The Dig - PC

The Dig was originally conceived by Steven Spielberg as an episode of the TV series Amazing Stories and was later intended to be a full length theatrical movie. Both times it was deemed to be too expensive to produce. The LucasArts development of The Dig was also a troubled one, and with three teams being involved in the design and build of the game, it took a staggering six years to be developed and released. The Dig is a point and click adventure similar to the Monkey Island games, but with much more of a serious tone.

The Armageddon-like story involves an asteroid on an impact course with Earth and a small crew of astronauts on a shuttle mission to divert the asteroid into a stable orbit by use of nuclear explosives. After that small feat is accomplished, some of the team explores the asteroid and finds something they never expected to find, something that will lead them on an adventure to the other side of the galaxy.

The Dig features an impressive voice cast, headed by Robert Patrick of Terminator 2 fame, and a story with input from Orson Scott Card, author of Ender's Game, as well as Steven Spielberg. In addition, some of the computer graphics were produced by Industrial Light and Magic and its ambient soundtrack was one of the first from a computer game to be released separately on audio CD, albeit in very limited numbers.

Originally released in 1995 and later re-released in 2004, The Dig has attracted a legion of fans who are entranced by its atmospheric locations, fiendish puzzles and captivating storyline. Now in 2006, with another re-release from LucasArts and Activision, The Dig can once again present its mysteries to adventure gamers willing to explore a planet at the far reaches of space. more