Galapagos (video game)
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| Developer(s) | Anark Game Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts (US), Sega (JP) |
| Platforms | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS |
| Release date(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Genre(s) | Action, Simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Galapagos: Mendel's Escape is a computer action game developed by Anark Game Studios and published by Electronic Arts in 1997. It is perhaps best known for its use of "artificial life technology" to control the main character, only giving the player indirect control of the creature by manipulating the environment.
Gameplay
Unlike with most games, the main character of Galapagos is in control of itself and only indirectly responds to changes you make to its environment. This is possible through the use of a proprietary Artificial Intelligence system known as Non-stationary Entropic Reduction Mapping, or NERM. This character is thus fully capable of maneuvering through the environment while avoiding surfaces and obstacles it has previously learned is harmful, entirely on its own.
However, the creature does not know how to manipulate the levers and switches found throughout the various areas in the game, so it is up to you to help. As it moves around, the camera angle changes to reveal the new obstacles. Correct manipulation of the devices, through puzzle solving and careful timing, is needed to succeed.
Story
A synthetic bug-like creature known as Mendel has just been created in a dystopian lab in the world of Galapagos. According to the intro of the game, Mendel is the first of its kind, a prototype which will one day be used to create an army of "belligerent autonomous agents, to be used as instruments of dominion, to conquer other worlds for the exploitation of their resources". It turns out Mendel is actually completely harmless and lonely, so they instead plan to study and dissect the creature to continue their plans of creating a "xenocidal war machine". As you apparently have full control over the laboratory environment and wish to subvert their plans, it is your job to help Mendel escape from the lab, and ultimately leave Galapagos.
Popular culture references
- The name of the creature in Galapagos, Mendel, is named after Gregor Mendel, the founder of Mendelian genetics.
- Galapagos is a reference to the Galapagos Islands, a set of islands which contributed to Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.
Reception
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Reviewers were split on Galapagos: Mendel's Escape. While all praised its innovative use of the NERM system to control Mendel, whether that contributed to an enjoyable game experience was debatable. Common points of complaint included the slow movement for Mendel, the poor camera angles, and the frustration of waiting for Mendel to make the correct decisions.
Stephen Poole of GameSpot described the NERM system as "a technology in search of a home", concluding that the game could be described in four words: "great idea, questionable implementation".[3]
Kathy Tafel of MacAddict said of the game, "it can be exceedingly frustrating. [...] in Galapagos the game moves the camera at will (although it's generally centered on Mendel). This can make parts of the game almost impossible to play."[4]
