A Nostalgic Ride on the Orient Express

At a time when computer games were just starting to mature to the point where Solitaire was no longer a novelty, a magical little prince appeared to steal the hearts--and numerous late-night hours--of just about everyone who met him. He was the Prince of Persia, as his enchantingly inventive game was called when released in pre-CD-ROM 1990.

Playing the game, created by a wunderkind named Jordan Mechner, was fairly simple. Using just four keys on the keyboard, you led an animated prince through a variety of labyrinthic worlds as he strove to overcome all obstacles and save the imprisoned princess before time ran out.

The puzzles were devilishly difficult but ultimately satisfying because they were enormously clever. And it didn’t hurt that Prince of Persia was about as stunning a piece of software, graphics-wise, as anyone had ever seen. Mechner released a sequel, which was also a hit, in 1993, and then nothing much was heard from him. But it was rumored that he was working on a hugely ambitious project.

That project, a three CD-ROM set called the Last Express, is finally in the marketplace. And ambitious it certainly is.

Mechner and a large team of artists, animators, filmmakers and programmers set out to re-create the opulence of the famed Orient Express, circa 1914. They searched the world to find an actual sleeping car from that era that they could duplicate, then filmed extensive live sequences that could be turned into animation for the CD-ROM.

The beginning of Last Express is breathtaking. The opening screen shows an old map of Europe and an elaborately decorated, jewel-encrusted oval (think of a Faberge egg) that encases a clock. A flickering light in the background eventually becomes the spotlight of a train as it roars forward to dominate the screen. All this is accompanied by music and sound effects far beyond the CD-ROM norm.

The stylized graphics and animations that immediately follow in an expansive Paris train station and then in the French countryside are likewise breathtaking.

But once you’re aboard the train, the CD-ROM ceases to be as enthralling. The main problem: The characters are not nearly as interesting looking as their backgrounds. They need more of the stylization that serves the overall graphic sensibility of the Last Express so well.

The plot, set against the political tensions of Europe shortly before World War I, is intriguing if not entirely engaging. Character development is not Mechner’s strong suit. But it is a pleasure to play a game that is aimed far higher than the 11-year-old male target audience of most CD-ROMs.

The game-play in Last Express is seamless and the use of time ingenious. Mechner skillfully uses many of the advances in computer technology but admirably avoids flashiness for its own sake.

Technically, Prince of Persia pales mightily in comparison. Going back to it now is like switching from a wide-screen, stereo sound spectacular to the days of silent film. But you know what? I love silent movies, and when they are brilliant, their technical limitations never stand in the way of their emotional impact.

The Last Express is a beautiful and admirable piece of work. But I don’t think I’ll ever look upon it as fondly as I do that little prince.

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Cyburbia’s e-mail address is david.colker@latimes.com.