The Cameron Files: Secret at Loch Ness

Posted by Erik-André Vik Mamen.
First posted on 07 July 2013. Last updated on 07 July 2013.
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The Cameron Files: Secret at Loch Ness
A game set in Loch Ness naturally features the infamous sea monster.
The Cameron Files: Secret at Loch Ness
What is the meaning of the inscriptions?
The Cameron Files: Secret at Loch Ness
The manor has a large library.
The Cameron Files: Secret at Loch Ness
The notebook keeps a list of current tasks to be completed.
The Cameron Files: Secret at Loch Ness
A banshee appears out of thin air.

The game is available at GamersGate.

The Cameron Files: Secret at Loch Ness (also known as Loch Ness) is the first title in the Cameron Files series to feature the titular character and private investigator Alan P. Cameron. As the game starts, he has just returned from Scotland, having solved his most recent case in "the land of his ancestors". Soon, however, he find himself traveling back to his homeland and arriving at the Devil's Ridge Manor by the shore of Loch Ness, after receiving an urgent letter from a wealthy client named Lord Allistair Mac Farley. In the letter, he is also instructed to bring his crystal (or “cristal” as it is sometimes referred), which he later learns is just 1 of 3 crystals in existence. By the time he arrives, though, Lady Mac Farley explains that his husband has since disappeared. As well, he is told that each of the other crystals belongs to Lord Mac Farley and another man named Bruce Mac Grab. Together, these crystals are supposed to hold great powers.

Since the game is set near Loch Ness in the 1930s, the famous (or infamous) Loch Ness monster is of course an important part of the storyline. While the monster is explored and explained in the game, there are other supernatural elements also in action. Supposedly, the manor is haunted by a banshee, a feminine spirit from Scottish (and Irish) folklore. In the game, she is not a frightening character. Rather, she serves as a guide in a few of the game's cut scenes to help to explain the story.

In fact, most of the story in this game is told through cut scenes, as your character rarely speaks while you are in control. As a result, the game has quite a number of cut scenes, though they vary in length. Some of the story is told through documents and books which you will discover when exploring the manor, but they are mostly there to provide clues for solving the puzzles.

The animations in this game are rather impressive for an adventure game at the time of its release. However, some of the character models look a bit too zombies like. Their appearances also fall into the realm of uncanny valley, so some gamers may find their differing rather than similar humanoid features to be creepy instead of cute looking.

Not surprisingly, Scottish bagpipes are prominently featured in the game's music. While there is no background music in the interactive portion of the game, the cut scenes in the non-interactive portion of the game features plenty of bagpipe music. Most of the characters speak English with a thick Scottish accent. Because the game features no dialog trees, conversations between different characters are only heard during these cut scenes. Only rarely does your character speak when performing an action, such as picking up an item.

For each location in the game, you can look around in full 360° panoramic view. Most scenes are totally static, but a few of them have some simple sprite animations. The action cursor is always at the center of the screen, meaning that exploring the location will reposition the screen automatically. The cursor changes to indicate a hotspot when it is centered on a point of interest. A hotspot can signal that an item from there can be picked up or used in some way or that an item from the inventory can be used there. The cursor changes to an arrow to indicate the direction which you can move to the next location. Most scenes have a lot of details, such as chests, paintings, lamps, desks, and other decors. However, only a small portion of them have hotspots that are interactive. Further, there is no way to get a description of any item found in a hotspot unless it is also part of a cut scene.

The default mouse sensitivity for panning is rather low, so some effort is needed to locate all of the points of interest. On the other hand, the low mouse sensitivity prevents rapid panning that can be a dizzying experience. Regardless, it means exploring a location is often a tiresome affair. Also, there is no transitional animation between different locations, so you just pop in from scene to scene. It is very easy to lose your orientation, especially for outdoor locations.

The inventory is accessed by right-clicking anywhere on the screen. From there, you can access collected items, a notebook, a wallet, and a map. There is no way to get a close-up view of an inventory item. Clicking on an inventory item will normally exit the inventory. If the cursor changes to the inventory item, then it means that this item can be used in the current scene. If the inventory remains open, then it means that this item can be combined with another item in the inventory. The notebook works like a diary. After most cut scenes, your character will write a new page in the notebook. It can be a summary of what has just been discussed in a conversation or a direct command such as "get my bag in my room". The wallet contains documents, notes, and other items with written text on them. These items can be examined at any time. The map, which is not available from the start of the game, can be used to travel instantly between different locations. However, the map's coverage is rather limited. There is no map of the interiors of the manor, just places around it.

Several of the puzzles are timed. For these puzzles, a timer appears on the top of the screen. If the puzzles are not cleared within the allotted time, you will meet a "game over" screen. The game supports 8 save game slots, so saving often is well advised. You can die in the game. Although there is usually no way to predict if a particular action will kill you, seeing the death scene gives you a clue on how to avoid it the next time. Alas, it is not possible to avoid these resurrection paradoxes.

The game is extremely linear. For example, a door may not be open early in the game. Later in the game, however, the same door may suddenly be open to walk through. Elsewhere, a drawer in a desk may appear inaccessible at first. Yet, a bit later, the same drawer can be opened to retrieve an important item. Such consistency can result in a lot of needless backtracking. This can be avoided by marking all of the hotspots active from the start or by making your character comment on why a particular point of interest is not active now.

While The Cameron Files: Secret at Loch Ness features some nice graphics, the game suffers from confusing navigation and flawed puzzles as to prevent it from being an enjoyable experience. The game also tells a story that is also rather thin, at times rushed, and filled with clichés. Overall, this is a game best avoided by adventure game fans. There are simply so too many better exemplars for the genre.

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