Ah, working overtime! The best time to get things done and make a little extra cash. No co-workers, no distractions, no mysterious ghosts... well, perhaps a bit of the latter. Welcome to U-Sensor, the new game from HILG (G-Sensor). And welcome to the office building where people mysteriously die after 11 pm. It's only 10 pm, though, so no worries, right?
The game begins with you, poor overworked office schlub that you are, heading home after a very long day. Unfortunately, something immediately goes wrong with the elevator and you are now trapped in a creepy, unoccupied office building. Still, it should be easy to find a way out, or so you'd think. Even though you can no longer use the elevator to reach the first floor, there must be some other way out, say an emergency fire exit. Hey! This building isn't up to code! No problemo, I'm sure there's another solution.
Actually, there are three ways out of the building, although one of them involves you being horizontal (and deceased). Travel between floors (at least, the ones you can get to) and try to figure out how to get home before the spouse gets really upset. Pick up items, solve puzzles, and I'm sure you'll be having a late dinner in no time at all.
Navigation through the scenes is easily accomplished by arrows that appear when you move your cursor to the edge of the screen, and if you know how to work an elevator. There are no cursor changes when you pass over objects, however, so there is a minor bit of pixel hunting involved.
The game is in Japanese, but there is a handy button that can change it to English. Just be sure to change that button to English before you start the game, or you might not catch some helpful information in the prologue. The translation itself is a little rocky, but understandable. There's also a Hint button (although not entirely helpful) and a Save button if you want to take a break. A mute button would have been a nice addition.
Analysis: The puzzles themselves are relatively simple, although they take some leaps of logic. The end solution, while culturally interesting, also takes a bit of trial-and-error to make work. Some sort of hint or guide for that final solution would have made this a better game. The graphics are pretty but sparse, but this is an office building after all. The inventory system is easy to use as well. Just setting the game in an empty office building after hours creates a suitably creepy atmosphere.
What prevents this from becoming a great game are the leaps required for some of the puzzle solutions. Although some of the puzzles are easy some might have you scratching your head and going "huh?" That aside, U-Sensor is still a fun, engaging escape game, short enough for casual gameplay yet complex enough (three different ways out) to have fun playing more than once. Escape the doldrums of office work by escaping the office!
Walkthrough Guide
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U-Sensor Walkthrough
General Information
Use arrow keys which appear at the sides, top, and bottom of screen to navigate.
To examine items in the inventory, click on the little "tabs" on the inventory box where the item resides.
There are 3 different endings, see if you can find them all.
The number 4 is a recurring theme in the game. And yes, it is important.
Whatever you do, DON'T go to the 4th floor.
There are buttons at the bottom of the screen, remember to push the one that says "Japanese" to change it to "English".
Using the hint button is your own decision.
Fifth Floor
Push the button for the 5th floor. Exit the elevator.
Click on the flower box on the right of the door for a close up.
Click on the flower on the far right of the box and get 4 leaves (leafs?).
Open the crate below the flower box and take the watering can.
Notice the color and order of the flowers.
Back up.
Click on the blue shelving thing to the left of the door (umbrella stand) for a close up.
Notice that the metal uprights extend above the blue shelf on the top. Click on any of the uprights and you will get 4 vases.
Back up and turn right.
Click on the little white wall cabinet for a close up.
Open the cabinet and get the gold key.
Now close the cabinet and lock it with the key.
Once the cabinet is locked click on the handle again to open it.
The door will slide away to expose a paper charm (green). Clever!
Back up.
Now click on the red cabinet on the floor for a close up.
Open the cabinet and take the note behind the fire extinguisher.
Click on the note to open it.
Remember the flowers?
You can unscramble the note using the order of the flower colors.
Hint: Start with the yellow "L".
The phrase is "look back four time".
Back up and turn right.
Click on the elevator arrow key for a close up, and then click the down arrow.
Get in the elevator and push 3.
Third Flour
Exit the elevator.
Click on the bottom of the magazine/flyer rack for a close up.
Take the four votive cups.
Back up and turn left.
Pick up the newspaper underneath the bench and read it. Forest Fire Water?
Click on the left edge of the newspaper to turn it over and read the back. Hmmm, a mysterious death on the 4th floor at 10:00 pm? Why, according to the prologue it's 10:00 pm now! Should I be worried? Good thing I can't get to the 4th floor.
