Author's Note: Here are links to previous episodes of this series:
Preamble
Ask any fan of LucasArts' adventure games to name their favorite title, and most reply with one of three possible answers. The usual suspects are:
- A Monkey Island title (1 through 3 are acceptable)
- Grim Fandango
- Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
The first two of these answers need no introduction as they have become canonical holy texts in the annals of adventure game history. Lost, however, is Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, a game I think deserves more credit for setting gold standards and pushing the envelope of the genre. If you want a game that perfectly encapsulates why LucasArts was the doyenne of the genre for as long as they were, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is "Exhibit A." Its production values are astounding, with an awe-inspiring kaleidoscope of vastly differing locations. Its writing is impeccable, with the interplay between Sophia and Indiana Jones being perpetually entertaining. Finally, the different modes of play add to its replayability. Overall, I think you could argue that it is one of the greatest adventure games ever made and that few people talk about it today is a shame.
I have said this before, but during the "Golden Age of Adventure Games," I was on the side of Sierra Online. When the company self-imploded, I switched to Euro-style adventure games (i.e., Syberia and The Longest Journey). I am NOT YOUR GUY if you want me to talk positively about Full Throttle or Zak McKracken. However, Fate of Atlantis was the one LucasArts adventure game that always worked for me. Its action-oriented subject matter maintained my interest more than their goofier titles, and its intuition-based puzzles were more up my alley. Likewise, during its second act, the three diverging paths were a structure I desperately wanted more developers to use. It's such a great idea that I am still surprised even LucasArts didn't repeat it more often.
However, no game is perfect, and those imperfections are why I will be looking at Fate of Atlantis. Regardless of which route you select, there are some real "clunkers" in this game, but that's to be expected with a title as ambitious and in-depth as Fate of Atlantis. Because of the game's unusual middle act, in which the player picks between one of three possible playstyles (i.e., Wits, Team, and Fists), I'm going to split this blog into two parts. Today, I will examine the game's first act, including the Prologue, and the entirety of the Wits Path during Act II. Next time, I will examine the Team Path and Act III. If you have any comments about how I have structured these blogs, feel free to share them in the comments as with longer adventure games like The Longest Journey or Syberia, the concept of trying the examine all of those games in a single post seems like a fool's errand. However, before we jump into the puzzles found in the game's first act, let's address the one bit of housekeeping some of you are likely asking right now.
BuT wHaT aBoUt FiStS pAtH?
Fuck Fists Path! Seriously, ask any fan of this game which path you should tackle first, and while there is a split between those that prefer Wits or Team, everyone agrees that Fists Path is the worst way to play this game. At times, the game utilizes a pseudo-fighting game engine wherein you need to be able to observe cues from your opponent to block high, medium, or low attacks and then counter with the appropriate flurry of offensive moves. Due to the character's highly pixelated nature and the fast pace of the combat, this is a tall order. As a result, most players either wail away on the three attack buttons or use the "sucker punch" mechanic. I'm glad the sucker punch exists, but with the Fists Path, if you are relying on it, you do have to question if you are better off playing the other two paths. Additionally, the Fists Path is downright mean at times. For example, if anyone reading this blog has beaten Arnold or Fritz "legitimately," I bow before your presence because I am not worthy. More importantly, the difficulty curve for the fights on Fists Path is non-existent. Your first fight after Act I is one of the harder ones you will experience in the entire game, and it is followed by a battle with a goober that goes down after three hits!
Finally, I do not think the Fists Path does much to differentiate itself from the other two playthroughs. Team Path provides a superior storytelling experience with witty banter between Sophia and Indy. Alternatively, the puzzles for Wits Path are some of the most cleverly designed in the game. Additionally, because you do not need to interact with the co-operative or fighting mechanics, it is a far more meditative and relaxing experience. I would even hazard to say it is the best-paced version of the game. Sure, there are puzzles at the Labyrinth of Knossos after you go Fists when the trio of Nazis confronts you, but I'm not counting them. Those puzzles are not there as the intended route for players to use. Those puzzles are there for players that made the mistake of picking Fists and did not realize what that meant. Similarly, I would contend that going the mental route at Knossos is not the intent most have when they are presented with an "action-packed" version of Fate of Atlantis. When people first heard of Fists Path, they wanted to have their version of the fistfight with the muscly Nazi pilot during Raiders of the Lost Ark, and when they got to the labyrinth, they were disappointed when they discovered that was not the case.
