Yes, Halloween is just around the coroner, so we're still bringing it with the creepy games. This week's escape game is a lovely little delight called Absence. Created by Selfdefiant, creator of Kidnapped by Aliens, Absence is a fun, quick little escape from an abandoned building that may be haunted.
As the prologue informs, this so-called "haunted" building is a favorite place for you and your friend Amy to hang out. Not to go inside, mind, just hang out on the grounds. Not that you're afraid, or anything. Really. As the game begins you arrive to find Amy missing, the only clue is her lovely pink backpack dropped on the ground in front of the suddenly open building. Does that mean Amy decided to go in? Perhaps you'd better go in as well. I'm sure it's not dangerous at all...
Once you're in, of course, you find out that (1) yes, the building is indeed haunted, and (2)... well, you'll just have to find out for yourself. Let's just start exploring...
Navigation is quick and simple. Hover your cursor over a door or hallway and a hand will appear that you can click to go in that direction. Objects that can be clicked on or manipulated cause the cursor to change to a handy hand, cutting way down on the pixel hunting. If the music becomes too annoying you can turn it off in the handy menu. Items that you pick up are hidden until you click on the "items" button, keeping the on-screen clutter to a minimum.
Analysis: Absence is a bit of a departure from Selfdefiant's usual simple hand-drawn style. The backgrounds appear to be actual photographs of a real abandoned building. This gives the game a creepy realism not usually seen. In fact, after exploring the torn apart, grafiti'd, trash filled rooms you might want to take a shower, it's that realistic. The ominous music adds to the creepy factor.
But the game is not perfect. Despite its beautiful (if you like that sort of thing) look, gameplay can be rather simple. The puzzles could have used a bit of beefing up. It almost feels as if an opportunity has been missed, as so much more could have been added. Nevertheless, what is there is fun to play.
Absence is creepy, but not scary. Nothing is going to jump out at you, there's nothing in the rooms apart from lots of trash. There's a little bit of blood, but no gore. As stated before there are puzzles but they are not very difficult. Absence is the type of game that personifies casual gameplay. Fire it up while taking a few minutes away from other tasks, and just enjoy the spooky atmosphere without worrying you'll have a heart attack.
Walkthrough Guide
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Walkthrough
As you enter, you will speak with the place spirit that want four sacred stones. Accept the deal.
Pick up the key above the first door on the left.
Enter the first room on the left. Move right, you will see a bathroom with a butterfly code.
Green, blue, green, blue, red
Back to the previous room, move on the left. A 3 buttons panel need to be powered up. Note the number written under the old blue desk
number : 5
Back to the entrance hallway, enter the second room on the left. Click on the crack on the green wall. A green crystal was hidden here.
Back to the entrance hallway, enter the third room on the left. Pick up the spray bottle.
Back to the entrance hallway, enter the first room on the right. Use the spray bottle to clean the blood on the wall. Note the code.
713
enter the next room with an old sofa. Pick up the fuse above the wires
Back to the entrance hallway, enter the second room on the right. Move the towel on the teacher desk to reveal the blue crystal.
Back to the entrance hallway, move straight forward to the next hallway.
Enter the first room on the right. Open the fuse box with the old key. Use the fuse on the slot 5
Move right, click on the clock. It will fall with the red crystal.
Back to the second hallway, enter the second room on the right. Click on the flower painting. Put the three crystal on their colors. It will reveal the yellow sacred stone. Pick it up.
Move left. Click on the board. You can seen three newpaper articles and an USA map. Click on the article and note the place they are refering to.
"Battle of the Bulge" -> Charlotte (North Carolina)
"Restoration of Alamo" -> fort Alamo, San Antonio (Texas)
"Charlie Chaplin show" -> New-york city (NY)
Click on the map and put the pins on the 3 states.
New york, North Carolina, Texas
It will reveal the grey sacred stone, on the borad
Back to the second hallway, move forward to enter in the last room.
Open the chest with the code you noted.
713
Pick up the red sacred stone.
Move back to the entrance hallway, and enter the first room on the left. Turn left. The three buttons panel should be active. Click on the button using the butterfly code order.
Pick up the blue sacred stone.
Move back to the entrance hallway, the spirit is happy and will release you and you friend.
