The game backstory as explained in the manual is that an evil Ancient Egyptian priest has put a curse on a massive pyramid dedicated to the Sun God, Ra. Any object obstructing Ra's shrine from the Sun would be destroyed. The protagonist is an unnamed archeologist who learns that October 26, 1930, a total eclipse will obstruct the sun above Cairo, and the protagonist realized that the curse will cause the Moon to explode, devastating Earth with its debris. The protagonist then decides to travel to that pyramid and destroy the shrine to Ra, preventing the curse/prophecy.
Total Eclipse is a first person adventure game released for the Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, MS-DOS and ZX Spectrum computers in 1989. It can also be considered an early example of a first-person shooter. Play Total Eclipse online!
Total Eclipse game description
Uses 3D system called Freescape developed by Incentive Software Ltd.
A pyramid has been built to destroy anything that blocks the sun and now a total eclipse is about to occur. Collect ankhs to open doors, shoot mummies, drink water and maybe then you solve the puzzle of pyramid. Controlling yourself in 3D world, you may change angle of your rotation and width of your steps to avoid some obstacles. Also you can use your gun to shoot some doors or to eliminate some foes.
Like the previous Freescape games developed by Incentive Software, Total Eclipse takes place from the point of view of the main character, who can move freely within the 3D environment of the game. This time, however, the emphasis is more on adventure, puzzle-solving and survival; with multi-level environments to move around and explore.
The key elements of the game consist of:
- A water jar, with water which diminishes as the player progresses; when it is empty the player will die of dehydration. The jar can be refilled with water found around the levels.
- A heart-rate monitor, which actually serves as a health indicator. When the player suffers from damage or walks around a dangerous area, the rate will go higher. The player can keep it lower by resting, sacrificing some of the available time.
- A flash-light, with a limited battery-life, which allows you to explore some of the darker areas of the game.
- A magnetic compass for navigation
- A wrist watch which shows the remaining time.
- A pistol which is used for manipulating the environment, such as shooting at doors, chests and mechanisms to open or trigger them. There are also a few enemies.
Items that can be found in the pyramid are
- Pairs of symbols, which the player must shoot in order to trigger something (e.g. open a locked door)
- Pools or fountains of water to fill the water jar.
- Ankhs that serve as keys to barred doors; these are finite throughout the pyramid, and part of the challenge consists not wasting them.
- The player can also find treasure, which simply serves as a side quest and only accumulates score.
Play Total Eclipse online
You can play Total Eclipse online here, in web browser for free!