Act I
Prologue - 1/10 - To start things off, Indiana Jones needs to explore a series of artifact-laden rooms to find a specific relic. This sequence is a fun tutorial. I would even go so far as to call it one of the best video game tutorials ever made. All you need to do is move Indy from one corner of the screen to the next and click on objects related to the story. Despite this simple premise, it serves as an excellent introduction to the theme and tone of the adventure you are about to experience. It is impossible to fail, and a creative way for the game to deliver its intro credits.
Getting Into The Theater - 1/10 - After uncovering a Nazi plot for world domination, Indiana Jones needs to talk to a mystic named Sophia Hapgood. However, Sophia is currently in the middle of a presentation in a fully-booked theater guarded by a gentleman named Biff. Overall, ANOTHER excellent tutorial, but this time on the SCUMM verb parser and the dialogue and combat mechanics. I like how this represents the three "paths" even before presenting them. You can fight Biff, appease him, or completely cut him out of your playthrough. My only issue is the Wits Path route involving the boxes that cover the fire escape. Sometimes it is hard to tell which boxes you need to move. The puzzle itself is almost too simple as the boxes, and the feedback you get when you push them isn't great. You select them once to move them out of your way and make them go back by clicking them a second time.
Distracting the Stagehand to Get to Sophia - 2/10 - After entering the theater, Indy finds Sophia in the middle of her presentation. If he wants to grab her attention, he'll need to interrupt her. This puzzle is a slight step up from the previous puzzles because it takes a while before the stagehand tells you that he likes to read, and you need to remember that there is a newspaper stand outside the theater. There's a bit of a red herring as the game starts you with a magazine which the stagehand doesn't want. Also, there's a bit of trial and error with the levers when deploying the dummy. It's still fun and nothing too hard.
Getting Through the Jungle - 3/10 - The ancient city of Tikal is the first destination for Sophia and Indy's investigation of Atlantis. However, it appears that a jungle stands before them and the Aztec pyramids. Indy goes it alone and needs to interact with various forms of wildlife to make it to the other end. It's one of the goofier parts of the game, but I still enjoyed it. Needing to use the whip on the capybara is a bit on the fussy side, and the range on the whip isn't as forgiving as you'd like. Also, the looping jungle entrances are annoying the first time you play the game. There's also a general lack of signposting for the snake and moving a rodent towards it. However, it's another introductory puzzle that effectively sets the game's tone, and the payoff at the end always has me in fits.
Getting Sternhart To Let You Into The Temple - 1/10 - While at Tikal, you encounter a Dr. Sternhart who claims to know information about Atlantis that will assist Sophia and Indy. However, before he divulges this information, he needs Indiana Jones to respond to a question correctly. Because you can exhaust all of your dialogue options and get the prompt to solve this puzzle, I think it is the most straightforward puzzle at Tikal. Also, after you wrap up your first talk with Sternhart, a parrot makes its presence very much known. The only annoying bit is if you decide to play around with Sternhart and select the joke options. He leaves after every incorrect response rather than continue to stay and let you exhaust all of your options.
Opening The Tomb In Tikal - 4/10 - After Sternhart allows Indy and Sophia into the pyramid, the team must explore an inner chamber for clues. The player needs to look at a panel and pinpoint a part that seems out of place. The first issue is noticing that there's one spiral design darker than the rest. Likewise, using the kerosine lamp to loosen the spiral from the wall is a bit of a leap. I like Sophia being a distraction. However, if you hadn't spawned Sternhart by interacting with his store, you might have forgotten there was a store in the first place. This is also where the verbs start to feel like there's overlap. For example, you get the kerosine out of the lamp by using "open" instead of "use," and you need to "pull" the lever rather than "use" it. Finally, it took me a quick minute to remember that you need to pull the spiral from the wall as it isn't clear that it is an object when you first look at it.
Trading With Felipe Costa - 3/10 - A scientist in Iceland shares a lead for Sophia and Indy to explore named Felipe Costa. When the two locate the antique trader, he refuses to part with any information unless he gets something in return. The only nitpick I have is related to the eel statue. If you forget to pick it up before you go to the Azores, needing to backtrack is a slight bummer. Some people enjoy the open-world aspect of Fate of Atlantis. However, I think it is slow and leads to a lot of wait time. Getting the eel statue is simple, and needing to switch to Sophia is seamless enough. However, some of the dialogue options end your conversation with Felipe, and others do not. Like Sternhart, needing to restart an exchange from the beginning sucks.