Posted by: Nomaad | October 21, 2009 6:33 AM
Absence Walkthrough
You will start the game outside of the abandoned building. You can click on Amy's backpack but otherwise you can't do anything with it.
Go forward through the doorway.
Once you go through the doorway you will end up in conversation with...well, something. No matter what conversational choices you make it all comes back to saving Amy. Agree to find the stones for the creature.
Once you are in the building the door is locked. Good luck!
You are now in a corridor. There are three doors on the left, two on the right, and the hallway continues further.
Look closely at the window above the first door on the left. There is a key there, take it.
Go into the first door on the left.
You are in a room with a couple of chairs. Turn right and you will see a bathroom.
Notice the pattern of butterflies on the tub, it may be important.
Go back and then turn left.
You are now facing a countertop and lots of empty cabinets. Notice right above the countertop is a device with three colored buttons. You can look at it in close up, but it doesn't work (the power is off).
There is also the number 5 below the countertop. Perhaps that is important.
Go back twice until you are in the hallway.
Enter the second door on the left. You are now in a small room with an empty desk.
There is a patch of wall in front of you that is darker than the rest. Click on it and it will reveal a green crystal. Take the crystal.
Back up to the hallway.
Enter the third door on the left.
You are now in a very trashed room with a sink.
Sitting on the sink is a spray bottle, take it.
Back up to the hallway.
Enter the first door on the right.
You are now in a blue tiled room with a nasty bloodstain on the wall.
Use the spray bottle on the bloodstain to reveal a three digit code (713).
Go forward through the doorway. You are now in a room with a really nasty looking chaise lounge.
To the right of the chair is an area where a refrigerator used to be. On top of that is a small tan item. Take the item (fuse).
Back up twice to the hallway.
Now enter the second door on the right. This appears to be an old classroom.
On the lecturn on the right are some papers. Move them to reveal a blue crystal. Take the crystal.
Back up to the hallway.
Go forward.
You are now in a second corridor, this one has old wheelchairs in it. There are two doors to the right and you can also go forward.
Enter the first room on the right.
Turn right again to see a room with a clock on the wall.
Click on the clock and it will fall, revealing a red crystal.
Back up.
There is a rust-colored fuse-box on the wall on the left. Click on it for a close up.
Use the key you got from the doorway to open the fuse-box. Time to figure out where to put the fuse.
You only have one fuse and there are 12 slots to choose from.
Maybe you want to get power to that machine with the colored buttons?
Can you visualize the room?
Put the fuse in the number 5 slot (the number 5 on the cabinets is the clue).
Back up to the wheelchair corridor.
Enter the second door on the right.
You are now in an abandoned and thoroughly trashed kitchen. Notice the flower picture on the wall.
Hey, you should now have three crystals that correspond to the colors on the flower picture.
Click on the picture for a close up.
Place your three crystals in the corresponding flowers (red, green, blue). A yellow stone should appear.
You have a sacred stone! Only 3 more to go and Amy is free.
Turn left.
There is a bulletin board to the left of the cabinets. Click on it for a close up.
Read the three articles on the board.
Click on the map for a close up.
Gee, there are three red push pins on the map. Wonder what we're supposed to do with them?
Remember the articles?
Each article mentioned a different state.
Place the push pins in the three states pertaining to the articles.
The pins should go in New York (Charlie Chaplin ad), North Carolina (article about D-Day), and Texas (article about the alamo.
Close down the map and a stone appears on the bulletin board. Your second sacred stone!
Back up twice to the wheelchair corridor.
Go forward.
This area is really trashed. Look closely and you will see a gray box in the middle bottom of the screen.
Click on the box for a close up.
Now where have we seen a three digit code?
Remember the bloodstain?
Enter 713 to open the box.
Yay, you now have three sacred stones! You and Amy are nearly home.
Back up twice to the original hallway.
Enter the first room on the left, then turn left.
Click on the panel with the colored buttons for a close up.
Now if only we knew the code!
Remember the butterflies?
Click the buttons in this order: green, blue, green, blue, pink.
Once you input the proper code a sacred stone appears in a cubby beneath the number 5.
Back up to the original hallway.
And you're done!
Posted by: grinnyp
|
October 21, 2009 7:07 AM