in one of the sequels... but history remembers very few such examples.

Journalism - including gaming journalism - lives mainly in the present day. Very rarely does she have to look into the day after tomorrow. This is right: many good games will be forgotten tomorrow, but this is no reason not to enjoy them now. But Game of the Year is a special prize that requires just such a look.

“It’s almost like Fallout, like UFO, like Diablo,” they now say about new promising projects. We don't know it yet, but a new title is about to be added to the list. Which?

After lengthy debate and discussion, the honorary title of “Game of 2005” is awarded to “ Mor. Utopia» studios Ice-Pick Lodge(publisher - Buka).

Frankly, we hesitated for a long time before making our final choice. The no less worthy Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy from Quantic Dream was neck and neck with the favorite, but the leader of the year was still Pestilence. And that's why.

It’s not in vain that we devoted so much time and magazine space to this game: it’s worth it. Despite the rapid pace at which technology is developing, you must admit that it is not often possible to come across something truly new, fresh and unusual. And even when this unusual thing does come across our way, we often pass by, not believing our eyes. Not only journalists, but also publishers, who seem to have their finger on the pulse of events more than others - and they are often deceived, automatically losing sight of something that is right in front of them. It is no secret that even the publishers themselves did not immediately realize what exactly they had released, until recently considering “Path. Utopia" is one of hundreds of ordinary products coming off the gaming assembly line.

And this, gentlemen, is the breakthrough that many of us have been waiting for. A game that is not inferior in atmosphere to the greatest projects, captivating, immersing you in thinking about issues that are by no means just games. A game with content that has independent literary value - how many of these do you remember? Fallout, Last Express... And then?

Game-drama, game-theater. Despite the freedom of action, a tragic performance unfolds around the player, where every person is an actor, the area is a decoration, every little thing is a symbol with many meanings.

Each next day turns upside down the already seemingly established picture of the world. New facts force us to take a fresh look at the same heroes, and from the depths of history the outlines of long-standing events emerge. Sometimes these echoes can explain what is happening today and predict what to expect tomorrow. And time after time the choice arises: who to save and who to sacrifice? Who is destined to live and who is destined to die? Which of the two greatest miracles will be destroyed, and can both be saved? At what cost? The further you go, the harder it becomes to answer questions, because there are no correct answers...

She was received differently. The players, for the most part, are positive - popular ratings are over 90 and places of honor in the charts. The gaming press is puzzled and sometimes aggressive. And, to be fair, there were enough reasons for criticism, quite objective ones at that. The graphics are, yes, relatively good, but not only “not revolutionary”, but simply not modern. Even clumsy in places. Bugs - not one and not ten, but a sea. And scripted, and plot-based, and purely programmatic - yes, it’s all there...

But pay attention: six months have already passed since the release, and “Utopia” does not leave the top lines of gaming ratings. And this despite the fact that there are zero opportunities for modding, multiplayer is not provided, and the plot has been studied far and wide. Add here the mentioned graphics, bugs... And now think again about the ratings, where many well-groomed handsome men who do not suffer from any of the listed ailments could not resist for more than a month. There are no such coincidences.

Naturally, there were a lot of good games this past year. But circulation is not an indicator, nor is the amount received by the publisher. After all, “Game of the Year” means “Game that will be remembered.” We affirm with all responsibility: “Pestilence” will be remembered both in five years and in ten. But they won’t just remember. Other, newer games will be compared to it. They say, but this is almost a “Pestilence”, but this is not a bit of a “Plague”.

“Utopia” has already gone down in history.

Day three, in which the Bachelor will be asked to begin hunting an elusive enemy and assess the prospects for necrosis.

Time: 7:00 am.

Morning has come.

Infected over the past 24 hours: 41 people.

Died over the past 24 hours: 34 people.

Missing: 14 people.

Number of deaths currently: 102 people.

Number of cases: 53 people.

Less than ten days left until the end.

Among those close to him, Pyotr Stamatin will be in danger

Here you go! Another letter. This time from the Cain family under the title "Disturbing news from George Cain." Go to George immediately. However, a visit to George will activate a secondary task. To receive the main task you will have to wait until 12:00. At lunchtime you will receive a “Letter from Rubin”, in which he will ask you to visit him as soon as possible.

