When thugs are menacing Sophie or a malignant policeman is interrogating her, it's almost as if the game is waiting to slip into farce, a la Monkey Island. I find myself waiting for Sophie to make a quip about the size of her pants pockets or some such. It's not what you want gamers to be thinking of during a harrowing, somber exploration of historical intrigue.

Less jarring (but still unconvincing, to a degree) than the uncertain tone of the game are its protagonist's mannerisms. Sophie Leroux never really sells herself to us as an academic, any more than she sells her interest in the plot taking place around her. In fact, some of those times I was thinking that a Guybrush quip might not be at odds with the tone of the game, Sophie provided one. The problem here isn't that levity should be absent from serious games (Syberia is a perfect example of a serious, brilliant, often amusing game), its more that Sophie sounds uncomfortable in her own skin, uncomfortable with the way her character is speaking.

It's a shame these faults exist, because when The Scorpio Ritual isn't breaking my concentration, it's an interesting, intriguing game. The comparison between it and a buttoned-down Indiana Jones is a good one. The locales are interesting (if graphically unexciting), the dialogue is translated well, for the most part, and the plot is an interesting one.

But despite the relative quality of the parts, the end product ends up feeling unfinished, underdeveloped, and mostly bland. Unfortunately, the ending itself doesn't only feel rushed: it is rushed. Just when you think there might be another hour or two of play, the game ends, unnaturally so. Maybe the devs didn't have enough time to finish the game, or maybe that's how the story is supposed to end; regardless, the story doesn't feel right when it ends.

In the end, these worries sum up my feelings about The Scorpio Ritual. I'd love to enjoy it a bit more, but every once in a while it just up and breaks my concentration, my immersion in the game, and every time it becomes harder to forget the artificiality of my experience. These niggling issues, combined with the game's drab visuals and unfinished ending, make the game less than it could have been. Still, if you're looking for a solid adventure game with some interesting story ideas, this is the right place to be.

In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated: 73%.

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