Close the newspaper, back up, and turn right twice.
Open the red cabinet and take the matches and the paper fire charm.
Back up and turn right (now facing elevator).
Click on the umbrella stand for a close up and take the cane.
Summon the elevator and go to the 2nd floor.
Second Floor
Exit the elevator then click on the door window for a close up. Notice that you can click on the 4 for an even closer close up.
Back up and turn to the right.
Click on the picture on the wall. Yummy, sunny side up eggs!
Seriously, though, they are buttons and need to be pushed in a particular order to move the picture.
Remember the 4 from the door?
You will be pushing the buttons in a pattern to make the number 4.
Push the buttons in this order: bottom, top, left, right. Now, when I went to school (back in the dark ages when dinosaurs roamed the earth) that's not quite how I was taught to write the number 4, but there you are.
When the picture opens take the paper water charm.
Back up and turn right.
Click on the candle to the left of the elevator to take it.
Turn right.
Oh goody, an invisible force field.
Remember the newspaper?
You need to use the paper charms (all three) to vanquish the invisible force field.
Place the charms on the poster in this order: green (forest), fire, water.
Once the poster is gone click on the patch on the wall for a close up.
Use the cane to smash the concrete (2 clicks).
Click on the brown door to lower it.
Click on the little building (shrine) for a close up.
Click on the lower left of the building to look behind it. Oh look, a silver key!
Back up and click on the shrine doors.
Click on the scroll to take it, then click on the ring in the center to open it.
Goody, instructions.
Back up once until you can see the holes in the door/shelf.
Time to place some items!
Note: The paper charms hold the clue to the placement of the items in the shrine. The "green" charm has yellow markings on the corners, the water charm has markings on the sides, and the fire charm has a yellow marking in the middle.
Place the cups in a diamond pattern, top middle, right middle, bottom middle, and left middle.
Place the vases in the corner holes.
Place the candle in the center, this will lock everything into place.
You now have everything in place to escape!
End Game
Notice the scroll said that the shrine will weaken the ghost, not destroy it.
Remember, the ghost lives on the fourth floor.
If you don't want to die, you need to prevent the elevator from going to the fourth floor.
Bad Ending
Using the watering can, pour water in the front cup (all cups will automatically fill).
Put the leaves (leafs?) in the vases.
Light the candle with the matches.
Back up, turn left, and wait for the elevator.
Get on the elevator.
Wait to die. Note: this is where the phrase "look back four time" comes into play. Notice that you look into the mirror 4 times while the ghost is creeping up on you.
Fun thing: When the elevator first comes down and opens, don't get in it. The door will close and a shadowy figure will emerge and go to look at the shrine. When it does it gets a ???? look, then goes back to the elevator. The doors will open again and you can walk in to your death.
Roof Ending
As with the bad ending, fill the cups and put the leaves in the vases. Do NOT, under any circumstances, light the candle. Don't touch the candle. Don't even look at it.
Back up and turn right twice until you are facing the red cabinet.
Use the silver key to open the cabinet and get the crowbar.
Turn right and summon the elevator using the "up" arrow.
When the elevator arrives place the cane at the bottom right of the elevator to hold the door open (thus preventing the ghost from catching the elevator).
Now turn right, close up on the shrine, and light the candle.
Get in the elevator and push 5.
Once you arrive on the fifth floor exit the elevator and immediately turn around to face the elevator.
Pry the elevator doors open with the crowbar while the elevator is still going to pick up the ghost.
Wait for the elevator to come back up and stop at the 4th floor.
Click on the ladder in the elevator shaft, and climb.
Go through the trap door and you have made it to the roof!
You're out! Stranded on the roof, but out.
Alive End
Once again fill the cups and put the leaves in the vases. Do NOT, under any circumstances, light the candle.
Turn left and summon the elevator.
When the doors open place the cane to block them (again, preventing the ghost from catching the elevator)(Out of curiosity, why does the ghost need to use the elevator?).
Turn right, close up on the shrine, and light the candle.
Enter the elevator and press 1.
You're out! And alive! And not stranded!
Posted by: grinnyp
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September 2, 2009 6:23 AM