Shivers 2: Harvest of Souls

Welcome to the seedy town of Cyclone, tucked away somewhere in the southwest deserts of the United States. You arrive—to catch up with your fellow band-mates—only to find that almost everyone has mysteriously disappeared. As your adventure continues, you’ll soon learn that the fate of your friends, the Cyclone residents, and the world, rests in your hands. No pressure.

Point and click your way through the dark and creepy town, looking for clues to the disappearance of everyone.

Shivers II: Harvest of Souls

Shivers II is an indirect sequel to Shivers. Released in 1997 by Sierra Entertainment and using a point-and-click adventure scheme designed to play similarly to Myst, Shivers II was a high production value title with embedded real time video graphics.

Trip Cyclone

Jason Lindsey, the lead guitarist and vocalist for a real-life Seattle-based band named Posted Oval, was hired to help with creating several music videos to act as the work of the in-game, fictitious band called Trip Cyclone. The band's music videos can be viewed by watching one of the many televisions in the town. The music videos also contain clues for some of the various puzzles hidden throughout the town. The game shipped as a two-disc set. Disc one included the majority of the game, and disc two contained the very end of the game, as well as a soundtrack containing the five "Trip Cyclone" tracks and a bonus track that consisted of a compilation of tracks from Shivers I. The tracks can be played in any standard CD player.

SIGS

The game was designed to utilize Sierra's proprietary Sierra Internet Gaming System (SIGS). Now long dead, SIGS required a PPP internet connection supported WinSock32 and was designed to work with Windows95. Shivers II used SIGS to allow players to actively chat and give each other hints and clues to help each other solve many puzzles without leaving the game.

Soundtrack

Disc 2 of the game includes a short soundtrack that has all five of the tracks from the in-game music videos. Although they were written by Guy Whitmore, Jason Lindsey of Posted Oval helped with the actual vocal and instrumental work for the tracks. As well as helped create the several in-game music videos.

Album Name: Shivers 2 -Harvest Of Souls Soundtrack

Written By: Guy Whitmore

(Trip Cyclone is a fictitious band name created solely for the game)

Record Label: Sierra

Released: 1997

Orginal Soundtrack

Available At: SynSoniq

Packaging: Single CD Cardboard Sleeve

Total Play Time: 20.03

Tracks:

01. Was I Even There?

02. Momma Said

03. Lonely Place

04. Spell It Out

05. Burn The Pain

Bonus Track 06. the playable soundtrack disc included with the game also includes a sixth bonus track that was a compilation of several tracks of music from the original Shivers.

Welcome to Cyclone

The game opens with the player arriving by dirt-bike in the small secluded town of Cyclone. The town itself is actually built within the towering walls of a large desert canyon. The only means of passage into Cyclone is a single road at the mouth of the canyon. Cyclone is also extremely isolated due to the fact that the nearest population center or town to cyclone is several hours away in the opposite direction on the only road in the region. The player is a member of a small band that had traveled to Cyclone to work on making a collection of music videos for their newest album. Unfortunately more important matters prevented the player from going with them initially to Cyclone and were forced to join them at a later date. Upon your arrival you discover that the only entrance to the town has been blocked by a large rock-slide. Luckily you were riding a dirt-bike and managed to drive over the rocks and into town. The player manages to get into town very late at night and immediately checks into the small motel at the mouth of the canyon. Upon entering the motel office you are greeted by an incredibly paranoid, bat wielding, innkeeper. He makes if very clear that he doesn't trust you but reluctantly rents you a room. Once you get to the room you throw down your bags and pass out on the bed. While asleep you have a nightmare and wake. After you unpack and have a quick look around the room you check your answering machine and find several unheard messages. The messages lead you to believe something sinister is going on in the small town and you head out to investigate. Once outside you discover that the innkeeper has vanished and the entire town is deserted. You also discover that your bike has been either damaged during your rock climb or someone has tampered with it while you were sleeping. You begin to search the town for any signs of your band-mates.

