Scratches (video game)

Infobox VG
title = Scratches


developer = Nucleosys
publisher = Got Game Entertainment
released = March 8, 2006 (North America)
genre = Mystery, Adventure
modes = Single player
ratings = ESRB: Teen
platforms = PC, (Macintosh & Linux versions planned)
media = CD-ROM
input = Keyboard and Mouse

"Scratches" is a mystery adventure computer game by game developer Nucleosys. "Scratches" is the first commercial adventure game ever to be made in Argentina.

Description

The game tells the story of the Blackwood estate on the outskirts of Rothbury, a small rural town in Northumberland, England in 1976.

Originally owned by James T. Blackwood in 1963, the house is passed to Christopher Milton after Mr. Blackwood is accused of murdering his wife. A couple of days later, Mr. Blackwood dies of a sudden heart attack though some in the town rumor he might have committed suicide. The police decide to close the case seeing there is no further evidence left. Furthermore, shortly after acquiring the house, Christopher Milton inexplicably disappears in 1970 leaving no visible trace.

The player assumes the role of the house's next inhabitant, Michael Arthate, an author seeking seclusion to work on his next book. He moves in only to find that the house still echoes its horrible past quite literally as "scratches" are heard all around, particularly in the basement and fireplaces, and soon becomes more interested in researching the house's history than his writing.

Cast

James T. Blackwood: An eccentric gentleman, Mr. Blackwood had always been a prominent figure in Rothbury, his hometown since his childhood, being one of the most successful construction engineers in the region. Although his unpleasant nature, rough features and erratic behavior usually deterred people, except for a few close friends, he was still a respected figure and was in charge of some important building works.

Catherine Lydia Blackwood: James Blackwood's enigmatic wife, an English teacher at a local school in Rothbury, was a quiet and reserved person, peculiarly contrasting with the odd persona of her husband, although she still was well-loved by her friends and students.

Christoper E. Milton: An intimate friend and long-time doctor to the Blackwood family. Dr Milton was a curious person. His vast knowledge and expertise of medicine had bestowed upon him a reputation as the most important and beloved doctor in Rothbury. Dr Milton's belief in his science and the value of life were well-known and conferred strong confidence among his many patients. Even though he practised a science that sustains life, his own health was fragile and his looks, in general, sad and weak.

Eva Mariani: Miss Mariani, an Italian immigrant and aspiring professional photographer, was the Blackwood family's maid for several years, using her hard-earned money to pay for photography courses, until she discovered that her employer had murdered his wife. She ended up accusing him and, after a troubled investigation, vanished from sight, presumably returning to Italy.

William Bailey: Mr Bailey, a now-retired police chief, was in charge of the investigation of the death of Catherine Blackwood in the early 1960s. He was convinced of Mr Blackwood's guilt, but was never able to convict him.

Michael Arthate: Michael is an up-and-coming writer. Sales of his acclaimed first novel, "Vanishing Town" (a reference to "Dark Fall"), left him with enough wealth to acquire an imposing Victorian mansion, a long-time dream of his. Michael's fascination with the Gothic style is such that it will be featured prominently in his upcoming story.

Having just finished writing a successful book, Michael is trying to cope with the pressure of writing a follow-up and fulfilling the expectations of his ever-growing fan base. Michael understands that this is a turning point in his career and his new book will decide whether he is a truly talented writer or just another one-hit wonder.

Jerry Carter: An old friend of Michael, Jerry Carter is usually a joyful and interesting person. Opening a real estate agency has definitely been his best move, allowing him to save a generous amount of money without spending too much time working. Nowadays, Jerry's company is the largest estate agency in Rothbury. Put simply, Jerry is in charge of the major house sales in the region, which is how he managed to find the right place for Michael: one of the last truly old-fashioned Victorian mansions. He is currently trying to set up another company in London.

Barbara Stiles: Michael hired Barbara as his assistant to aid him with fan mail and to contact magazines around the world, offering them his short stories. It is rather uncommon for a writer to be assisted by someone else, but understandable when one takes into account that Michael has decided to move far away from town, to be seemingly disconnected from the rest of civilization.

Gameplay

"Scratches" uses a first person perspective to navigate around the house. Using only a mouse, the player can access various rooms and other places in order to solve the mystery of both Blackwood and Milton's disappearances. It features music and special sound effects by Cellar of Rats, [http://cellarofrats.com/main.html] which contribute for the fearsome ambient experienced at the mansion, crypt, greenhouse and church.

