Whoa. For a second there, you were worlds away. But now, you need to focus on what's ahead. You have a job to do, and it's one you've done hundreds of times before. Just break in, deliver that sample where your employer wants it, then get out. So why can't you ignore this feeling of Deja Vu?... The Freewill Cycle: Volume II is a point-and-click adventure game submitted by William Buchanan for the escape-themed Casual Gameplay Design Competition 10. In it, your actions might change everything... or absolutely nothing at all.
Explore the currently-deserted office building, solving puzzles and viewing documents to bring you closer to the completion of your mission. The mouse cursor will change to let you know when an item of part of the scenery can be examined (by becoming a magnifying glass) or picked up (an open hand). Items picked up will be stored at the bottom of the screen, and to use one to solve a puzzle, click in, then click where you wish to use it. The game takes place in the first person perspective, so prepare to turn left and right to view rooms from all perspectives.
Analysis: At first glance, one might think that The Freewill Cycle Volume II is running in exactly the wrong direction, competition-wise. After all, the main thrust of the action is a break-in, the exact opposite of what we usually consider "escape" to mean. However, by the end, as the larger themes of the plot show through and their relationship to its prequel becomes more apparant, The Freewill Cycle: Volume II proves to have one of the cleverest interpretations of the CGDC 10 theme. The plot is effectively shown rather than told, with new wrinkles doled out at a measured pace, coming together to form a complex and satisfying sci-fi yarn. You approach a fully realized world as an outsider, breaking into not just the work-space of those employed by Verified Technologies, but also their troubled personal relationships. Sure, you could gun through the puzzles, ignoring all the intrigue revealed by the memos and e-mail accounts just waiting to be viewed by prying eyes. But what would be the fun of that?
Not that the puzzles are too shabby either. The game largely dispenses with the overly-technical sci-fi tool-using and pixel-spotting that troubled the first volume. While the puzzles maintain that level of speculative discovery, things feel a lot more user friendly this time around. Even just little things like, labeling the items you pick up, make it feel that the engine is working with you rather than against you, testing your mind rather than your patience. This even extends to the post-game commentary, something more developers should include, that helps smooth over anything you might have missed plot-wise. Sure, The Freewill Cycle: Volume II is happy to let you put the pieces of the jigsaw for yourself. It's just nice to be able to look at the picture on the front of the box when you need a little help.
One thing that sadly does return from the first volume is slightly cumbersome navigation. Many first person point and click games don't have the player explore such a space from so many perspectives. Having to turn and walk everywhere is probably more realistic that showing up in front of a door when you click on it, however it can become difficult to orient yourself at first. The similar-looking doors and offices and such do a lot to build the atmosphere of the futuristic, vaguely sinister corporate office, yes, but it makes it harder to tell where you are and where you are going. Takes some getting used to tis all.
However, a few extra clicks needed after mistaking one computer for another is a price easy to pay when the reward is a well-crafted story supported by atmosphere aplenty. The Freewill Cycle: Volume II is the kind of innovative game we at JiG hope for when running these Casual Gameplay Design Competitions, and it well deserves its place near the top of the rankings.
Author's Theme interpretation:
"At risk of spoiling the ending (SPOILER WARNING), this game resolves the questions and events from Volume I. The player will learn that they are responsible for the creation of a cataclysmic time loop. However, this infinite cycle can be broken with an act of free will at just the right moment. It is the player's main priority to escape this time loop. They'll need to think hard about everything they've seen in order to properly determine exactly what has happened, so that when the time comes, they'll be able to bring salvation to the universe." -William Buchanan
Pastel Games' feedback:
"The black background in the menu is a bad idea. make it fancy, it's a cover of the book."
"I like the ambient and sound effects. Great atmosphere. Good job here."
"The navigation is a bit tricky. For example - I want to go into lavatory - so I see the door in the corridor, and use the keycard, but it's not working. I have to be facing the door straight on, but that means I have to stand next to them in a position where I can barely see that door and then turn right. The problem with this is that when approaching something - you should always have it in sight in order to know where to click. It's a bit confusing as it is right now."
"I think that once I open the maintenance hatch - it should stay opened. Same goes for the trapdoor in the floor of harm's office."