The Town of Cyclone and its History

Once the player has had a quick look around the town you may notice that most of the structures in the town has a very unique theme all its own. As well as the overall theme of the entire town revolves around American Indian themes. For example you will notice that the sheriffs office has a very American western movie theme. And the town banks interior design is very heavily influenced by African Savannah animals.

The town itself started as many western small town did through the discovery of gold deposits deep inside a cave in the canyon and was a mining camp for many years.The canyon was once an area long held extremely sacred to an Indian tribe that was either destroyed by the American military or driven off by them many decades before the discovery of the gold. A much smaller side canyon deeper inside the Cyclone canyon known as The Devils Mouth canyon was discovered shortly after the gold hunters arrived. This canyon is only large enough for hikers and foot traffic. The history of Devils Mouth since its discovery has been plagued with several deaths and disappearances that have been presumed to be caused by frequent rock-slides and the canyons many smaller more dangerous cave networks. It is also covered with hundreds of Indian wall paintings and a small adobe structure is built deep inside this canyon known as a Kiva. It was long believed that the native Indian tribe used Devils Mouth as location to commune with the spirit world. After several years of work in the much larger cave network nearby miners accidentally stubled upon a massive Indian burial ground with hundreds of preserved Indian remains. And this lead to the discovery that the entire canyon is one massive Indian spiritual and physical burial-ground. Upon this discovery droves of superstitious miners abandoned Cyclone believing they had tampered with ancient Indian spirits. The mine was then shut down shortly after by the remaining miners, who finished stripping all of the discovered gold from the walls, wanted to "respect" the dignity of the remains. Since then the town survived mostly on tourism from travelers who wanted to visit a town built inside a canyon and hike in Devils Mouth. But has never flourished greatly because local tourism suffers due to Cyclones greatly isolated and out of the way location (the nearest highway and population center to cyclone is several hours drive in the opposite direction through the desert).

The town itself consists of several locations most of which the player can enter and explore. These locations include:

The Cyclone Motel:

The motel consists of a small L shaped structure and all of the rooms are accessed from an outside door. The motels theme is primarily influenced by south-western American Indian art styles.

The Bakery:

The bakery is located next to the motel and has a nautical/sea life theme. A puzzle door lock keeps out potential thieves.

The Gas Station:

The towns only gas station consists of the front office and an attached maintenance garage. There is no attached convenience store and the gas station has no particular visual theme. But showcases several American Indian artifacts discovered in the towns long closed small gold mine. Including the complete remains of a long dead and petrified Indian in a display case.

The Barber Shop:

The local barber shop has a door lock similar to the bakeries and has an interior design themed around classic Japanese interior design.

Pearls House:

Pearls house is one of only a handful of private homes in Cyclone and is the only one that is explorable by the player. The house has a very creepy theme revolving around an obsession with tropical birds.

Cyclone Cafe:

The local cafe it located near Pearl's house and has a traditional cafe style only slightly influenced by the overall Indian theme. It is also implied that Pearl either is the owner/proprietor of the cafe or is a manager.

Cyclone Community Church:

The community church at least on the outside is reminiscent of any small town church design. However once inside the church's interior artwork depicts scenes of death and hellfire. Dynamite can be found in the local pastors desk drawer...

Warehouse:

A small warehouse is located in the rear of the town and has been used by the rest of your band as a sound-stage area to create custom props for your bands music videos. The bands van is parked inside. It can be noted that strangely this van, a car inside the gas stations shop, and your dirt-bike are the ONLY vehicles to be found in the town. None of them are functional. The warehouse has no particular theme other than the various props the band has built.

Cyclone Library/Museum:

The town library also serves as a small museum to artifacts that were discovered in the towns mine. As well as a small town hall through the use of a small conference room in the back. Most of the literature in the library revolves around ancient American Indian Mythology. The library also has no immediately predominant theme other than the towns overall Indian theme.

