When there's somethin' weird in the neighbourhood and the Ghost Busters won't return your messages, who else you gonna call? Lucky for you, Carmel Games has a new investigative team ready to solve all your spook-related issues, and in their creepy hometown, they're always busy. Vortex Point: Far Journeys is the first installment in a new point-and-click adventure series, and this time around you're solving the case of some missing gold bars that he thinks a ghost made off with... in fact, it seems like the whole town is suffering a rash of ghostly burglaries! Just click around to interact and pick up items, clicking on something once it's in your inventory to move it, or to move around town via the map.
Though still ultimately fairly straight-forward in terms of gameplay, Vortex Point is actually quite a bit flashier than other titles from Carmel Games in a way that makes it both more memorable, and feel like a more cohesive adventure. It's still sorta crazy, of course, with some (hilarious) gore popping up towards the end, and you'll need to be willing to experiment and think outside the pizza box in order to proceed, as well as tickle the old ivories. Also, here's a tip if you're thinking of getting into security work... if a guy who previously isn't on your visitor's list shows up claiming to be someone else, then gets anxious and leaves for a few minutes before coming back with the ID he couldn't produce when you asked for it, you should probably consider that a red flag. Still, Vortex Point: Far Journeys is a fun and freaky game and probably the only time you'll get to see a character casually say "take my magical crowbar" with a completely straight face, and that's something special.
Walkthrough Guide
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Vortex Point Walkthrough
After the opening narrative and exploring the first scene, go out the door and use the map to go to Dr. McGinnis's House...
Click on Dr. McGinnis to talk to him. He'll show you survellience camera footage...
It shows nobody entering a pass code (9570) into the safe and then removing the gold.
Get the KEY from the bookcase on the right (second shelf on the bottom).
After that, you'll get an SMS from Caroline at Headquarters.
Dr. McGinnis doesn't want you to go in the storage closet (the door on the left). So, you think, he's hiding something in there. You'll have to distract him, though, before you can open that door.
Go out the door on the right to enter the map again.
Go to Thomas Marshall's House.
Talk to Thomas Marshall, the piano teacher. This makes you want to ask Caroline if there is a link between Thomas Marshall and Dr. McGinnis.
Exit through the door on the right.
Now travel back to Headquarters...
Caroline is hungry and wants a pizza.
Exit out the door on the left.
Go to Vortex Pizza.
Talk to the guy at the counter to learn he's been having trouble sleeping. You offer to get his medicine for him and he'll give you:
a PIZZA
and a PRESCRIPTION.
Near the door is a waste basket. Click on it to find something inside:
A broken piece of MIRROR.
Exit out the door on the right.
Go to the PHARMACY.
Give the PRESCRIPTION to the pharmacist; in return, you'll get...
a bottle of SLEEPING SYRUP.
Click on the bulletin board on the right to get:
a pink FLYER advertising private piano lessons...
...read the flyer because maybe it has important clues.
Exit out the door.
Go to Vortex Point Music School.
Talk to the lady at the counter and explain you're investigating a crime concerning one of the school's teachers, Mr. Marshall.
Then, click on the magazine rack on the back wall to get:
A PIANO KEY GUIDE.
Exit out the door on the right.
Return to Headquarters with the pizza and pink flyer.
Give the pizza box to Caroline; she can't eat it all so...
...You get a SLICE OF PIZZA.
She also tells you Gary Porter took piano lessons from Mr. Marshall, won four gold bars and then was sent to a mental instutition.
Give Caroline (who's still happily eating pizza) the PINK FLYER, asking her to call Thomas Marshall to keep him busy.
Exit headquarters.
Return to Dr. McGinnis's...
Talk to Dr. McGinnis again...all this tension has made him hungry:
Combine the SLEEPING SYRUP with the SLICE OF PIZZA.
Give the DRUGGED PIZZA to Dr. McGinnis.
With the doctor asleep, use the KEY to unlock the door on the left. You will automatically...
Go inside the storage closet in Dr. McGinnis's office:
Move aside the box of explosive to reveal the safe.
Then, use the code you saw earlier in the survellience footage, to unlock the safe.
SOLUTION:
9570
When the safe is open, you can get two things:
A RED KEY #2
and an ADDRESS ("2956 Vineyard Drive")
Leave the storage closet and exit Dr. McGinnis's office.
Travel to the new spot on the map, 2956 Vineyard Drive, to investigate further.
Rub the dust off the mailbox to see this house is Gary Porter's.
Pick up the MAGNET that's half-buried to the right of the door.
Click the yellow arrow at the bottom of the screen to return to the map.
Go back to Thomas Marshall's house...
Mr. Marshall should be on the phone (talking to Caroline because you showed her the pink flyer). Click on him until he leaves the room.
Now you can play his piano:
Use the clues you gathered to play the right keys.
SOLUTION:
Use the piano key guide (the white paper) as your guide to the notes.
Click only the five piano keys noted on the pink flyer.
For ease of explanation, number the keys from 1-12, starting with the marked key...
4th � 2nd -12th � 6th � 9th
Screenshot: piano keys
When you've played the piano keys in the correct order, a ladder will come down from the ceiling.
Go up the ladder into Thomas Marshall's attic:
A security laser guards the safe...
Use the piece of BROKEN MIRROR (from the pizza place) to stop the laser.
Open the safe to get:
a RED KEY #1
and a note giving you the location and password for "the psycho."
Located in Wing C.
Secret password: 6382
Go back down the ladder and out the door.
There's a new location on the map: C.Razy Mental Hospital. Go to it.
The guard at the gate won't let you in but you notice some papers flapping in the wind...
Use the MAGNET (found at Gary's house) to remove the paperweight.
Talk to the guard again and lie about your name. He'll let you in....once you show him your ID, that is.
Click the arrow in the upper right corner to return to the map.
Go back to Headquarters and into the next room...
Go past Caroline (click the yellow arrow on the right to enter the next room) and you'll see Craig at his desk.
Tell Craig your problem and he'll give you...
A FAKE PASSPORT/ID (name: John Williams).
Go left and learn from Caroline that both McGinnis and Marshall were murdered and de-brained.
Then, exit out the door.
Go back to the Mental Hospital.
Show the guard your PASSPORT/ID.
Enter the gate.
Talk to the receptionist.
Before you can go further, Caroline wants you to return to the office...
Click the "EXIT" sign, then the red arrow in the right corner to return to the map.
Make that quick trip back to Headquarters to find out what the new breakthrough is...
Go right to see Caroline and Craig together. Talk to them to learn new details and get:
A "magic" CROWBAR.
Go left then out the door.
Now that you're equipped to get inside, go back to Gary N. Porter's house (2956 Vineyard Drive).
Use the crowbar to remove the boards on the door.
Go inside and explore for even more discoveries...
Brains in the fridge, gold bars in the cupboard.
Go outside and then click the yellow arrow at the bottom of the screen to open the map again.
One last trip to the Mental Hospital, to check out Wing C...
Go past the gate to the reception area. The receptionist is gone...Open the door to Wing C so you can investigate further.
Use both RED KEY #1 and RED KEY #2 on the panel by the door to "Wing C."
Go through the open door into Wing C.
Click on the control panel by door 1 to examine it:
Input the secret "password" to unlock the door.
SOLUTION:
6382
With the correct 4-digit code, the door automatically opens.
Talk to Gary to end the game.
Another case for the x-files perhaps?
Posted by: elle
|
February 5, 2013 4:07 PM