Finding The Dialogue At Barnett College - 6/10 - Sophia and Indy discover if they are going to make any progress searching for Atlantis, they will need to locate the Lost Dialogue of Plato. Luckily for all involved, Dr. Jones' alma mater has a copy. This sequence is the first in the game I would call "tricky." First, the Dialogue's location is randomized between three possible areas. These locations are 1) a dusty chest, 2) a tipped-over bookshelf, or 3) a cat figurine. If it is in the dusty chest, you need to return to Indy's office, pick up a mayo jar, and use it to pull a totem. It's incredibly illogical, and it is easy to forget to pick up the mayo as it is in an ice chest that blends into the environment it is located. If it is in the tipped-over bookshelf, you can either combine an arrowhead with a napkin to unfasten a set of screws or use gum on your shoes to climb a slippery chute and throw a lump of coal to knock the book from the bookcase. If it is in the cat figurine, you must use the gum on your shoes to go up the chute. In both cases, it's tricky knowing that you need to use the gum on your shoes, but it's even easier to forget to pick up the gum from a random desk. Finally, if it is in the cat statue, you need to use the wax statue in a furnace to melt the wax around the book. This is the easiest of the possible outcomes, but finding the correct wax statue is a glorified pixel hunt.
Wits Path
Finding Alain Trottier In Monte Carlo - 5/10 - After Indy elects to figure things out on his own, his first lead is a man in Monte Carlo named Alain Trottier. However, the central motel has a quick procession of people leaving and exiting its entrance. Indy needs to hail several NPCs before he has a profile on Trottier. Using the SCUMM verbs quickly before characters run past you is frustrating. Worse, only a few of the NPCs you will encounter provide clues about Trottier. The good news is that you can catch Trottier if you are lucky or already know what he looks like because his design is not randomized. However, if you miss your chance to talk to him, you might be stuck waiting for a while before he spawns again. This waiting isn't the most fantastic feeling. When you get ahold of Trottier, the multiple-choice question he asks is a real screwball. If you blew through the Lost Dialogue and ignored its contents, you might end up with Trottier leaving and needing to catch him a second or third time.
Getting To Omar - 6.5/10 -Fucking Omar. He sucks no matter which version of the game you play. For Wits, you need to find one of Omar's servants and follow the servant to Omar's home. Sounds easy, right? Well, it sure isn't! First, it is weird how the game often presents two locations, but it has a pretty strict order it wants you to follow. There's no way to continue if you go to Algiers before getting the business card. Returning to the puzzle, following Omar's servant is tedious and even knowing how to access the overworld map is unclear. While getting the red hat is not a necessity, it might as well because following the servant without it is a complete pain in the ass. Something that can happen and is incredibly frustrating is if you select the wrong prompts for a character and have to track them down all over again. In this case, if you talk to the man with the fez about anything other than his hat, he immediately stops talking to you.
Once you get the fez, even with it on the servant, finding Omar's house is a chore because you constantly need to click on the servant until Indy declares you have located Omar's home. It is easy to miss your window here, and it is common for you to need to restart the puzzle all over again. This sequence is not impossible to solve organically, but it has so many steps that it is easy to lose track of what you need to do. Also, I HATE how often it requires you to repeat the same actions. All that aside, this sequence is STILL NOT THE WORST ONE WITH OMAR! For that, you'll have to tune into the next blog!
Trapping Omar & Stealing His Shit - 5/10 - After Indy forces his way into Omar's home, the merchant reveals he is collaborating with the Nazis. The issue with this sequence is the pixel-hunt parts. If Dr. Jones wants to avoid his adventure coming to a premature conclusion, he will need to trap Omar and take a handful of his belongings. The first part where you need to trap Omar in his closet is ridiculous, but at the very least, it is simple. Yes, it is hard to see that there's a door that you need to lock, but it's not too hard of a task. The two statues in Omar's house are extremely easy to miss, but you don't necessarily need them as all they do is help you bribe the police officers in the desert. The real issue is finding the bamboo rod you need to use to get the red cloth that is secretly a map. The rod almost perfectly blends into the foreground and is incredibly difficult to find. Likewise, the red cloth does not look like a map, and you could be forgiven for thinking it was a random part of the house you did not need to pick up.