Plot

The game begins on a Saturday morning in October, and Michael first arrives at the mansion. After unloading his personal items, he commences his search of the Blackwood estate. During this time, he learns that the household consisted of James Blackwood, his wife Catherine, and their housekeeper, Eva Mariani. Blackwood was a mechanical engineer by profession, and his wife a schoolteacher. Michael reads that James Blackwood spent an excursion in South Africa to build a bridge. During that time, he encountered a furtive group of people that engaged in bloody sacrifice, cannibalism, eugenics, and total war. A small party witnessed a sacrificial ceremony that involved the rendering of its victims before a cult mask. This mask intrigued Blackwood and he stole it back to England, along with many other African "objets d'art".

Later, after speaking to Jerry Carter on the phone, Michael learns that Blackwood supposedly murdered his wife. Miss Mariani accused him of the murder, according to some newspapers from 1963. Afer reading about the murder, Michael realizes that due to a number of unfortunate events, he must spend his first night in the mansion with no lights, no candles, and his dead car battery, completely cut off from civilization.

That night he first encounters the "scratches" that drove the previous residents to the brink of madness. He finds that they are coming from the fireplaces that are spread throughout the mansion. He ultimately tracks the source to the basement.

On the next day, a thunderstorm confines Michael to the house, where he comes across the mask that James Blackwood stole. Blackwood then believed that he was under a curse that seemed to emanate from the mask, and wrote to his friend, Dr. Christopher Milton, to come to the mansion. Michael further discovers that a room has been boarded up. Climbing down from the tower, he finds the remains of a nursery. From a birth certificate, it is learned that the Blackwoods had a son. The name, however, had been blacked out. Michael's hopes of learning the identity of the child were dashed when he finds a newspaper detailing the boy's pre-birth death.

Michael is once again awoken by the scratches that night. He tracks it to the basement and into the giant furnace system. There he catches a glimpse of someone walking around a chamber. The next day he calls Jerry and tells him he believes that James Blackwood is still alive. Jerry scoffs at the notion and tells him that Blackwood died of heart failure the same year as his wife. Michael then contacts the police officer who investigated the murder. Bailey says the housekeeper caught him with his wife's corpse, and that it "looked like its throat had been torn out." Michael discovers Blackwood's body in the crypt along with the name of the dead child: Robin. He then digs up Catherine's in the yard. In the family chapel, he learns that the mask imprisoned a primordial evil spirit, which the African tribe kept in check by a sacred totem. On his way, Michael learns that Jerry had sold him the property by illegal means, and he was about to be evicted. Before he left, Michael decides to cleanse the mask with the totem. On his way out, however, he continues to hear the scratches under the fireplace. He finds a trap door and a prison under the drawing room. The cell has a teddy bear with its throat ripped open and leftover raw meat. In a hole, he sees what appears to be cateyes. On further inspection, the form jumps out, revealing an extremely malformed boy: the presumed-dead Blackwood son, Robin. Robin chases Michael out of the cell, and Michael drives away.

Last Visit

In the Director's Cut edition of the game, a sidequest called "The Last Visit" continues the narration from where Michael had fled. A reporter is sent immediately before the Blackwood Manor will be destroyed. The place has become a scene of ruin; full of looting, vandalism, and graffiti. Looking for clues, the reporter come across a bottle of morning sickness medicine, Thalidomide which was known to cause birth defects in the 1950s and 60's. He eventually finds the cursed mask. Next he is attacked and chased by Robin, now an adolescent. He falls off the stair balcony and is about to be attacked by Robin again when Dr. Milton arrives at the mansion to see Robin "one last time" before he dies, and begs Robin to forgive him. Meanwhile, the reporter limps out and runs away.

The final scenes leave the player to wonder whether there really was a curse and that Robin was possessed by the spirit of the mask, or that he was born deformed as a result of Catherine taking Thalidomide, which James Blackwood attributed in his madness to the curse.

Release

"Scratches" was first released in North America on March 8, 2006 through game publisher Got Game Entertainment. However, Nucleosys plans to release several international versions of the game worldwide.

A German version of the game has been available since March 2006 (published by Rondomedia), as has the Italian version "Graffi Mortali" (published by Power Up). A Greek version of the game is also available.

The Spanish version of the game ("Rasguños") is also in the works, though no official release date has been announced.

Nucleosys has recently released a "Director's Cut" version of Scratches, which includes an alternate ending and two more hours of gameplay. [ [http://www.gotgameentertainment.com/scratchesdc/index.html Scratches: Director's Cut ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.scratchesmystery.com/ Scratches Official Website by Got Game Entertainment]
* [http://www.nucleosys.com/ Nucleosys Official Website]
* [http://www.cellarofrats.com/ Cellar of Rats]
*moby game|id=/scratches|name="Scratches"
* [http://hintwiki.ooblick.com/index.php/Scratches Hints at Hintwiki]