Bela Kovacs and the Trail of Blood
Bela Kovacs may wear his sunglasses at night and waterfall exhale like a total bad ass (not that you should imitate him, smoking is bad, kids, don't do it), but for some reason the Budapest police department doesn't want him as a detective anymore. When his niece is viciously murdered, however, he's not going to let any power on earth stop him from catching her killer. Not even preternatural powers. It's easy to get engrossed in this fascinating tale of darkness, serial killing, revenge, curses, and the Old World.
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I expected so much going in to this game. The gritty but not ideal protagonist, the violent death scene, everything. I guess I expected it to be like a Martin Cruz Smith novel, but it wasn't. In fact, I'm not sure what it was supposed to be. The police coverups, the cryptic terms of the boss, all left me suspecting intrigue, or at least some kind of a scandal, and what do I get?
Vampires? Seriously? I don't have a problem with a good use of vampires (Bram Stoker seemed to have handled that great) but in a mystery game they're a deus ex machina and a cheesy way to add horror, especially in a game whose idea of scary is large amounts of blood.
On top of these plot -uhh, deficiencies- in a decidedly plot-focused game, I found the gameplay pretty ridiculous as well. Finding a password from a guy who 'made it the first word he saw' seems like a bit of a cop-out (no pun intended). The part about the paint is even more ridiculous. Overall, the game seemed really cool when I saw the review and the pictures, but when I played it was one of the worse point-and-click games I've seen featured here.
Oh dear, I accidentally used BBcode for the above post. Could an editor please change those spoiler tags to HTML?
Sorry.
[Fixed. Please use the comment preview when using spoiler tags to be sure they're displaying properly. I really don't want to make preview mandatory. Thank you. :) -Jay]
I enjoyed this one, it was fun and just the right level of difficulty (I needed a walkthrough just once because one of the items I collected was really hard to see in the user interface). It is worth playing for the production values alone.
In hindsight, I'd have to agree with Jon. I guess I suspend disbelief really well :)
Loved this game! Felt like I was in a dark episode of Dexter :P Although I'm also admittedly tired of the frequent appearance of a certain mythological creature...
It should be noted that Extropia Games, the developers of Trail of Blood, are from Hungary. Vampires are, historically, a very large part of the Slavic mythos and make frequent appearances in even the oldest horror stories of that culture. So I would disagree with the notion that incorporating vampires in this game is a cop-out. I think done well, it's presented more as a modern interpretation of their old folklore.
"Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth"
Any other Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fan's love the use of that line? :P
I did enjoy playing it, but I didn't really warm to the user interface. The scenes where your mouse controlled the scrolling over a panorama were sometimes a bit jerky. Made it tough to click on the clues.
I also enjoyed the story, though I would have liked to have seen it more fleshed out. More backstory on our hard-boiled protagonist perhaps?
I'm going to play this when I have time.....but I wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for a mystery narrative game :).
Bela Kovacs and the Trail of Blood Walkthrough
Chapter 1
Find 13 clues:
-
Fingerprints on mouse attached to laptop.
-
Wrist-watch on coffee table.
-
Empty glasses.
-
Bloody footprint on windowsill.
-
Blood stains on sofa.
-
Blood spatters on coffee-table next to ashtray.
-
Smashed bottle to the far left of the room.
-
The key in the door. Click above the smashed bottle.
-
The framed photograph of Anna and Kata on the floor.
-
The laptop.
-
The small basin in the bathroom.
-
Blood spatters on the wall, right side of the bathroom.
-
Body-shaped pool of blood in the shower recess.
Chapter 2
Conversation with Dia
In the conversation with Dia, select options 1, 2 and 2 again.
Office Investigation
-
Once inside the office, click on the fingerprint in the inventory and take it to the scanning machine on the left.
-
Click on the trashcan to retrieve a discarded note with a case-file number on it.
-
Click on the pile of documents above-right of the trashcan to retrieve some photographs with a date.
-
Click the general desk area to access the computer.
-
The first password is based on the first word that the inspector would see.
-
Enter the password into the computer, and find that a second password is required.
-
To find the password, play the hangman-style game by guessing letters.
-
Once you've successfully hacked into the database, click on the fingerprint icon to get the case-file number.
-
Click on the Case File database icon, in the middle, and enter the case-file number to get a name.
-
Click on the Press Files database icon, on the right and enter the name.
-
Select the date that is closest to the date in the brown enevelope of photographs in your inventory.
-
Click through the dialogue, and Molnar will enter the office.