Using The Map to Find The Dig Site - 3/10 - The map Indy snatched from Omar suggests there's a dig site near Algiers that has a relic from the city of Atlantis. However, Indy will require the help of nomads that live in the desert to interpret the map correctly. This sequence is the more tolerable of the desert exploration sequences. The nomads provide valuable hints and are easy to find when you start exploring. I think the issue is the way the game's overworld controls. Sometimes, when you try to move from one screen to the next, the game isn't as responsive as you'd like. This problem wouldn't be such an issue if it were not for the police officers who can force Indy back to the city. Nonetheless, it is nice that when you get close enough to the dig site, the game visibly marks its location on the overworld.
Turning On The Generator At The Dig Site - 4/10 - When Indy enters the dig site, he finds a workshop with no working lights. Knowing there has to be something at the dig sit worth his time, he needs to use his senses without any visual support. I know others hate this puzzle. However, I respect how the darkened screen slowly gets easier to see the longer you spend without illumination. I can't help but be impressed at this specific example of graphical fidelity in a game made in 1992. Moreover, while it is another pixel hunt, and finding the cap on the generator is the hardest part, I had a lot of fun with this level. It is one of the few times when the touch command makes sense and feels entirely justified. Finally, needing to use everything you acquired at the dig site to get the truck running is ingenious. Overall, I thought this was a well-designed puzzle and one of the best in the game.
The Car Chase - 3/10 - After wrapping things up at the dig site, Indy discovers that Trottier is in danger. Nazi agents are en route to apprehend him, and he needs to warn him. However, despite his best efforts, Trottier gets nabbed, and Indy needs to chase after him in the streets of Monte Carlo. This car chase is not impossible. Nonetheless, it is clunky and incredibly frustrating. When I say this game bites off more than it can chew, this and the hot air balloon sequences are what I mean by that. Luckily it is NOT a timed mission, and you can take as long as you need to stop the Nazis. However, moving on the streets in one direction is just a clunky affair through and through. Using mouse clicks to direct your car in a path makes it difficult to know how far the vehicle will move along any given street. Sometimes it's just a short block, and other times it is a vast span. Likewise, it's not immediately apparent how to turn around, making it a confusing affair whenever you butt up against dead ends. Also, the number of times you need to collide with the Nazi car before it crashes is too high.
Finding The Sunstone At The French-Named Streets - 2/10 - After rescuing the man, Trottier shares that the entrance of Atlantis can be located at Thera, Greece. However, to enter, Indy requires a Sunstone which Trottier threw away while the Nazis were trying to capture him. My only complaint here is that I wish the game marked the names of the streets on the overworld map of Monte Carlo AFTER observing them once. Because the game does not do this, you have to take down notes or memorize the format and conventions of the streets. Also, due to the randomized nature of where the artifact can be, the game doesn't necessarily start you out in the best position. It's still solvable through intuition; therefore, I can't get too salty. That said, street names are way longer than they should be.
Sundial And Thera Dig Site Puzzle - 6/10 - After Indy lands on Thera, he discovers two shocking facts. First, the next boat to take Indy out of Thera will not arrive for another week. Second, Indy's investigation needs to find an abandoned dig site whose location is unknown. After locating the dig site, he will need to find a stone tablet and a note from Sophia relaying that the Nazis have kidnapped her. The start of this puzzle is fine. Exploring the mountains of Thera and locating the dig site is a randomized part of the game but relatively brief. Once you enter the dig site, knowing to use the Sunstone on the empty peg is one of the fiddlier aspects of the game. Knowing to use the crate at the dig site is tricky, too, as doing so is the only way you will learn how Indy will be leaving the island. Likewise, opening and closing the one door to discover the secret compartment is incredibly frustrating, and unfolding the entrenching tool before you can use it is an unnecessary extra step. Also, needing to consult the Dialogue isn't the best feeling experience. It's nice that the puzzle is randomized, but reading a single sentence and needing to translate that note into a puzzle solution will never not feel bad.
Building The Hot Air Balloon - 7/10 - With no quick way off the island of Thera, Indy will need to improvise! Thankfully, he can construct a hot air balloon after gathering the appropriate items from the island. I find parts of this sequence downright infuriating. Getting the invoice to claim the balloon bladder is easy to miss. You could be forgiven for not realizing it is an integral part of the story because the invoice is in a random crate next to the dig site entrance. Furthermore, needing to close the container to pick up the invoice is just shitty. Once you use the invoice on the dock manager, you have to make a ton of logic leaps to make the hot air balloon. First, using the ancient tablet to get the basket is weird, but at least the dialogue system sufficiently manifests what the dock manager wants. Putting the hot air balloon together has way more steps than it should, and even if you are a fan of the SCUMM engine, it's frustrating to have specific commands when generalized commands like "use" seem logical. Finally, going back to the dig site to vent gas into the balloon sucks, and knowing you need to use the hose from the last dig site to vent gas into the balloon is even worse. You have not used the hose in ages, and this is when I would say your inventory starts to feel bloated with stuff you don't need anymore.
