Intelligent? It takes no time at all for the game to start demanding some gentle mental juggling as you consider the possible permutations of grandfather clocks, cigarette lighters, death watch beetles and Elvis-obsessed gangsters. The story, of course, doesn't matter. Not because it won't be integral to the game, deviously plotted and elegantly scripted but because, this being a Broken Sword game, it's guaranteed to be all three.
And yes, despite not hitting the highs of the hi-def revolution, The Angel of Death is a handsome game. Indeed, if anything threatens to hold it back, it's that its eye for detail and uniform solidity will leave some players frustrated that they can't go where they please and use whatever they can see.
That visual consistency comes courtesy of developer Sumo Digital, which is creating the game under the direction of the now-independent Charles Cecil, and the quality of its technology, proved in games like OutRun 2 and Coast 2 Coast, is what makes The Angel of Death so capable.
Above: The arrival of a new woman in George's life doesn't mean that old flame Nico is banished from the scene
But, despite these admirable qualities, it's almost certain that they won't change the minds of those for whom the appeal of traditional adventure games has always been incomprehensible.
Nonetheless, at a time when other adventure standard-bearers, like Fahrenheit and Dreamfall are turning away from the puzzle in order to enhance the cinematic experience, it's heartening to see that someone still believes that the emphasis in the adventure game genre can remain on the game.