"In the cargo bay - let's say I want to go back. I got the ultanium and want to return to machine. I click on the door but nothing happens. Again I have to click forward to tay exactly before the door, but I don't see the door right now, all I see is empty wall with a lamp. Now I have to click right and I'm at the door. That's confusing."
"It would be nice to be able to collect all those documents - you'd have them on your disposal to check the codes and passwords."
"Why do I have to enter the lock combination in the cargo door every time I'm passing? That should've been done once and then the door should stay open."
"Other than that - I like the game. The puzzles were not too hard, there was a bit too much backtracking and going back and forth through the same locations. Again - good atmosphere, good ambient, nice sound effects. Nicely rendered and items were finely drawn. Nothing more to complain about." -Mateusz Skutnik.
"Interesting plot, logical puzzles with great atmosphere. First person perspective was a great idea. It's like an extra puzzle in the gameplay. Player can't see entire rooms at a time so he has to make extra effort to solve the puzzles." -Karol Konwerski.
Walkthrough Guide
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The Freewill Cycle Volume 2 walkthrouh
General information:
There are a lot of various documents sprinkled about in this game that, while not strictly neccesary for completion, will help you understand the plot. Navigation is generally going to be the toughest problem you'll have. But once you orient yourself, the game becomes a lot easier.
ANOTHER DAY AT THE OFFICE
Repeatedly click on the door to walk down the hallway. Click the door handle to open it and enter the office.
Click on the desk to access the computer. Click "login" to check your mail. Read the file labeled "Mr. X" under "Accepted Jobs. Click away from the computer.
Look to the left, and you'll see a box on the desk. Click the box to open it and get pick up the VERITECH CRATE SAMPLING TOOL and a KEYCARD inside.
Click left twice, then click on the door you walked in from to exit, and start your adventure.
DON'T MIND ME
Walk forward into the atrium, then make a left. Walk forward, and forward again, till you are by the lavatory door. Use the KEYCARD on the slot, and enter the room.
Once in the lavatory, turn to the left, and click on the Janitor's Kit to examine it. Its tray will have a SIMPLE KEY on it, which you should take. Turn back to the right, and exit the room.
Turn to the right and walk across the atrium to the offices on the other side. Once there, turn to the right to see Valerie Kendrick's office door. Use the KEYCARD on the slot and enter.
Upon entering the room, turn to the right and examine the CD case that's in the folder tray. Click on it to open it up and take the DATA DISC inside. Turn back to the door and exit the office.
Upon exiting the office, turn to the right, and walk down the hallway until you are front of the door with the octogon key pad. Turn to the left, and walk forward onto the center walkway. Once there, turn to the left so that you are facing the statue that reads VERIFIED TECHNOLOGIES.
Below, to the right of the VERIFIED TECHNOLOGIES statue is a maintenance hatch. Click on it to examine it. Use the SIMPLE KEY on the SIMPLE LOCK to open it. Click down the tunnel until you come out the hatch at the other end. You will be in Isaac Harms' office, (the room next to the lavatory, that has a broken door).
Look to the right and pick up the SCISSORS on the table. Also, click the file folder in the folder holder, and make a note of the access codes. Dock A is classified, but Dock B is 247, and Dock C is 989. Also make a note of the tuning frequencies on the board, particularly that Steel is 68 Hz and Ultanium is 77 Hz .
Turn back to the right, then right again until you are facing the fabrication machine. Click the button on the leftmost console, and a data disc tray will open. Use the DATA DISC on the tray, then push the button again to close it
If you use the desk computer in the room to read the data disc, you'll find that the fabrication machine is a kind of 3D printer that will convert raw materials into useful objects. Click on the maintenance to the left of the desk, and click through the tunnels till you are back in the center section of the atrium.
Turn to the left, and walk forward, then make a right and walk till you are outside Walter Teak's office. Use the KEYCARD on the slot to unlock the door. Enter the room.
Once in the room, turn to the right and use the SCISSORS on the Newton's Cradle toy, to get a STEEL BALL. Exit the room.
Return to the maintanance hatch, and click through to Isaac Harms' office. Turn to the left and place the STEEL BALL on the machine's sample platter. Turn to the left and click the desk computer to access it.
