Inherent Evil

Horror, Humor, and Well-Conceived Puzzles

Inherent Evil was the first graphic adventure developed by Bryan Wiegele and the crew at Big Time Games, and was originally developed in an unusual way: It was supposed to be released episodically, one chapter per week, with a $10,000 cash prize to the first person to 'solve' the game. This structure led to some interesting design decisions; originally, each chapter dropped you to the desk-top on conclusion, and there was no way to save games during a level.

That would have worked fine, given the prize structure attached to the game--but as so often happens to independent game developers, the publishers changed their mind half-way through development, didn't provide enough funding to fix things, and when Inherent Evil was released, it got seriously mixed reviews--people liked the art, the story, and the actual gameplay, but found the fact that you got dumped to desktop, and couldn't save, highly annoying. Understandably.

With this revised version, the "dump to desktop" feature is gone, thankfully; you still can't save in-level, which is irksome, particularly as it is indeed possible to die during the game. But at least the most egregious problem is fixed.

And if you can live with the lack of saves, there's a lot to be liked here; a strong atmosphere of horror, a degree of humor, and intelligently conceived puzzles in a graphic adventure in the classic mold. The sort of thing Big Time executes so well in its Delaware St. John games.

We (and Big Time) like the setting and atmosphere of Inherent Evil enough that they're now working on a sequel--and we're looking forward eagerly to offering it when its done.

The Developer Says

Twenty years ago Kyle Reed lost his parents to an unexplained event that also claimed the lives of over two hundred hotel guests. Now Kyle's brother plans to reopen the family hotel. But only a few months after renovations begin, Kyle receives a desperate call from his brother in the middle of the night. When Kyle arrives at the hotel his brother is missing...and a strange voice is calling for help.

As the night grows longer, it becomes clear that the evil that claimed his parent's lives in the hotel wants him as well. Be brave as you walk the halls, you just have to stay alive until morning...

Features

• 3D rendered graphics bring the horror to life.
  
• Challenging real-world based puzzles.
  
• Explore the haunted hotel to uncover the dark secrets it keeps.
  
• Beautiful atmospheric soundtrack to enhance the sinister mood.
  
• Multiple endings based on your actions. Do what needs to be done to survive the nights.
  

Reviews

"Whether you are a new gamer or an advanced gamer looking to relive some excellent 'retro' gaming experiences for nostalgia’s sake, I recommend that you take the time to experience Inherent Evil, and hope you find it a wickedly pleasant diversion on a rainy afternoon to while away the hours into a dark and windy night..."
   - Game Boomers