The Dig

The Dig is a video game in the adventure genre developed by LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC and published by LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC originally released in 1995. It is currently playable on DOS.

The Dig is a very underrated science fiction adventure game, one of the few LucasArts releases that were not commercial successes.

I think this is partly because most of those who bought the game expected The Dig to be another cartoon adventure, in the style of Monkey Island or Day of The Tentacle. Contrary to their expectations, The Dig is a serious, 'hardcore' science fiction game, a genre that has a much smaller audience than cartoon adventures. In addition to this niche premise, long-time LucasArts fans may be frustrated with most of the game's puzzles, which are much more difficult than in previous LucasArts games (although they all seem quite logical to me).

Thus, the game suffered the same fate as Sierra's excellent RAMA years later: a difficult game that appeals only to a limited audience, namely hard sci-fi fans. However, if you belong to the game's target audience, you are likely to enjoy it despite a somewhat clichéd plot. The involvement of personalities such as Orson Scott Card (dialogue script), Steven Spielberg (original idea) and Sean Clark (director), should make The Dig much more original than it is. Not that it lacks merit: the opening scenes are quite impressive, with excellent graphics and a great Wagnerian-style musical score: an Attila asteroid, which has suddenly appeared in orbit around the Earth, threatens the world's population with an inevitable collision in the near future. Your alter ego is Commander Boston Low, who along with geologist Ludger Brink and journalist Maggie Robbins, form the NASA team for a mission that aims to detonate Attila, divert it from its deadly trajectory and save the world. Once on the asteroid, the team inadvertently triggers controls that transform the rock into a crystal-shaped spacecraft, which immediately takes the trapped human team to an abandoned planet on the other side of the galaxy. As they are safely transported to an unknown alien world, but unable to stay together in the ever-changing fantasy world, their team is broken. As Maggie seeks independence and leaves, and Brink dies stupidly, you soon find yourself alone, struggling to explore and understand the new and twisted environment.

The game is a typical point-and-click affair, with a very simplified interface: one click of the mouse is enough to do everything in the game, from talking to characters to manipulating the environment. As mentioned above, most of the puzzles are difficult, but none of them are illogical. Even the ones that require a lot of trial and error make sense (naturally, it's the only feasible approach when encountering alien technologies). Voice acting is somewhat inferior to the best LucasArts CD-talkies (e. g. , Sam 'n Max Hit The Road), but it's adequate. Although mundane, the plot is quite engrossing and maintains consistency throughout the game, and there are even a few plot twists that make things more interesting.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Dig and hope other hard sci-fi fans will feel the same. However, anyone expecting another smart, lighthearted adventure from LucasArts will be disappointed. My biggest complaint is the ending, which is too abrupt and 'Hollywood-esque' (i. e. everyone lives happily ever after) and is disappointing. Also, given the exploratory/trial-and-error nature of most of the puzzles, alternative ways to solve them would have been appreciated. However, these are minor complaints.

The Dig is available at a reduced price on the following websites and is no longer abandonware.