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Microids: Dracula III | 
 enlarge | From: Encore Software
Category: Software
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $15.99
You Save: $4.00 (20%)
New (10) Used (8) from $10.00
Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 795
Format: Cd-rom
Platforms: Windows Xp, Windows Vista
Genre: action_games
ESRB: Teen
Media: CD-ROM
Operating System: Windows Vista
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 1.2
MPN: 16690
Model: 8020687
UPC: 705381166900
EAN: 0705381166900
ASIN: B001AH7VZE
Release Date: August 12, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: new new new
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| Features:
 | A new story faithful to the Bram Stoker universe | | | A nail-biting investigation that blurs the line between myth and reality | | | Decipher mysterious manuscripts, rune stones and ancient prophesies dating back to man's origin | | | Picturesque graphics and intense cutscenes engulf you in a dark and gripping adventure | | | Windows Vista / XP |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
It is September 1920. In Microids: Dracula III, you are Father Arno Moriani, sent by the Vatican to Transylvania to investigate a candidate for sainthood. But, in the shadows of the ruins that were once the castle of Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Count Dracula, your investigation takes an unexpected turn... Carry out your inquiry amidst tales of bloody deeds and ancestral legends. Will you survive before fear takes over?
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 Started off strong but fizzled out November 13, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I played the previous installments of the Dracula games so I knew what to expect in the gameplay. This is a basic point and click game where you go around having to solve problems to advance the plotline. There is substantially more dialogue in this game to include a choice in your questions and answers though what you choose to say has no effect on the direction of the game. Some of the dialogue can drag on and you get to the point where you just want to move forward.
Like previous games, some of the puzzles are just incredibly frustrating and don't make any sense. Some of these puzzles require long bouts of trial and error. Or you can find an online guide to show you how to get through.
Possibly spoilers below
The plotline starts off pretty strong; you're a priest who served in WWI and you are sent to investigate the possibly canonization of a nurse in a remote Romanian village. As you investigate you find odd occurances and something bigger going on. Eventually, you are put on the path of the Dragon which will lead you to Dracula.
Most of the plotline takes place in this little village and while it's fun to explore, it would have been nice to send you to more locations. You do visit a deserted cave-prison in Turkey and a professor's office in Budapest but aside from that, the game is situated in this little town of Vladoviste. As with previous games in this series, you are very limited in where you can go and what you can do. For instance, you are confined to four main streets in Vladoviste and only two buildings. You can venture out towards a ruined castle or up to a creepy graveyard but here you are limited in what you can do and see.
The plotline could have been thicker; why not send the player to other locations? Why not allow the player to search more areas? And there is almost zero action in this game where as in previous games you had to battle monsters and other villians.
The last part of the game to me was underwhelming. You face off against Dracula in a series of questions and you have to give the correct answer. Here again it's simple trial and error until you get all the answers correct and then it moves to a cut-scene. Not really all that spectacular except for the fate of the player.
The historical background into Dracula and the interwar years was interesting and that's where the game is strong but aside from that, this is likely a game I won't play again.
The scenery was good, the plotline started off strong and sputtered and the puzzles lost their fun early as it became tedious after a short while.
Not a bad game but not one I would likely play again.
 Lots of atmosphere, but low on vampires November 8, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Microids Dracula 3: Path of the Dragon is the sequel to its two earlier games Microids: Dracula 1 & 2 DJC. The protagonist is Father Arno Moriani, a priest sent by the Vatican to investigate a local Transylvanian doctor who is slated for sainthood. But his seemingly simple investigation into the good doctor takes several unpredictable twists, and he soon finds himself plunged headfirst into a world of shadowy vampires, a battle that threatens not only his faith but also his life.
The main failing of the game is the *absence* of vampires; you only deal directly with the title character at the very end of a long and tiring journey. The rest of the time, you're researching obscure texts, closely examining artwork, and leafing through hefty tomes of Romanian history that deal with the origins of Dracula, or Vlad Tepes. There are also undercurrents of WWII even though the game is set in 1920 (yep, evil Nazis and bad German accents!). There are only a handful of characters, but the ones you do interact with are generally fleshed out, with unique personalities and solid voicework.
The puzzles themselves are some of the better ones I've seen in the last few years; there's a wide variety of strategy board games, locks, word puzzles, and inventory-based puzzles. Phlebotomy takes up a large part of the game; if you're squeamish, you probably won't go for the graphic how-to on drawing your own blood several times ("now all that's left is to push the needle deep into the vein!"), or poring over cells under a microscope. Generally, the solutions are quite obvious, although one of the end puzzles requires careful observation and piecing together clues collected throughout the game. One of the features which could have been better utilized was the Bible passages; whenever your character is stressed out (you'll hear his heart beating loudly), you can flip open the Bible to an underlined passage that is directly related to the situation at hand. This action isn't necessary, however, and could have been made a more central element directly related to protecting Father Arno's faith (and sanity).
The graphics are lushly drawn, bringing to life the war-torn village with its bombed-out buildings. Ghostly howls ricochet down the empty streets. The lushness of Budapest is a direct contrast to war-ravaged Romania, and you visit rural Turkey as well. Character animations are effective, and the cutscenes are downright gorgeous, with a hazy, dreamlike quality (you're able to replay videos through the gallery feature on the main menu). The only disappointment was the ending; after so many hours of research and daring escapes, the final confrontation was brief and disappointing. The end cinematics were great, though, and leave openings for future installments. Overall, this is a solidly crafted adventure with loads of atmosphere and political intrigue, but sadly, little of the title character.
 yawner October 6, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
first off i am not done with the game.........point and click adventure, you can look in all directions, the graphics are good and moody, the voices are good and clear, the story is boring...the puzzles are not what i was looking for, read this read that, call tons of people, its like i am an operator or something.I cant get into it..i loved dracula origins ..the best dracula game out there...and now i am spoiled...this is slow and has lots of conversations...as boring a start to a game as it gets...the makers must be 75 years old and get off on reading under a lamp for ten hours.If you love dracula then go for it and good luck not falling asleep...if you dont...i would pass
Do Not Bother September 29, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This game was a big disappointment. You don't even see Dracula until the end, and even that is not what you would expect. The graphics are good and the speech is fine. But the overall story is terrible. The puzzles do not make sense and are hard to play. If you want to make a game about Dracula, at least have him in it.
 SO not worth it September 25, 2008
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
If you want a game that essentially tells you what to do the whole way, then go for it. If you want a challenge, don't waste your money. Unless, of course, you want to solve an impossible puzzle towards the end of the game where you have to trace a pentagram. If you're off by a millimeter, you have to start over. EXTREMELY frustrating. I have played hundreds of adventure games. This is at the top of my "don't buy it" list. Stick with Dracula 1 and 2.
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