ALIX: A MONITOR Story

Alix: A MONITOR Story is a narrative-based point and click game that revolves around the player character of Nathan Ryker; a budding private investigator and detective who is trying to make an honest living but has had to set up in the inner-city areas of New York. Alix is a young woman who has called on Nathan’s telephone and can prove to be a sarcastic handful when trying to get information from her. However, her life could be in possible danger depending on the conversation that has been taken and it is up to the player to keep her alive…or things may get worse.

Based within the MONITOR universe, “Alix” allows the player to play the games in two modes which consequently are the aims of the project. The first of which is the main mode which involves the bulk of the story with a dialogue choice system which aims to create branching narrative to seven different endings by challenging the perceptions of the player with varying situations. Each dialogue exchange, known as a “section”, usually allows two or more answers or statements to provide to Alix which has varying degrees of success to unlocking further parts of the story. Each section allows a ten second interval to the player to make a choice; each button on each section has a relevant reply and when the player doesn’t make a decision; the game often takes a sour turn. However, some of these choices award cutscenes and more of an insight to Alix and Nathan’s lives. With 120 different questions and statements from Alix, the overall goal was to create a natural and flowing dialogue which rewards players by asking the right things at the right times – and vice versa when not.

The second aim, like the original MONITOR, is to promote exploration within the world and reward the player accordingly. The room can be explored in a simple point and click format with large pieces of text that show what can be done. A computer can be utilised on the desk to gleam useful insights to the MONITOR universe as well as a TV and radio. A newspaper in the corner provides a set of “riddle” puzzles that can be completed along with a cabinet of old cases that were never solved by another detective agency. Completing these, as well as obtaining the endings, provides ways of unlocking cassette tape secrets of a character named Viola Bonneville. Unlocking all of these tapes provides a meaningful insight to the overall lore of MONITOR.

His job. Her Life. Your Choice.

Be sure to play the original game at www.monitorthegame.com
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