14 DAY TRIAL // 
Brilliance. That is the first word that crosses my mind when I think about The Experiment - not only one of the most original and innovative adventure games of recent times, but a title that should enter the gaming history. Or the Guinness Book of Records, or something similar. It just deserves a prize. Just give a gold trophy to this game and go home happy. It is brilliant.
I have started to feel the need for innovation and originality when it comes to computer games two years after I have played my first game - Sokoban. Then, randomly - Another World, Dune 2, Doom, Warcraft, the Monkey Island series - they all followed (of course, I named just a few). All these games brought to the world such a great gaming experience that everything that came afterwards just seemed like a pale copy, a proof that real games are hard to be made. And I got The Experiment (aka Experience 112). And I've been put under a spell again, because this title is so great that it will make you forget and forgive all its little flaws. Because, unfortunately, it has those, too.
The Story
Everything begins with a clich? - a good looking lady wakes up in a dark room, she has no idea who she is and you start thinking: "Oh, no, not the nameless hero again!". But then you see her looking straight into your eyes from behind the screen, asking: "Hey! Are you there? Is anybody there?" That is the moment when you start thinking that you have finally got The Game. But we'll get into further details a tad later.
The story is not presented from the beginning, as most of the games do. Actually, The Experiment is nothing but a story itself - from the beginning to the end we are told the story of Lea Nichols, the girl that you just met. She is a doctor that was working, together with a research team on some kind of a secret, huge project - everything in the middle of the ocean, on a huge research ship. But something went totally wrong and it seems that everybody except her has died. But Lea has no memories, at all, so you have very few details to start with. Things will change, though, since the entire story unfolds as you play. And, unlike the first minutes you spend with the game, it will never make you relate your experience to the word "clich?".
Gameplay
The biggest innovation, the strong point, the best part of The Experiment is the gameplay. Or, rather, the control scheme and the way the action goes. Because, in here, you do not control Lea directly and she is not your virtual alter-ego. In fact, you control no character at all throughout the game - you are exactly the same person you are in real life, with a little twist, of course, to make everything believable: you are an unnamed, unknown person that was somehow trapped in the ship's control room (or, better said - the computer room) and Lea just notices you are there.
And since you won't find out who you are or why you are there, you decide to help doctor Nichols. And now comes the great part - peeping toms and voyeurs all over the world will have an instant orgasm, Big Brother fans will have an instant orgasm, game lovers will have an instant orgasm. The entire ship is filled with surveillance cameras and you control them all. You also control the lights and machinery on the ship and, while using these, you will help Lea to solve her mystery. Sounds great, right?
Basically, this means that if you wish Lea to move somewhere, you will simply have to turn on a light there, open a door, start a machine or something. You will also choose how to see the entire action by activating the surveillance cameras - you will be able to do anything a real person in a control room would be able to do.
So, as you have probably figured out already, this is not your classic point and click adventure game. You will not collect thousands of items in your inventory, combine them, solve tricky puzzles and so on. Instead, you will be a helpless person behind the computer, that hopes it has all it takes in order to suggest Lea what to do next, where and how to. And that is both a challenge and a thrill.
You don't really have an array of means to communicate with Lea - everything is as basic as it could get. Except for the lights that will "tell" her where to go, you will be able to shake the cams in order to tell her "Yes" or "No", turn on the night vision and see what Lea can't or even try to phone call her from time to time. Even though this last thing will never have a positive result, since the lines are always dead, every time I found a phone and called her, I felt the adrenaline pumping: "Maybe now..." I told myself so many times.
Since in the game you are behind a computer as well, you will gave an interface similar to the real life OS - Microsoft Windows. You will be able to open up to three cam windows - each with three sizes, you will always have access to the ship's map as well as the database where you will find employee files, diaries, passwords and everything else a database should have. All these just one click away - only if you know where to clock. And usually, you will have absolutely no idea.
However, this original and innovative control method can sometimes become boring. You will have to open new camera windows pretty often and drag each of it so they all fit the screen, make them point towards the direction you want them to, and this will take a while. Not to mention that you will find some broken cameras along your way, as well as loose 360 degree ones, which are a pain in the ass. But this is a challenge, too and you know that you play games because you like challenges.
But you will not only control cameras and turn stuff on and off throughout the game (even though you will do this 90% of the time). You will also control robots, search for passwords Lea has no access to and operate some other things on the ship. Even though you will rarely have to do this, it will be something highly enjoyable and welcomed. They could've given us more, though.
Another thing that could get irritating is the very slow pace of the game. Except for the fact that Lea never runs (and actually moves quite slow), you will spend some precious time positioning the cameras as you want them, zoom in and out in the search for passwords and codes or you will just have to stop and listen you the doc talking, since there is no "skip" option.
Unfortunately, the game is extremely linear and all you will have to do is to get Lea move to each object and light source on the map in order to proceed. And once you've been somewhere, you will rarely have to come back. Still, you will get your fair share of confusion, since you will never know exactly where you should send Lea and the ship is big enough to make you explore a bit before you will find the next piece of the puzzle.
Anyway, one thing that I really loved, but that would be a "So what?" for everybody else, was the fact that everything happens in real time. And I mean real: after I first played The Experiment, I got The Club and an endless Heroes tournament with a visiting friend, so I ignored the game for seven days. When I started playing again, the first thing Lea told me was something like: "One week without any news from you, I thought you left me". And that was the moment I totally felt in love with her.
Graphics and Sound
To be frank, the graphics are quite outdated. Even though all the action (excepting the flash back cutscenes) takes place in some smaller browser windows, the resolution is not that great, everything is a little edgy and square-ish. Most of the adventure games nowadays come with some better, top-notch visuals, but The Experiment is not one of them.
However, the sub-par quality of the graphics will have absolutely no influence on the final game experience. You will play this game to get to know its story, not to enjoy the scenery or some RAM-eating explosions.
About the same thing can be said about the sound. We have a pretty poor, impersonal voice acting accompanied by a great soundtrack. However, having in mind that throughout the game you will only hear one character speaking, you can imagine that it should've had one of the greatest voice acting in the world if you were not to get bored, eventually. Anyway, let's just say that the sound is OK and you will never feel the need to turn it off.
Conclusion
The only regret I have regarding The Experiment is that it is not a perfect game. It is so brilliant, breathtaking, unique and innovative that it should've been perfect. I am actually sad because it has its flaws. However, it remains one of the best games I have ever played in my entire life. The Experiment is the revolution of the adventure genre and every new game that will be developed from now on should take it as an example and try to build on this title that took it to the next level. Very enjoyable, highly recommended.