Phil's Market:

Cyclones only grocery store consists of a very small convenience store. Phil's has no predominant theme but it can be noted that a rattlesnake is kept in a small aquarium next to the register (it is believed that the snake is meant to somehow be a deterrent to would be thieves).

Safari Savings & Loan:

The towns only bank has a unique lock on the front door and the interior design is very heavily influenced by (as the banks title implies) an African safari.

Burts Trailer:

The towns token creepy guy lives in a small "Twinkie" shaped trailer near the entrance to the now abandoned mine. The trailer has no immediate theme other than a possible slight influence in the overall Indian theme. It can also be noted that Burt is an avid painter and strangely a small colony of bees lives in his closet.

Sheriffs Office:

The town Sheriffs office consists of a single room with two jail cells and a desk. The overall theme of the structure is almost entirely influenced by an old wild west style sheriffs office. This includes the exterior and the traditional swinging doorway saloon entrance.

Cyclone Cemetery:

The town is almost entirely built around a small cemetery in the center of the canyon. The cemetery is surrounded by a large stone gated wall and a small mausoleum is located at one end of the cemetery. There is no overall theme relating to the cemetery other than the standard cemetery style creepy design. The mausoleum however is obviously influenced by the overall Indian theme.

Max's Cave:

Little is known about Max's cave. It consists of a small cave separate from all the others in the canyon wall. And is owned by one of the missing town locals named Max. The entrance is gated. The interior of the cave (other than the cave itself) is filled with furniture designed with a unique abstract theme.

The Mine:

Cyclones mine is a large mined out cave that has long been closed and abandoned for years. For decades is served as a small gold mining operation and the discovery of gold within the cave crated and sustained the town of Cyclone as a small mining center for many years. While on a routine task to open a new chamber to search for new gold deposits the miners stumbled into a massive Indian burial chamber. As a result most of the miners immediately abandoned the mine and town out of superstition and the remaining miners stripped the rest of the discovered gold and shut down the mine out of "respect" for the deceased. (It is believed that the mine was not shut down out of respect for the Indian remains, but due to the fact that the remaining miners were unable to find any more gold deposits anywhere in the mine. The miners simply abandoned the mine upon depleting the remaining gold in hopes of finding more elsewhere and simply told the non-miner townsfolk otherwise.)

The mines have no unique theme other than a typical mine look.

Devils Mouth Canyon:

At the same time gold was discovered in the caves, treasure hunters also discovered a small side canyon sinisterly named Devils Mouth. This canyon is covered with hundreds of ancient Indian cave drawings and a small Kiva (a sacred spirit chamber) is hidden deep within the canyon. Devils mouth has become notoriously dangerous over the years due to the fact that many tourists, hikers, and even some locals from Cyclone have been killed or went missing inside the canyon. From the many rock-slides that frequently occur or deep within one of the many small hidden away cave networks within Devils Mouth. It is also clearly posted at the canyon entrance that Devils Mouth is very dangerous and hikers should never travel alone. Devils Mouth is themed almost entirely around ancient Indian artwork.

Playthrough (Story Spoilers Ahead)

Once the player wakes and discovers the town devoid of any life. Upon checking the motel office without any signs of the clerk you find a strange jack in the box with a strange Indian stick. The box has a built in tape recorder and a very deep low tone voice begins to speak. The voice calls himself only Dark Cloud and says that the stick is called a Bahos. And to that the only way that you'll ever see your friends (or anyone from the town) again is to find all twelve of these sticks and place them at an alter in the Kiva in Devils Mouth Canyon. A Bahos stick is an Indian artifact that is used as an Indian prayer stick. Each stick has a specific symbol that corresponds to a specific Indian spirit animal or object. Once the player picks up a Bahos it will begin to drain his life bar known as your "life essence". The player must find a symbol somewhere on the walls of Devils Mouth that matches the symbol on the Bahos and touch it.