Check the noticeboard for words. The password changes every game, but is always one of the words on the noticeboard.
This changes each game, but is always a female's name of five letters.
PM750816
Bogdan
This may change each time you play, but for me it didn't. The date in the photographs is 16th August 1975. In the database, I had to select 1975.08.17.
Conversation with Molnar
Select options 1,1,1,2 and then 2.
Chapter 3
Conversation with the tenant
Each time I've played this it's just been a matter of clicking through the dialogue. There doesn't seem to be a right or wrong way.
Inside the factory
Find 10 clues:
-
Diary on the bed-clothes.
-
Alarm clock on the chair.
-
The handbag and orange scarf.
-
The remains of the fire on the ground. There's also a photo to be pieced back together here.
-
The window with peeling black paint at the back of the factory.
-
The blood-stained hacksaw, lower left of the screen.
-
Anti-coagulant medication on the metal barrel, center screen.
-
Garbage bag on top of crate, on the left.
-
Blood-filled plastic bottle, very far left of the screen.
-
Blood-splatter on the ground near the fireplace.
Chapter 4
Talk to the female behind the bar, then examine the bar to locate:
5 bottles of UV paint:
-
Near the head of the guy who's passed out on the table.
-
One just right of Lili's boot.
-
One to the very far right of the screen, past Bogdan.
-
Near the stage on a large box, a little to the left of Bogdan.
-
In the second toilet stall of the bathroom.
10 cocktails:
-
To the very far right of the screen, past Bogdan.
-
Just behind Bogdan's elbow.
-
Just left of Bogdan on the empty table closest to you.
-
On the empty table in front of the stage.
-
Highball glass on the stage.
-
Just left of Lili.
-
Under the drunk guy's arm.
-
Behind the chair at the drunk guy's table.
-
On the bar near the cocktail shaker.
-
On the empty table, very far left.
Vodka:
In the lap of the drunk guy passed out in the bathroom.
Tomato Juice:
In the conversation with the DJ, select options 1,2 and then 2.
Shaker and Worcesteshire Sauce:
-
Take the toilet roll from the cistern above the drunk guy's head and put it in the toilet in the second stall.
-
Head back out and talk to the female bartender, and she'll leave to fix the clogged toilet.
-
Click on the shaker to take it, then click on the bar to read the recipe. The Worcesteshire sauce is the big bottle in the receipe close-sup, so click on it to take it.
-
Combine the ingredients according to the recipe, by clicking on each one and moving it to the shaker in the inventory.
-
Add the UV paint last.
-
Use the shaker on Lili, and she'll take it to Bogdan and spill it on him.
Chapter 5
-
First find some items:
-
Cable, in the middle of the screen.
-
Can of adhesive, to the left.
-
Ragged scarf, above the homeless man's head.
-
Blanket, above the can of adhesive. You'll have to persuade the homeless man to give it to you.
-
Use the blanket on the barbed-wire fence, to climb over it.
-
Scan right and click on the cigarette packet on the ground to get a lighter.
-
Take the newspaper and the metal pipe next to the door.
-
Use the newspaper on the adhesive in your inventory and then use on the glass pane of the door.
-
Use the metal pipe on the newspaper.
-
Insidet the factory, click on the sheets of cardboard on the ground.
-
Just to the left is a bottle of fuel. Add it to your inventory and then use it on the ragged scarf.
-
Use the fuel-soaked scarf on the metal pipe, and then use the lighter on them.
-
Click on the torch and throw it into the pit.
-
Use the cable on the pit.
-
The solution will only ever have the numbers 1,5 & 7 in it.
-
The combination changes each time you play.
-
There are only 3 chances before you get booted out of the puzzle.
-
To start with try punching in 7777 and see where the gaps are.
-
Fill the gaps by punching in 1 or 5.
-
Click through the final showdown with Bogdan
Conversation with the Homeless Man
Select options 1, 1 and 2.
The Combination Keypad
Loved it! Like a few others, I was a little put off when
instead of a serial killer like the ones we see on modern tv, the killer turned out to be a vampire.
But I quickly got over it when
I learned that vampires are part of their folklore over in eastern Europe, and this was by no stretch of the imagination a Meyerpire...except for the fact that women liked him :).
Thought the artwork and atmosphere were fantastic. I would have liked a little more challenging gameplay/ puzzles, though.
Overall, a good spend of time IMHO.
Poor Anna...If only she wasn't so naive.:(
The weird little thing that made me laugh...
For some reason, the megalomaniacal way that the vampire talks to Kovacs in the last scene made me think of SHODAN from System Shock, you know "How can you challenge a perfect, immortal machine?"