Task of the day: Elusive enemy.

Main objective: Study of the Sand Ulcer.

Implementation: To combat the epidemic, first of all, information about the infection is needed. To do this, Stanislav Rubin, whom you can find in the autopsy room at the thieves' warehouses, will advise you to open the body of the person who died from Sand Mud. But first you need to enlist the support of Alexander Saburov. Visit the commandant, and he will tell you that only butchers who escaped from the Termite Mound can help you with the autopsy. Presumably, Ospina may be hiding them in her house. You should pay her a visit.

On the way to Ospina’s house, be sure to stop by Ekaterina Saburova, since the Impostor just paid a visit to her. It will be very interesting to talk with her. It’s also worth visiting Andrei Stamatin and getting some money on Tvirin. The fact is that the game has a bug with which you can collect a large amount of Tvirin for free! Just go up to the owner of the tavern and talk to him. Then click on the questions in the following order: 1, 2, 1, 1, 2. At the end of each such dialogue, a free bottle of Tvirin will appear in your pocket, which you can use for medicinal purposes, or exchange with the Patrolmen for food or ammunition. But don’t get carried away too much, as playing will not be very interesting with a large bank account.

Let's get back to business. So. Ospina's house. Ask her to place three butchers at her disposal who are hiding in her house. Since the business for which you need butchers is very dangerous, Ospina will ask you to perform a counter service, namely, to persuade Big Vlad to stop pursuing the fugitive butchers. Go to Olgimsky. He will not agree to just leave the fugitives alone and will also ask you to fulfill a counter request. However, you have the opportunity to reduce this conversation to a general agreement. You don’t tell Cain about what’s going on in the Termitary, and he, in turn, stops the persecution. Everything is extremely clear, fair and cunning. Vlad, cursing you for such ingenuity, will nevertheless agree to stop pursuing fugitive workers. With good news, return to Ospina. She will take your word for it and send three butchers to the infected quarter. Now you need to find them.

Before heading into a cordoned off area, you need to be properly equipped. Gloves, drapery and repellent boots will save you from infection. There are a few things to be wary of during your Tanners tour:

Infected trying to grab you;

Rats whose bites pose a risk of infection;

Gray fog spreading Sand Plague;

Enclosed spaces, inside of which it will not be easy to hide from the fog;

Mad dogs whose saliva contains a pathogenic virus.

Also, don’t beat up the Infected, which will lead to a deterioration in your reputation, and certainly don’t try to cut them with a scalpel in front of the Patrolmen.

So, the survival instructions have been read. It's time to hit the road. The butcher you need, or rather his corpse, is located in an alley located northeast of Isidore’s house and southeast of Spichka’s house. The body won't be visible from afar, so look for the Patrolman standing next to it. Approach him and he will explain that the butcher was caught red-handed and killed on the spot. The corpse he mocked was sent to the cemetery and is in the care of Laski. In this regard, go to the cemetery, but before approaching the Patrolmen guarding the body, go to the guardhouse. During a conversation with Laska, you have the opportunity to persuade her to give you the powder that she has kept since the first epidemic. Now go to the Patrolmen. You have a choice between two ways to obtain the required blood sample from an infected corpse:

1. Talk to one of the Patrolmen and pay 10,000. In this case, you will easily receive the sample Rubin needs.

2. The second option, although it does not require any costs, is more problematic. Approaching the guards, take out a knife (scalpel, revolver, etc.) and kill two of them. And only now talk to the last surviving Patrolman. If you refuse to pay, he will attack you. After killing him, you will see a loading screen and find yourself in the Saburovs' house. Alexander will immediately speak to you and say that he hid from the townspeople the true name of the thug who killed the Patrolmen in the cemetery and sent three butchers to mock the bodies of the dead in the infected Tanners quarter. In order to save you from the revenge of a bloodthirsty crowd, the noble Saburov committed a crime. Such a kind deed towards you deserves respect. He will also hint that he will send the next squad of guards to the cemetery only ten minutes after you leave. Urgently go to the cemetery without wasting a minute, since you have a ten-minute head start. Having arrived at the place, take a flask of blood from the corpse and return to Stanislav in the autopsy room.

