Child’s voice: Hey Mister, is it true a witch used to live in this town?
Deep whispering voice: Have you ever heard the story of the last half of darkness?
Child’s voice: No Mister, tell me.
Remember the last time you saw a scary movie that had you jumping in your seat? Sometimes that movie would stay in your subconscious, causing you to drive home with your car’s interior light on the whole time. You know --- just in case.
Could a PC game possibly replicate those same kinds of feelings? It can if it’s Last Half of Darkness: Shadows of the Servants. What may be surprising is that Last Half of Darkness: Shadows of the Servants was created by an independent developer: WRF Studios (WRF standing for creator William R. Fisher). When asked via email by this reviewer about the inspiration for the game, Bill Fisher supplied this response:
“As far as background.... I created the original version back in 1989. It contained only 16 colors and very little animation. It was well received by the public so my interest grew and continued programming. In recent years I thought perhaps it’s time to create another chapter using newer technology to provide a little scarier experience.”
While not having had a chance to play the original version, one can only guess at the changes that were made. Whatever the changes, this latest version is sure to get your blood pumping and the hair on the back of your neck standing up.
Our story begins years ago when Dr. Muretta, a young scientist with extensive knowledge of witchcraft returns from the Brazilian rain forest where she was researching the dark arts. With her, she brings her dear pet Jaja, a spider monkey she found in the rain forest. Unfortunately, Jaja was attacked and bitten by unknown mutated monkeys on the last trip. Slowly, Jaja’s temperament changes from that of a oving pet to aggressive and evil; so evil that Muretta has to put him to sleep. Is this a seemingly sad end for Jaja? If only that was the case… Jaja returns from the dead weeks later and attacks Muretta. Thinking that the existence of his remains has something to do with the reappearance, Muretta burns Jaja’s remains. However, this turns out to be a mistake of monumental proportions. This error causes Jaja’s spirit to be trapped in limbo, allowing him to infiltrate the minds of the estate’s inhabitants for years; inhabitants including Muretta’s daughters (Mira in particular).
Hoping against hope to rid the estate of this evil, Dr. Muretta attempts to clone Jaja using DNA in an effort to reverse the damage she originally created, but this only results in the unleashing of even more evil servants. Before she dies, Muretta asks Mira to destroy all her notes. Mira is hesitant to do so, but she is wary of the servants reading her mother’s notes. To prevent this, Mira only destroys portions of her mother’s work in hopes that someone would come along to continue the work and release her from this prison of darkness.
You begin your journey in a hotel room. A strange book sitting on the table calls to you. You’re not sure why you’re here. What you don’t know is that the dark arts have been used to summon you here to help. You are not the first to be called but the biggest question is “Will you be the last”? You decide to check out the town where you will find dark alleys and creepy people. Not a good sign.
On the horizon, you get your first sight of the dark mansion estate. Now, if this were real life, you would likely get in your rental car and get the heck out of there. But, you must understand that just like those scary movies, you will of course do the stupid thing and head right for the mansion. Well, if you didn’t, it wouldn’t be much of a game. The mansion is where the story comes alive. The mansion is the root of the evil. The mansion is where you get the “you know what” scared out of you. So, be prepared.
Last Half of Darkness: Shadows of the Servants comes in a DVD case with one CD, a printed game manual, a mystic chart (for use during the game) and a single sheet marked “Designer’s notes”. It was quite a surprise to see a printed game manual as most independent developers do not include one. The “Designer’s Notes” page gives some tips on now to play the game. The first tip notes the best way to play the game is preferably at night with all the lights turned off and the volume turned up. This will allow for maximum immersion into the dark story. Right! I read that and proceeded to play with all the lights on and only when my husband was home. Call me crazy, but I personally like to sleep nightmare free. Trust me, this game would be immersive with the lights on and 50 people in the room. But, for those of you who like to live on the edge, go ahead and play as suggested.
Last Half of Darkness: Shadows of the Servants is a first person point and click horror game. You will need to use your keyboard a few times to type in some words pertaining to puzzles. Moving around is quite easy. Locations already uncovered are clearly marked by cursor and text description. When an item can be examined the cursor will turn purple. When an item can be interacted with, the cursor will turn red. Inventory is easily accessed by moving your mouse over the bottom black section of the screen. The main menu is accessed at the top of the screen the same way. There are 10 save slots available, but they can be overwritten as you progress in the game. Game play is linear, allowing you to progress through the story in multiple ways and at your own pace.
There isn’t a whole lot of voice acting in Shadows of the Servants, but the voices that are highlighted in the game are all equally creepy. Some voices invoke the scratchy sounds of death while others whisper to you from the shadowy halls. Music, while also adding to the mood of the game is in short supply. This actually emphasizes the ambient sounds that send a shiver up your spine as you investigate your environment.
As you stand in silence in the hotel room wondering what you’re supposed to be doing ---- BAM ---- a loud (and I mean really loud) crash of thunder will jolt you out of your seat. As you wander through the mansion, desolate moans, whispers, and what sounds like energy forces follow you. Some rooms are completely and utterly silent. The balance between the two will have you looking over your shoulder.
Considering this is an independent game, it was surprising to see such wonderful 3D environments. It is obvious that a lot of work was done here. The use of shadows and candlelight really make the difference between just a room and a spooky room that you’re hesitant to enter. Add in secret rooms, a graveyard, a swamp, not to mention that beastly town leading up to the mansion.
Now, the real clincher in creating the fear factor is the spirits that jump out at you. Yes, you read this correctly. You will be walking around minding your own business (ok, not really minding your own business) and something will fly right at you. There is no warning. All you’re left with is a dent in your ceiling from where your head hit and maybe some extra money in the good old curse jar. After playing the game twice, this reviewer has enough money in the curse jar to buy another copy of the game. Even knowing where it’s going to happen doesn’t help much. It just makes you a little more paranoid as you try in vain to remember what the trigger was so you can avoid it or look away in time.
While the puzzles are not overwhelmingly difficult, they do require a lot of actual thought. Most of the puzzles involve cryptic little poems/verses that you find throughout the game. Make sure you have a pen and paper nearby as not all the clues can be taken with you. One clue is glued to the bottom of a drawer so you will want to write it down. Solving one puzzle may give you a clue to another. For example, in the beginning of the game you get to play a cup game. This is where a ball is placed under one of three cups. Then they’re shifted around and you have to guess where the ball is. Guessing correctly 3 times in a row will get you a verbal clue.
Another puzzle involves a game similar to Bejeweled. Completing this game gets you another clue that won’t be used for quite a while. Other puzzles require you to press items in a certain order according to poems/verses you received elsewhere. And yes, there is the dreaded maze. Although there are only 2 places you really need to get to in this 3D maze, it is quite disorienting despite the fact that Bill has provided a small onscreen map to track your location. White smoke/energy constantly floats in front of you which tends to throw you off course, but I suppose that is the point. You may need to consult Bill’s walkthrough to determine exactly what you’re looking for. Overall, puzzles make sense and fit in with the environment. The fact that they’re a little different makes adds to the fun factor.
We don’t really get a lot of horror games these days – especially ones that don’t involve blood and gore. Last Half of Darkness: Shadows of the Servants is a wonderfully scary game that is entertaining, imaginative and immersive all at the same time. Visit www.LastHalfofDarkness.com and check it out. It is worth the purchase. Make sure you buy some paint too so you can fix that ceiling when you’re done with the game. Be sure to check out the bunch of bonus games Bill includes on the game CD. They’re quite a lot of fun.
The walkthrough can be found at www.LastHalfofDarkness.com/walkthrough.htm
Final Grade: 94/100
  
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