While inside Devils Mouth thunder periodically strikes and causes the player to loose more essence. The player must then complete a jigsaw like puzzle for the wall symbol then travel deeper into the canyon and place it at the alter. Each time the player places a Bahos at the alter a new Bahos will appear somewhere in the town. Along with completing Dark Clouds tasks of placing all the Bahos in the Kiva the player can also explore the town and discover the events leading up to your arrival and try to find out just who the hell Dark Cloud is by solving the various puzzles in each structure. The player will discover that several years before your arrival one of the town locals Norah was killed in a drunk driving accident caused by several of the town councilmen. Shortly after more and more people began disappearing while hiking in Devils Mouth. While you search for the town any clues as to your friends whereabouts you will be occasionally visited by Norahs spirit. She only gives you small hints to help solve some of the puzzles and tries to hint at who Dark Cloud is. There are clues all over the town that point to nearly every one of the townsfolk are each responsible for all of the disappearances.

Once you place all of the Bahos in the Kiva and leave Devils Mouth Norah will approach you once again and ask you to make an educated guess as to who Dark Cloud is. If you payed very very good attention there are a handful of very subtle hints that point that Norahs widower Max is in fact Dark Cloud. But when taking all of the clues in the town Max ironically is likely the last person anyone would suspect for the disappearances, besides pearl who appears to be harmless despite a terrifying obsession with tropical birds. After searching Max's Cave for him you travel to the Kiva through a hidden passage. Dark Cloud appears in the flesh and reveals that he is in fact Max, an ancient Indian spirit resides within a hole inside the Kiva, and that with the help of the spirit Max has transformed all of the townsfolk and your band-mates into some of the petroglyphs on the canyon walls. Norahs death went without punishment as everyone involved with the accident other than Norah was a town councilman and they were all drunk and simply covered that fact up. The Sheriff was bribed by the councilmen using the donation money from the church falsely declared her death as a simple traffic accident. Max learned of the cover up by eaves dropping on the councilmen while they were in a meeting at the library shortly after Norahs death. It appears that after Norahs death Max went completely insane and plotted to kill everyone in the town with the help of an ancient spirit he discovered hidden deep in Devils Mouth.

It is believed that before Norahs death Max was an expert in ancient Indian culture and spent years studying Devils Mouth, the Kiva (that apparently only he learned how to access) and the burial grounds in the mine. While researching the canyon he discovered how enter the hidden Kiva chamber deep inside the canyon. He then discovered an ancient spirit residing there. Once Norah died in his insanity he used the spirits powers to entomb the townsfolk in revenge as petroglyphs, and discovered that he can use the Kiva alter to receive supernatural powers through a final ritual that required all of the Bahos be brought to the alter in the Kiva by a pure spirit. The final ritual requires the use of the 12 Bahos, a small sacred stone known as the iyani (pronounced "yanyi") and a sacred chant. He tricks you into bringing the Bahos to the alter by luring you with hope of finding your missing friends. At this point your actions in this final ritual will end in one of four endings. The good ending that has you foiling the ritual and releasing the townsfolk and your friends from there petroglyph curse. Two mediocre endings where you give either Norah or Max the magical stone used in the ritual. And the bad ending that has you giving the stone to the spirit. As it turns out the spirit is super angry that everyone has desecrated the burial grounds and uses the stone to unleash thousands of petroglyphs into the world and destroy all human life by turning everyone into a petroglyph . All the ending cutscenes are notoriously well known by Shivers players to have absolutely freaking hilariously bad acting. The end cutscene involving giving the spirit the stone also involves a news reporter being hilariously attacked by a flying wall petroglyph. This can be viewed here.

Easter Eggs

Inside the player's briefcase in his room, you can find a picture of the band. One of the individuals is wearing T-shirt with the logo from the first Shivers game.

A book found inside the library appears to be written by Sir Windletnot. Windletnot is the Museum creator of the first game.