At the computer terminal, click PROGRAM and select _shape.placard before clicking BACK. Then click TUNING. You must set the machine so that it's tuned to 68 Hz, the proper amount for shaping steel. There are four green diamonds, each with two smaller yellow diamonds inside. Clicking each large diamond will rotate the yellow diamonds inside it. If a yellow diamond is next to a number, that number will be added to the tuning frequency when it is calculated. Rotate the diamonds so that yellow squares are next to 16, 10, 18, and 24 and no other. Click RECALCULATE and you should have 68 Hz.
Click away from the computer and turn right to the fabrication machine. Click the button on the leftmost console, and the machine should have converted the steel ball into a PLACARD. Pick up the PLACARD and note that it says 6724. This is the code to enter on the door with the Octagonal lock in the main atrium.
Interact witht the panel. Use the numbers you discovered earlier to enter the code, then press the red button.
Turn left and go through the maintanace hatch and back to the atrium. Turn to the right, and walk forward till you are outside the door with the keypad lock. Click the keypad, and enter 6724. The cargo doors will open.
CARGO BAY
Once through the Cargo Bay Doors, turn to the left, and click on the small platform to climb onto it. Turn to the right to access the computer. Click DOCK B, enter the code 247, and click OPEN.
Turn to the right, go down from the platform, turn turn around. Click on the right side of the screen to move forward, then turn right so you are looking at the now-open Bay B. Click the cargo unit to examine it, then click the hatch on top to open it. Click to pick up a piece of ULTANIUM ORE.
Back away from the cargo unit, turn left, and navigate yourself out of the Cargo Bay, back to the maintanance hatch, through the tunnel to Isaac Harms' office. When there, put the ULTANIUM on the fabricator machine sample tray.
Access the desk computer to the left. Click PROGRAM and select _shape.cup. Click back, then click TUNING. You'll need 77 Hz to fabricate the Ultanium. Rotate the large diamonds until the yellow smaller diamonds are next to the 16, 10, 24, 9, and 18, and no others. Click recalculate, and you should have 77 Hz.
Turn to the right to the fabricator machine. Click the button on the rightmost console, and the fabricator should mold the ULTANIUM ORE into an ULTANIUM CUP.
Turn to the left to click the maintanance hatch. Navigate yourself through it, out to the atrium, turn and head through the Cargo Bay Doors with the 6724 code, then up on the platform to use the Cargo Bay computer.
Using the Cargo Bay Computer click DOCK C. Enter the passcode 989, then click open. Turn to the right, click forward off the platform, then turn left so you are facing DOCK C.
Click the cargo unit in DOCK C to examine it. Click the hatch on top to open it. Use the ULTANIUM CUP on the blue theraflamic acid to get a CUP OF THERAFLAMIC ACID.
Turn around and exit the Cargo Bay. Navigate yourself to the left and head to Valerie Kendrick's Office. Open the door with the KEYCARD and head inside.
Once inside Valerie Kendrick's office, turn to the right. Click the small black safe under the table to examine it. Use the CUP OF THERAFLAMIC ACID on the safe's small metal knob.
Inside the safe will be a file folder with the access code for Dock A: 771. Back away from the safe, turn right and exit the room.
Go to the right and navigate yourself through the Cargo Bay Doors using the 6724 code, then up on the left platform to use the Cargo Bay computer.
Using the Cargo Bay computer click DOCK A. Enter 771 as the pass code and click OPEN.
Turn left, click forward off the platform, then turn right so that you are facing the open DOCK A. Click the cargo unit to examine it. Use the VERITECH CRATE SAMPLING TOOL on the crate sampling point.
BLACKOUT
All the lights have been turned off, huh? Oh well. Turn to the left and click the damaged security panel. Drag the red disconnected wire over to reconnect with the green wire, opening the door.
Walk through the door, until you are outside Matthew Kendrick's office. Use the KEYCARD on the slot and enter the room.
Examine the Emergency Exit slot. Use the KEYCARD on the slot.
You'll find yourself back in the corridor where you were at the start of the game. Click down the hallway, open the down, and turn to the right to access your desk computer.
Click login to check your messages. Click "Mr. Y" under the Pending column. Make your choice to accept or reject the new mission. Watch the ending and read the Retrospective to clear up any questions you might have about the plot!
Posted by: Tricky
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September 4, 2012 10:37 PM