I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream is a point and click adventure game from 1995. It’s based on a short story by Harlan Ellison published in 1967 though differs in plotline to the original book. The game is set in the, hopefully distant, future where the Earth has been taken over by supercomputers that have enslaved/eliminated the human race. It’s a very conventional backstory for a very unconventional game. In this story our murderous supercomputer is called AM; short for Allied Mastercomputer and is voiced by Ellison who flawlessly pulls off the disturbed persona as only somebody who truly understood AM could. AM was one of three super-computers tasked with the running of a violent world war to minimize human causalities. Unfortunately, this plan backfired as much as a plan can backfire and, upon becoming self-aware, AM conducted a mass genocide of the human race. Only five people were left alive by the machine who, if we can call it a who, by now has subsequently lost his mind shortly after discovering it. AM is a calm, collected and cruel being with bouts of manic but twisted teasing. He taunts, jibes and mocks with abandon and his discourse often slips into the grotesque. AM’s five captives have been made practically immortal and AM tortures and torments them endlessly for 109 years. This is where our story picks up as AM, inventive as he is, has come up with a new way to aggravate his disgruntled prisoners.
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| The pillar of love, courtesy of AM, just one of many affectionate displays. |
Gameplay and characters
The game essentially has five separate episodes as you take control of each individual prisoner then a final, sixth scene at the end that wraps it all together and determines the ending. The ending of the game is open-ended and may result in four conclusions, three of which aren't exactly optimal and the last being rather positive.The stories of each of the five characters are varying in length and quality with some good puzzles but other quite easy, simplistic ones. The gameplay itself is nothing particularly special and it’s fairly typical but the plot is enough reason to stick around and play it. Some may find the game too dark and depressing due to the seriousness of the topic, after all we’re in post-cold-war apocalyptic times so you can expect things to get a little gloomy. The narrative of AM is consistently good quality though the five prisoners are fairly unbothered by their eternal torment. There’s a dash of fear and disturbed reactions from the characters but mostly they’re just kind of irritated and bit fed up of their taunting host. If they’re not disturbed though, you certainly will be, as the game manages to strike deep into places that games rarely venture. There are plenty of sensitive topics that aren’t exactly tip-toed around though luckily the game reins it in visually on some of those particular issues.
The controls are your very standard point and click style in which you have several actions at the bottom such as ‘pick up’, ‘open’ ‘look at’ and so on reminiscent of LucasArts SCUMM gameplay like my beloved Monkey Island games. You’ll generally need to click and use on things in your inventory or on the environment to advance through puzzles. Some things like can be a little frustrating at first. For instance, you must manually pick ‘open’ to get through a door else you’ll bump around it until you realize what you’re doing wrong. There are no hotkeys for the different actions so it’s all mouse guided. Cutscenes are very easy to accidentally skip as if you press any button or click the mouse then it will automatically go to the end of it, this is very noticeably in the first, long opening scene which is essential for storyline.
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| Ted may look a little skinny back there but the detail of the room is beautiful. |
The controls are your very standard point and click style in which you have several actions at the bottom such as ‘pick up’, ‘open’ ‘look at’ and so on reminiscent of LucasArts SCUMM gameplay like my beloved Monkey Island games. You’ll generally need to click and use on things in your inventory or on the environment to advance through puzzles. Some things like can be a little frustrating at first. For instance, you must manually pick ‘open’ to get through a door else you’ll bump around it until you realize what you’re doing wrong. There are no hotkeys for the different actions so it’s all mouse guided. Cutscenes are very easy to accidentally skip as if you press any button or click the mouse then it will automatically go to the end of it, this is very noticeably in the first, long opening scene which is essential for storyline.
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| Gorrister hanging in the public restroom of Little Chef, the poor guy. |
Each character has a defined personality and it’s not simply a measure of sticking a new face on and going in a new area. You’ll instantly notice the shift in tone and temperament as you move from one character to the next and it’s a refreshing aspect that helps to keep things interesting. All of the characters have their own, secret past that you’ll learn about from their stories though each share’s something in common. They all need to face their past and learn to move on with it. Your role will be to help them come to terms with what they have each been through. There’s an unusual mechanism in the game called a ‘Karma meter’ that surrounds the character’s face; this will lighten or darken depending on their mood. Certain actions will cheer them up and others will bring them down into deep depression or anxiety. Part of the gameplay is to not do what AM expects you to do; the options generally bounce between doing something positive or honourable and doing something cowardly or destructive. With this in mind, it’s usually fairly obvious to work out what to do in each moral scenario.
Graphics and environment
Despite the fact that this game was released in 90s it's still greatly detailed and quite gory when the story calls for it. Generally the environments are dark, gloom y and macabre but that doesn't mean the game is limited to dull browns and greys. Some areas are lush and green with vibrant and almost scenic settings and the transition from the murky depths of a concentration camp to a lush, though somwhat dingy, tropical island is fantastic. The variation in environments is very apparant as each character has an entirely different setting than the last which makes it feel as though you're getting 5 very short games in one. |
| There are plenty of subtle little bits; like how that tree looks almost mechanical in nature. |
The expression on characters faces are vivid and detailed especially due to the close up shot at the bottom of the screen. Objects that you're meant to pick up are blended well into the surroudning scenery and, as is common with point and clicks, it's not always apparent what you're supposed to be grabbing.There’s nothing plain or bare about the graphics and each area is rich in detail; pots and pans in the kitchen, twisted vines around headstones, colourful cave paintings and finely carved patterns at the end of a bed are just a few of the environmental additions that are to be enjoyed in the settings of this game. Admittedly, there are a few slight graphicsl issues like the colour goes a little manic or the screen fuzzes during a cutscene but that's more likely due to trying to play a 90s game on Windows 7.
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| Another completely different and finely detailed environment, Ellen looks tired though. |
The audio is fairly well done and, if nothing else, is atmospheric. The music is jarring and disturbing in parts but not loud enough to distract you or interfere with what you’re doing and contributes nicely to the overall feel of the game. As I’ve mentioned the voice of AM is particularly well acted but the five main characters are also satisfactory with their own strengths and weaknesses. Ellen is particularly annoying due to her sarcastic, off the cuff comment when apparently she suffers from anxiety. Ellen tends to come across more as a disgruntled housewife than a victim of torture which is rather mood-breaking. Everything has a sound, there’s nothing left untouched, so you can pick and prod at everything that can be interacted with without being disappointed.
Overall
I Have No Mouth and I MustScream is definitely worth a play through if you enjoy point and click games, and even if you don’t, then you should play it for the storyline. If you’re squeamish of psychological horrors however then you should definitely give this game a miss as once you’re in there, you won’t be getting back out again. The game explores recesses that few games dare to enter; this isn’t a murder mystery game, you won’t find soldiers full of bullet holes or serial killers dragging entrails across the walls. When you finish the game you’ll have journeyed through an environment of unsettling madness of apocalyptic proportions. Whilst this may not sound like a barrel of laughs and fun for all this game entertains in a way that’s almost forgotten in modern games. If you’re looking for something a little different, then you should definitely give this a go.
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