Tex Murphy: The Pandora Directive - A Fair & Balanced Retrospective

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Features by Adventure Game Hotspot staff
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The Pandora Directive is frequently cited as one of the best adventure games ever made, so leave it to the Space Quest Historian to come along and – wait... completely agree with that assessment? Yes indeed! In his fourth "fair & balanced" retrospective video of the Tex Murphy series, SQH goes even further by calling it one of the best games of all time, PERIOD.

So for those tuning in for another hilarious takedown of unmitigated crap from yesteryear, this isn't that video.

Oh sure, to be fair & balanced there needs to be some criticism of "unnecessarily scrutinous detail" in a game that isn't without its flaws: the UFO/conspiracy plot screams "1990s," the narrative logic is stretched to the breaking point a time or two, and there are hair-pulling logic puzzles everywhere (which may be your thing if you like puzzles and don't like your hair). For the most part, though, this spoiler-filled reflection is all about just how darn "astonishing" the game is.

The reasons are numerous, because The Pandora Directive was ahead of its time in so many ways, and STILL surpasses most modern-day games. And it's so "insanely ambitious" that it's a miracle Access Software pulled it off. But pull it off they did, and then some. The still-funny but darker game than Under a Killing Moon is an improvement in just about every way, from cleverly implemented multiple branching paths to enhanced production value and better direction in the live-action scenes, with solid acting across the board, not just from Hollywoods talent Kevin McCarthy, Tanya Roberts and Barry Corbin, but especially a notable leap forward from Tex himself, Chris Jones.

All that's just the tip of the iceberg, so enjoy the video below as the Space Quest Historian goes on to sing the game's well-deserved praises. And here's hoping that 4K remaster eventually comes to fruition!

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