Landing The Balloon on The Nazi Sub - 6/10 - With a hot air balloon at his disposal, Indy needs to locate a German U-boat. After doing so, he needs to land the dirigible on top of the submarine. While frustrating, it is not that difficult to figure out what the game wants you to do. The issue is that the balloon controls like hot garbage. Once you find the submarine, landing on it is easier said than done. The most common strategy is to vent like crazy once getting close to the sub, but that's still tough. The submarine is faster and has a tighter turn radius than the balloon. Finally, if the submersible is on the corner of a screen, it's easy to transition to a different screen rather than board the U-boat. All in all, it's not impossible, but the controls make solving this puzzle an undertaking. HOWEVER, it's STILL not the worst balloon sequence in the game!
Making The Sandwich to Distract The Guard - 4/10 - Inside the U-Boat, you can overhear Kerner and Ubermann discuss the Moonstone. Getting this relic is your first step before you can do anything regarding Sophia. However, in proper adventure game form, the locker that has the Moonstone is guarded by a Nazi soldier. This puzzle has two challenging aspects. The first is just knowing you need to make a sandwich to distract the guard; the other is knowing where you need to position Indy to eat the sandwich. Making the sandwich isn't tricky because there are only two ingredients. But with the many different rooms and items in the sub, it can be hard to know where to find shit.
Using A Torpedo To Leave The Sub - 9/10 - With the Moonstone in tow and no immediate sign of how to save Sophia, Indy realizes he needs to get out of the submarine quickly. With Kerner doing a full roll-call, Indy's disguise will inevitably fall apart. So, the game wants you to direct a crowd of sailors away from the torpedo bay so Indy can crawl into a torpedo and launch himself to freedom. While I can respect the crummy vehicle sequences as LucasArts is trying to add some action-oriented variety to the game, this sequence is the first one I genuinely hate. There are too many steps for this puzzle, and the specificity of the SCUMM commands during this particular part makes it worse. For example, needing to use the torpedo instructions when interacting with any of the torpedo parts is one of the game's fiddlier SCUMM design choices. I should only need to read the instructions once, and Indy can use the controls for the torpedos from that point forward.
The first part of this set-piece involving the fire with the oily rag has a few issues also worth discussing. The problem here is that the game isn't always coherent about when it wants you to treat exploring the submarine as a stealth sequence and when it wants you to play it like an action scene. Here, you need to talk to the Nazi soldiers to know one side of the submarine is messed up and could cause a fire. I took FOREVER trying to find a way to AVOIDcrossing paths with the Nazis because that's what Indy says to do at the start. Picking up the oil rag is simple enough, but all of the steps required to start the fire are way more involved than needed. And needing to push the levers instead of using them is another SCUMM-based issue.
Finally, getting Indy into the torpedo is downright terrible. The aft torpedo first requires you to use the torpedo instructions on the control terminal. FIDDLY! Pulling the levers instead of "using" them? ALSO FIDDLY! Finally, you have to remove the clothesline, use it on the lever, and then attach the clotheslines to it, but not before opening the torpedo bay. SUPER FIDDLY! After that, you need to close the torpedo bay, and BOY ARE THE CONTROLS WITH THAT FIDDLY AS FUCK! Again, I think fans of this game have to admit that it is trying to do complex tasks and commands that the SCUMM engine makes way more obtuse and complicated than it should.
Moonstone/Sunstone Puzzle At Crete - 3/10 - Congratulations, you got the Moonstone! Now you need to use it with the Sunstone! Flipping through the Dialogues and interpreting riddles still sucks, but it makes more sense the more you do it. At least the platform for placing the dials is right in front of you, and you don't need to engage in any bullshit to use it.
The Statues In The Labyrinth - 5/10 - We are now officially in the Labyrinth of Knossos, which I consider the worst level in the game. Foremost, I have to mention that the greyscale environment at Knossos makes knowing where you are in the labyrinth a pain in the ass. Your first puzzle involves a gated door that will only rise if you nab three busts on an earlier screen. However, if you lift all three, the door in front of you will fall and block your path until you place at least one of the busts on a shelf. However, instead of finding an object to replace the weight of the statues, which seems like it SHOULD be the solution, you need to use your whip on the last remaining figurine after crossing over to a subsequent screen. While it isn't the most challenging puzzle in the game, it is one where there's a distinct step that can be hard to remember. The last time you needed to use the whip to solve a puzzle was way back in the jungle at Tikal.
