- Platform: IBM PC Compatible
- Release Date: 1995
- Genre: Adventure
- Style: Third-Person Graphic Adventure
- Similar Games: Ripley's Believe it or Not! The Riddle of Master Lu (IBM PC Compatible), Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Comet (IBM PC Compatible), Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers (IBM PC Compatible), Veil of Darkness (IBM PC Compatible)
Game Description
A European country has found a mysterious presence somewhere within Antarctica's ice on the eve of World War II. Legend has it that this "Prisoner of Ice" holds the key to supernatural powers and could influence the outcome of war. As~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide
Roots & Influences
The game is based on the writing of author Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) who was well known for his interest in the horror genre and eerie mysteries. A similar theme involving The Call of Cthulhu (1926) is the basis of the computer game Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Comet, released in 1993 by the same company (@I-Motion, Inc.). A full listing of Lovecraft's literary works can be found at www.hplovecraft.com/writings/fiction/.~ Michael L. House, All Game Guide
Review: Overall
You play the role of Lt. Ryan in a mystery filled with suspense and horror. The journey begins on the submarine Victoria as you battle an alien foe with words given to you by an injured comrade. You must defeat Cthulhu and save the world from this supernatural beast of incredible powers!Prisoner of Ice is based on the writings of H. P. Lovecraft and, as such, has many twists and turns as you advance through the game. Action takes a back seat to the puzzles and mysteries you must solve but that's not to say the game can't be exciting. The many emergencies and encounters with Cthulhu prove to be very exciting.
Your adventure begins on the Victoria when the ship is attacked and the cargo hold catches on fire. This, in turn, causes the frozen boxes to melt and release the Cthulhu monster. To combat the menace, you must travel throughout the submarine to find various objects and solve many puzzles. Unfortunately, this presents a problem since, at times, solving certain conundrums and finding some of the objects proves very difficult and you can't advance in the game until you complete the tasks.
Most of the objects are fairly easy to discover but some require close investigation. For example, the flare gun in the Victoria isn't readily recognizable and you have to use a key to unlock a latch that surrounds it. Only after picking the item up did it dawn on me what its identity truly was!
Another problem was an instance where my player took a hatchet to the electrical box for the torpedo room hatch. As part of the puzzle, you must then re-route the electricity to wires that haven't been damaged. There is no clue from any character in the story regarding this necessary action nor can the information be found in the manual.
So, puzzles and items that are difficult to find and solve hinder your mission and often leave you in the same position for days. Once you discover what to do or find a necessary object, the action moves along fairly fast but you'll get stuck often and no documentation comes with the game to help you with these problems.
One of the best aspects of the game is the storyline -- it starts out very normal but certainly doesn't end up that way. In the beginning, you may think you're involved in a military game that requires you to battle ships with your submarine but the game is much more complicated. The two constants are you, Lt. Ryan, and Cthulhu. Everything else changes, as with each area you explore you'll find new characters, locations to search and items.
Once you finish an area, you move on to the next one and start again with new puzzles and no items. This continues until the end of the game when you must defeat Cthulhu. In Prisoner of Ice, the story takes precedence over the action and it requires skill to complete each level.
The puzzles in the game are not always easy and the levels get more diverse as you advance. You may find yourself consulting online walkthroughs for help in order to complete certain areas. While this may be frustrating, the challenge factor is certainly a plus for the game. While some games have a great storyline, often they are so easy to figure out and play it makes you wish you were just reading a book. Conversely, Prisoner of Ice offers good gameplay and scenes of action that require quick thinking.
As an example of gameplay, the first action scene occurs when you face Cthulhu on the Victoria. The phrase you recorded from Hamsun proves to be the fatal blow for this beast and then you must use the recorder on Lt. Ryan. The alien disappears into thin air but it won't be the last time you'll go head to head with Cthulhu by any means.
If you're a fan of H. P. Lovecraft's writings, Prisoner of Ice is a great game for your collection. The hours of gameplay may be prolonged by the many times you find yourself stuck in certain areas but, once you figure out what to do, the game moves quite quickly.
Prisoner of Ice doesn't need to be installed on your computer and simply makes a directory for the saved games. This saves you time and space on your computer, yet doesn't sacrifice good graphics and extended gameplay. The game combines a really good story with decent gameplay, good graphics and decent sound. Patience and perseverance is the key to defeating Cthulhu.
~ Nick Woods, All Game Guide
Review: Enjoyment
It's a fun game to play until you come across part of your journey you can't figure out. Once this happens, you can be in the same location for days and be tempted to stop. Luckily, online tutorials and walkthroughs are available. When the game is moving, it's very fun to play and has a great plot.~ Nick Woods, All Game Guide
Review: Graphics
If you view the game in high-resolution mode, characters appear surprisingly lifelike but short. The scenery changes often and varies greatly from a submarine to a Nazi book stronghold. Certainly not the most amazing graphics but they're perfect for the game.~ Nick Woods, All Game Guide
Review: Sound
The game boasts a good musical score that lasts 70 minutes and complements the action well. The rest of the sounds aren't very noticeable and are fairly average. Cthulhu has an interesting "roar" and the characters' voices reflect adequate acting performances.~ Nick Woods, All Game Guide
Review: Replay Value
Playing the game is like reading a book except you control the action. Since you can't miss items during play, you'll have less of a reason to replay the game. Finding all items is necessary for advancement so, if you complete the game, no problems are left unsolved.~ Nick Woods, All Game Guide
Review: Documentation
The manual simply doesn't do justice to the game. Perhaps it was by design the creators left out aspects of the story, since it would give away the mystery, but it also makes the game more difficult to play. An interesting newspaper is included as a game prop that has headlines concerning specific points in the game.~ Nick Woods, All Game Guide
Production Credits
Direction: Bruno Bonnell ; Programming: Edouard Viollet, Denis Dufour, Pascal Perenon, Bruno Pivano; Graphics and Animation: Partick Charpenet, Dominique Peyronnet, Josiane Girard, Franck Drevon, Mathieu Chaboud, Christine Allemand, Christophe Anton, Daniel Balage, Fabrice Giraud, Jo'l Mouclier, Xavier Fournier, Xavier Bottet, Fabrice Tete, Griboulle, Etranges Libellules, ActiSystem, Miroir, Ozo; Script: Hubert Chardot, Christian Nabais, Michel Monteil, Philippe Chanoinat, Frederic Cornet; Motion: Frederic Jouannet, Ina S., Patrick Dread; Music and Sound: Herve Cohen, Vincent Bruley, Laurent Paret, Thierry Carron; Voice: Vox Populi, Ramses, Les producteurs, Plaza Synchron, Multimedia Audio Centre, Musicom, Sound Developments; Production: Marc Albinet, Olivier Masclef, Olivier Goulay, Christiane Sgorlon; Publishing: Patrick Chouzenoux, Jacqueline Penot, Beatriz Rodriguez, Beate Reiter, Veronique Salmeron; Testing: Olivier Robin, Sylvain Branchu, C.G.S.; Special Thanks: Norbert Cellier, Eric Mottet, William Hennebois, Vincent Terraillon, Arnaud Debayeux, Chaosium, H.P. Lovecraft, Scott Givens, Yannick Turbe, Jean-Nicolas Gerbaux, Bruce Ryan, Human Machine Interface
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide
