Classic Game Review - "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream"

Even though the rise of 3D graphics and first person shooters did an enormous amount to advance video games as a media platform, one of the unfortunate victims of the polygon revolution was the point-and-click adventure game genre. Today it might seem hard to believe, but back in the early days of the PC, games like Space Quest and Monkey Island were the reason to own a computer.

Many adventure games are touted as classics that made huge steps to advance the storyline possibilities of gaming; among those commonly listed are games like Grim Fandango and King's Quest. Perhaps one of the most underrated adventure games of its time, though, was a small, dark 2D game called I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream.

Of course, it's worth mentioning that the game's killer storyline is an adaptation of Harlan Ellison's short story of the same name, which tells the tale of an insane supercomputer named AM ("I think, therefore I am") that obliterates the human race, leaving only five individuals - Gorrister, Ted, Benny, Nimdok and Ellen - which AM places in its metaphysical "belly" underground and viciously tortures for centuries, leaving them no hope of either escape or death in the technological hell that AM has placed them in. Harlan Ellison helped adapt this story to game form, which makes a huge difference; he even voiced AM itself, portraying the manic insanity of the computer better than anyone else could.

What makes the game special, though, is rather than weakly adapt its source material, it expands on it. The game version asks why AM chose these five people, and lets the player control them as they (and you) rediscover the tragic flaws, pasts and personality defects that led them to their present state of psychological torture.

It's heavy stuff, and despite the occasionally cartoony graphics, I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream doesn't make light of its material. The player is allowed to make their own moral decisions and steer their characters either the right or wrong way, leading to multiple endings. This can get pretty complicated, especially in the case of Dr. Nimdok, who is revealed to have been an associated of the infamous Dr. Mengele (a source of controversy when the game was released) as he struggles, perhaps hopelessly, for redemption.

If it seems like this review has been focusing almost entirely on the plot, it's because that's what makes it stand out. That said, the game mechanics are very well-done, though not particularly innovative when compared to its peers. The quality of the graphics varies, but are generally very good and the game play itself is much like any other adventure game, where the player explores the landscape, talks to people and solves puzzles. Most of the puzzles are fairly logical, with occasional exceptions that can get you stuck if you're not careful.

Overall, both the short story and the game are must-haves for any fans of hard science fiction. The characters that Ellison created for I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream have been through some horrific tortures, and at least in the game, have rediscovered their humanity despite them. Their struggles will haunt you for years to come.