Minotaur Statue and Elevator - 4/10 - After exploring the labyrinth, Indy eventually finds himself in a room with a pressure plate and a minotaur statue. To activate an elevator below, he will need to use his whip to knock off the head of the sculpture to turn on the elevator. Once again, it's tough to figure out the whip is the solution to this specific puzzle. All the game tells you is that the minotaur statue is unstable. One could argue that using everything in your inventory until you find the solution is the best course of action. However, it's not a great feeling experience, especially when you consider how much bullshit you have in your inventory at this point. Also, picking up all the stuff from Sternhart's corpse is simple enough, but the pace of using Sternhart's items is all over the place. For example, you use his staff a lot at first, and then it might as well not exist. Finally, I struggled to realize you need to use the hidden chain behind the waterfall rather than your inventory items to get out of the lower level.
Getting the Golden Box - 5/10 - If Indy hopes to complete the Labyrinth of Knossos once and for all, he will need to find a golden box. Once again, just knowing where you need to go in the labyrinth is a chore. Using the busts on the shelf to open a door is simple enough, but the many doors that lead to dead-ends or red herrings are endlessly frustrating. The first step towards getting the box involves the wedge holding the counterbalance on the elevator. After the two previous puzzles, I thought you would need to use the whip again. Instead, you need to use Sternhart's staff, and you will also need to use that on the statue head later. It is also worth mentioning how hard it is to tell what parts of the screen are the background or foreground due to the environment's greyscale nature, which results in a pixel-hunt-rich gameplay experience.
Turning on the Microtaur - 4/10 - Indy discovers a secret room after you pick up the golden box. The room leads to an Atlantean device called the "Microtaur," and using it is the key to creating a passageway to the next area. Remembering to employ the statue when using Atlantean technology is an odd and challenging callback. Up to this point, you have only used this statue twice. Otherwise, you know you need to use orichalcum to turn on the digging device. It's a puzzle where needing to figure out which inventory items you need to combine is the name of the game.
Using The Sunstone, Moonstone, and Worldstone in the Map Room - 2/10 - It's now time to use the Sunstone, Moonstone, and Worldstone together! Before I jump into the puzzle, I want to say that the cinematic involving the mock city still impresses me to this day. The sense of mystery is palpable, and I think it's visually impressive for a game made in the 90s. In terms of the puzzle, using the stones feels automatic at this point. All I will say is that, yet again, the sections of the notes that are your hints are not the best. They are abstract enough to where I feel you may as well just brute force the puzzle if you don't want to use a guide. Still, it's "doable."
The Comb Metal Detector Puzzle - 10/10 - If there is one puzzle or sequence that is objectively superior on the Team Path, this is it. As things stand here, after watching the cinematic with the mini-Atlantis model, Indy realizes there's more to the passage behind the map room than meets the eye. However, he will first need to explore all of the previous rooms of the labyrinth using a make-shift metal detector. To make this device, you will need to fashion a wool scarf with a hair comb which will apply a static charge to the comb. Next, you need to combine the clothesline from the submarine to the charged comb to make a combined item that can detect orichalcum. To make sure the orichalcum you already have doesn't trigger the comb, Indy will need to place them into the golden box. Next is a wild goose chase to locate a room with a dead-end for two extra beads and the waterfall from earlier. This leads to a wall that can be destroyed using the ship rib from ages ago. Then, AND ONLY THEN, will you discover an Atlantean subway car that will lead you to the legendary city.
This sequence errs shockingly close to the Cat Moustache Puzzle. I'm being serious here. Combining the comb with the clothesline is not easy to figure out independently. Additionally, using the scarf to add a static charge to the comb is downright stupid. It is a massive leap of logic that breaks the game for me. Moreover, needing to charge the comb every time you use it stinks. As the directions the comb points to are obtuse enough, you end up fiddling around with it a lot. Finally, the comb is useless until you place all of the beads in Indy's possession into the gold box. To me, this is what boosts this puzzle to a ten. The beads have been used frequently and at no point do you feel like they need to be concealed. Likewise, the purpose of the gold box isn't precisely clear to the player. So, what you end up with is a puzzle that makes no sense and requires you to see which item you can combine the beads with to make the metal detector work!
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