It gave me the giggles, I'm not sure why.
@Trinn
I thought the same thing!
If anyone is wondering where the quote came from, it came from a novel 'The Sign of Four,' which of course features everyone's favorite Sherlock Holmes. You wanna read it...It's a classic.
I'm really enjoying this so far. I'm fairly certain I have the main "twist" figured out, but it's still fun! Was anyone else reminded of the old The X-Files game for PC?
The most well done game XD... just like the atmosphere... love gameplay, love graphic, love story, and much love
Yeah, my fellow countrymen... Hungary, forever! :D
bio
Indeed! Nice to see some local talent on display here at JIG.
So Bio, you played it in Hungarian then, right? ;)
@hothotpot - You mean the X-Files game that had something like 7 discs? I see the similarities but that game had better atmosphere. Damn, I wish I still had that game now... I miss the 90's.
I think Jon is a little off base with his disgruntledness.
I guessed vampire after the first chapter (I think the name Bela is what made me think nosferatu) and I wasn't disappointed.
The vast amount of blood wasn't meant to be scary... it was a giant clue. I don't think any part of this game intented to induce fear.
That Sherlock Holmes quote is Occam's Razor and it's in a few other publications, not just The Sign Of The Four. But I concur, all the Sherlock Holmes books are classic and worth reading.
I get why people are jaded by vampires if you're tired of Twilight and The Vampire Diaries... but this made me think of Nightwatch and Let The Right One In.
Eastern Europe and Scandinavia is where this all began and I think they always handle the material best.
I loved this game.
I give it
5 puncture wounds!!!
"So Bio, you played it in Hungarian then, right? ;)"
Well, I haven't played it yet for a lack of time, but I will tonight!
bio
And, some basic Hungarian language lesson for those handful of poor guys who cannot speak our beautiful language :D
"Bela Kovacs" is pronunced something like "Bayla Kovuch"
Intermediate level:
We Hungarians are one of those handful of people who write our names "the other way around": the family name comes first and then the "first name". So, in Hungary this guy is "Kovacs Bela" (or, rather, Kovács Béla)
bio
Very nice game! Probably the first time since serious Sam to see so many familliar surnames in the credits. Old world and my neighbours rock! :-)
For some reason the style of cutscenes reminded me strongly on the comic-like cutscenes from the original Max Payne game; probably 'couse the mix between real life photography and drawing, plus ominous atmosphere and noir first person storytelling.
Like others, I expected hardcore crimi, but, like someone alredy said, if anybody, then Hungarians are entitled to use the incessantly used trope...
The man-getting-revenge-for-murdered-woman thing is a little tired. I'd rather have seen Lili investigating.
Molnar's line about serial killers reminded me of the movie Gorky Park, I think there even was a similar line. Of course, in both cases it wasn't just an "ordinary" serial killer.
The gameplay and plot had some flaws, yes, but overall I liked it very much :)
Tedious and the gameplay is repetitive and mind-numbing. The end sequence is especially dull. You would expect some excitement or suspense but no...
You simply descend and say "bye bye"
I thought it was pretty good, although to be honest I expected more...I wish they continued the series because it's a great idea, just a couple things here and there but overall good. I would also consider adding a little more difficulty to the next series because this one (personally) I found a bit too easy. Also,I liked the plot, but not the plot ending. It was kind of a disappointment :( but, OH well!! I would give it an 8/10 :3
@bioLarzen
Thank you very much, my fellow Hungarian, I was just about to mention that. :)
BTW, it's kind of awesome to see a Hungarian game on here. Not to mention the fact that it's funny how Béla is a traditional Hungarian name, and Kovács translates to Smith, so, it's basically like naming the main character of an English game John Smith.
I liked it a lot. :)
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Walkthrough Guide
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Bela Kovacs and the Trail of Blood Walkthrough
Chapter 1
Find 13 clues:
Fingerprints on mouse attached to laptop.
Wrist-watch on coffee table.
Empty glasses.
Bloody footprint on windowsill.
Blood stains on sofa.
Blood spatters on coffee-table next to ashtray.
Smashed bottle to the far left of the room.
The key in the door. Click above the smashed bottle.
The framed photograph of Anna and Kata on the floor.
The laptop.
The small basin in the bathroom.
Blood spatters on the wall, right side of the bathroom.
Body-shaped pool of blood in the shower recess.
Chapter 2
Conversation with Dia
In the conversation with Dia, select options 1, 2 and 2 again.
