In the fourth and final episode of the Doctor Who Adventure Games, Shadows of the Vashta Nerada, Amy and the Doctor visit a future where global warming has flooded 75% of the Earth’s land mass and forced humanity to live in underwater cities.
Under Pressure
It’s the first game in the series to create a real sense of urgency. You’re constantly on the run. Outside, there’s a giant shark that rams the tunnels and floods them if you hang around too long. Inside, air piranhas known as Vashta Nerada lurk in the shadows. Not even the light is safe when the Vashta Nerada start reanimating they’re victims inside their diving suits. Unlike their debut episode Silence in the Library though, these suits have no means of communication. Not that it matters. There’s no master plan behind these occurrences, just you’re typical hole in space time, which not only sent through alien monsters but also deadly alien radiation. In order to cure the crew you’ll have navigate the tunnels looking for ingredients. All the tunnels look identical so navigating them can be confusing. Fortunately, they’re symmetrical and all lead main structure, which can be seen through the glass.
In addition to the standard connecting wires puzzle, there are are two new puzzles. The hardest of which is turning on the lights by lining up green rotating rings. The best strategy is clicking just before they reach the yellow mark. The power only returns intermittently so you’ll have to time your running to match the lights. Make sure to let Amy go first otherwise you’ll bump into her and end up fish food. The other puzzle is opening doors by memorizing blinking access codes of 3 to 5 digits. Unlike the no pressure puzzles of previous games, three failed attempts in either puzzle will result in death by the Vashta Nerada consuming you or the shark shattering the glass, respectively.
If you’re in the U.K. you can download Shadows of the Vashta Nerada for free @ BBC.CO.UK. Otherwise read my guide to using a proxy ip (it’s not breaking and entering, it’s sonicing and entering).
