Customer Reviews

Are You Afraid of the Dark : The Tale of Orpheo's Curse

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Are You Afraid of the Dark: The Tale of Orpheo's Curse is based on the defunct Nickelodeon series "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" The show featured a group of kids (the Midnight Society) who would gather around a campfire at night to share scary stories of the supernatural. The Tale of Orpheo's Curse was not a plot that was covered in any of the TV episodes.

The game tells the story of Terry and Alex, siblings who are staying with their uncle. There's a creepy abandoned vaudeville theater across from his house, and Terry, who loves magic, wants to explore the boarded-up eyesore. There are tattered posters for attractions at Orpheo's Palace, such as dancing wax skeletons. As Terry searches for clues, they see ghostly shadows from inside the (deserted) building, and sneak in an open stage door.

Your adventure really begins once you're granted access to the run-down theater and its grimy, cobwebby secrets. You get to explore a Ripley's-like room of animal oddities (some with amusing animations when you click on them) and a wax museum in addition to the old dressing rooms and basement. Along the way, you hear the stories of the early performers and their sad fates at the hands of Orpheo.

The game switches between Terry and Alex, although since it's first person, the only clue is in the voiceovers. The graphics are static photos much like Myst, but are highly detailed and colorful, greatly adding to the environment. Viacom filled the game with clickables, and the environments are highly interactive, surprising for a game of this age. Instead of Full Motion Video (FMV), most action is shown via slideshow. There are some genuinely creepy moments (being chased by several undead monsters, for a start), but there's nothing that's truly frightening here (that is, if you're not afraid of some friendly ghosts).

The game is largely inventory-based; the central puzzle relies on collecting artifacts from around the theater, and once you have all of them, you're given clear instructions on what to do. The ending was satisfying and the perfect note to close the story. It is possible to die, and if you do you're restored to the moment before your accidental departure.

NOTE: This is a DOS game, and in order to play it on XP or Vista, you're going to need a free DOS Emulator such as DOSBox in order to play this. It usually takes quite a bit of tinkering before older DOS games will play on modern Windows OS, so be prepared to be patient. This is still my first real video game and one of my enduring favorites for its strong story and ghostly atmosphere!

If you enjoyed The Tale of Orpheo's Curse, I also recommend Nancy Drew: The Final Scene, which also takes place in a run-down vaudeville theater and features an emphasis on magic.

This game is the game that made me absoloutly obsessed with adventure games! When you're a 12 year old girl, it gives you the "heebie jeebies" like nothing else possibly ever could(and still does when I think about certain scenes!). I love this game, and will gladly plunk down the $50 to own it again.