Office Investigation
Once inside the office, click on the fingerprint in the inventory and take it to the scanning machine on the left.
Click on the trashcan to retrieve a discarded note with a case-file number on it.
Click on the pile of documents above-right of the trashcan to retrieve some photographs with a date.
Click the general desk area to access the computer.
The first password is based on the first word that the inspector would see.
Check the noticeboard for words. The password changes every game, but is always one of the words on the noticeboard.
Enter the password into the computer, and find that a second password is required.
To find the password, play the hangman-style game by guessing letters.
This changes each game, but is always a female's name of five letters.
Once you've successfully hacked into the database, click on the fingerprint icon to get the case-file number.
PM750816
Click on the Case File database icon, in the middle, and enter the case-file number to get a name.
Bogdan
Click on the Press Files database icon, on the right and enter the name.
Select the date that is closest to the date in the brown enevelope of photographs in your inventory.
This may change each time you play, but for me it didn't. The date in the photographs is 16th August 1975. In the database, I had to select 1975.08.17.
Click through the dialogue, and Molnar will enter the office.
Conversation with Molnar
Select options 1,1,1,2 and then 2.
Chapter 3
Conversation with the tenant
Each time I've played this it's just been a matter of clicking through the dialogue. There doesn't seem to be a right or wrong way.
Inside the factory
Find 10 clues:
Diary on the bed-clothes.
Alarm clock on the chair.
The handbag and orange scarf.
The remains of the fire on the ground. There's also a photo to be pieced back together here.
The window with peeling black paint at the back of the factory.
The blood-stained hacksaw, lower left of the screen.
Anti-coagulant medication on the metal barrel, center screen.
Garbage bag on top of crate, on the left.
Blood-filled plastic bottle, very far left of the screen.
Blood-splatter on the ground near the fireplace.
Chapter 4
Talk to the female behind the bar, then examine the bar to locate:
5 bottles of UV paint:
Near the head of the guy who's passed out on the table.
One just right of Lili's boot.
One to the very far right of the screen, past Bogdan.
Near the stage on a large box, a little to the left of Bogdan.
In the second toilet stall of the bathroom.
10 cocktails:
To the very far right of the screen, past Bogdan.
Just behind Bogdan's elbow.
Just left of Bogdan on the empty table closest to you.
On the empty table in front of the stage.
Highball glass on the stage.
Just left of Lili.
Under the drunk guy's arm.
Behind the chair at the drunk guy's table.
On the bar near the cocktail shaker.
On the empty table, very far left.
Vodka:
In the lap of the drunk guy passed out in the bathroom.
Tomato Juice:
In the conversation with the DJ, select options 1,2 and then 2.
Shaker and Worcesteshire Sauce:
Take the toilet roll from the cistern above the drunk guy's head and put it in the toilet in the second stall.
Head back out and talk to the female bartender, and she'll leave to fix the clogged toilet.
Click on the shaker to take it, then click on the bar to read the recipe. The Worcesteshire sauce is the big bottle in the receipe close-sup, so click on it to take it.
Combine the ingredients according to the recipe, by clicking on each one and moving it to the shaker in the inventory.
Add the UV paint last.
Use the shaker on Lili, and she'll take it to Bogdan and spill it on him.
Chapter 5
First find some items:
Cable, in the middle of the screen.
Can of adhesive, to the left.
Ragged scarf, above the homeless man's head.
Blanket, above the can of adhesive. You'll have to persuade the homeless man to give it to you.
Conversation with the Homeless Man
Select options 1, 1 and 2.
Use the blanket on the barbed-wire fence, to climb over it.
Scan right and click on the cigarette packet on the ground to get a lighter.
Take the newspaper and the metal pipe next to the door.
Use the newspaper on the adhesive in your inventory and then use on the glass pane of the door.
Use the metal pipe on the newspaper.
Insidet the factory, click on the sheets of cardboard on the ground.
Just to the left is a bottle of fuel. Add it to your inventory and then use it on the ragged scarf.
Use the fuel-soaked scarf on the metal pipe, and then use the lighter on them.
Click on the torch and throw it into the pit.
Use the cable on the pit.
The Combination Keypad
The solution will only ever have the numbers 1,5 & 7 in it.
The combination changes each time you play.
There are only 3 chances before you get booted out of the puzzle.
To start with try punching in 7777 and see where the gaps are.
Fill the gaps by punching in 1 or 5.
Click through the final showdown with Bogdan
Posted by: Chiktionary
|
April 14, 2011 12:14 AM