Game

I finally got around to playing Lunacy/Torico, the final game in the Mansion series. Kinda. So, there was a game called Mansion of Hidden Souls, and then it got a sequel, called The Mansion of Hidden Souls, which was… worse, and much more poorly named. And then only a year or so later we get this, Lunacy/Torico, the final game, not technically related, but similar, same kinda thing, and built on the same themes and energies.

Game

I call it horror, but Lunacy isn’t really horror. It’s more of a suspense thriller with an unsettling energy to it. In it you play Fred. Or at least, “people call him Fred”, because Fred has no idea who he is. He’s a wanderer, going from place to place, but he just woke up four years ago and now doesn’t know who he is. He wanders into the Misty Village one day, and is immediately accosted by the local lord, who is interested in him because of the tattoo on his forehead. He’s got a weird-ass tramp stamp on his forehead that apparently means that he was once in The City of Moons, and since escaped. The City of Moons is another world, its inhabitants immortal, where everything is cared for. It’s paradise, basically. The lord of this town, Gordon, has condemned Fred to death, but if he can find the entrance to the City of Moons, he will spare his life. Simple, right?

The game takes place in two parts, on two disks. You’ve got the first half, where you’re collecting items needed for a ritual to enter the City of Moons. Once you do that, spoilers I guess, the second half takes place in the City of Moons, with all the inhabitants you met dragged in as well. Things are off balance with so many newcomers, and they’re all going to fucking die, so you need to save their lives, going around and solving puzzles to save them. You can also let them die, technically. But that’s kinda fucked up. One of them is an asshole, but the rest of them are innocent regular people.

Game

The game is a first person point and clicky-esque game, though it’s less a point and click and more a… walk and walk. You can turn, and move forward towards things to interact with whatever is there. You go around, walking forward to grab items, and you need to solve puzzles. Pretty basic puzzles. Hey, the doctor wants an item, and has a pocket watch the clockmaker wants. Get the item, do a simple trade. Ah, the way to get this item is to cook paint in a silver cup? Yeah let’s just, do that, using the matches on this silver cup. Very simple stuff.

Game

The biggest thing about Lunacy is the amazing mid 90s CGI, and the absolutely amazing voice acting, which is god awful in the best way.

It’s not as good as the first Mansion game IMO, but Lunacy was an enjoyable time. I’d recommend watching someone play it over playing it, though. And if you do, use a guide, because the game is very samey looking and you will probably get lost, so you’ll want a map. ESPECIALLY in the second half, the City of Moons is confounding in its layout.