Arriving at Rubin, use his microscope and examine a sample of infected blood. Then report the results of the study to your doctor. During the conversation, the doctor will come to the conclusion that the disease can be fought and the first samples of serum will be ready by the morning of the fourth day.

The task is completed. By the end of this day, not one of the Close Ones will die. It's time to start completing tasks of secondary importance.

Secondary task: Body of an immortal.

Main objective: Search for the body of Simon Cain.

Location: Gorny.

Customer: Georgy Kain.

Reward: 4000 or 5000.

Execution: Yes...! Not everything is calm in the Danish kingdom. The body of the city ruler disappeared, and Stanislav Rubin disappeared with him. Georgy is at a loss and doesn’t have the slightest idea about who needed the infected body and why there is no news from Rubin. He will advise you to contact his brother Victor, since he knows where to start the search. Junior Cain will tell you that Stanislav and Junior Vlad had some kind of joint business. It is likely that Olgimsky may know where Rubin took Simon’s body. It’s also worth asking him about the Termitary and the connection between the epidemic and the workers’ revolt. Vlad, in turn, before disclosing Rubin's possible whereabouts, wants you to fulfill his counter-demand. The fact is that Victor constantly insists on inspecting the Termitary, which does not coincide with the interests of the Olgimskys. Vlad insists that the termite mound should never be opened for the safety of the workers. It is excluded that the Sand Plague is raging in the Termitary, since it was sealed the day before the appearance of Isidore Burakh in the city and the death of Simon Cain. He will also hint that the Polyhedron, under the rule of the Cain family, was closed already during the epidemic. This will give you a reason to ask Victor to carry out inspection work in the Tower.

Now return to Victor and explain the situation to him. He will suspiciously quickly agree to withdraw all claims, giving you a reason to insist on inspecting the Polyhedron. Victor will not mind, since he doubts that you will be able to get there, since his son Kaspar does not allow adults there, even his father. Now it's time to pay a visit to Maria, only she can persuade her brother to let you in. After talking with her, go to the river bank and climb the stairs to Polyhedron Peak. The Dog Head will be waiting for you there. Tell him that you are a friend of the Cain family and Khan is expecting your visit. Kaspar, in turn, will convince you that there are no signs of the Sand Plague in the Tower, and will ask you to take his word for it, since you simply physically cannot enter the Tower. As a result, your Alter Ego will come to the conclusion that Younger Vlad may be right and will temporarily exclude the Polyhedron and Termite Mound from the sphere of his interests.

After all claims are removed, you can demand from Junior Vlad information about the location of Simon's body. He will tell you about the fugitive butchers who stole the body and indicate the house in which they are hiding. He will also give you a license to kill them, since body snatchers are illegal.

Entering the house, you can find two butchers on the second floor. Shoot them and examine the body. After the examination, you will have a new entry in your diary. Then return to George. You again have two options:

1. Tell Cain that the body was stolen by butchers and indicate the house where you found the mutilated body. For this information you will receive 4000.

2. Report to Georgy that the body was not stolen by anyone and is still under the supervision of Stanislav Rubin. Cain will be unpleasantly surprised by this turn of events and will order Aesculapius to immediately come to him before the end of the day with an explanation. You will receive 5000 as a reward.

Secondary task: The boy went out to fight.

Main task: Take away dangerous powder from the baby.

Location: Clot.

Client: Olgimskaya Chapel.

Fulfillment: Big Vlad's daughter will tell you about baby powders and ask you to find a baby who has one copy with him. Presumably it is located not far from the Silent House of Isidor Burakh, since it was from there that the epidemic began. Travel to the Tanners area and go to the center. The Quirk is hiding in an alley located northeast of Isidore's house and southeast of Spichka's house. Approach the boy and demand that he give you the powder. The Loafer will warn you that in the place where you stand, a gray fog is bursting out of the ground, which infects anyone caught in its path. Indeed, after talking with him, the fog will infect you, and you will have to test the powder on yourself. The main thing is that you have a good supply of health, otherwise you risk getting poisoned. The powder will indeed help get rid of the infection, but will cause enormous damage to health. Tell Capella about the results of using the powder on yourself, thereby completing the mission.