Nelson Tethers: Puzzle Agent
Encyclopedia
Nelson Tethers: Puzzle Agent is an adventure/puzzle game by Telltale Games
, in collaboration with Graham Annable
. It is the first game to come out of Telltale's pilot project. It was released on June 30, 2010. The game claims to be influenced by the works of David Lynch
, Stanley Kubrick
and the Coen brothers
(most notably Fargo
).
A WiiWare
release of the game was planned but eventually cancelled.
- the player doesn't have an inventory, but can traverse into dialog trees with other characters. Some items or choices of dialog result in puzzles to be solved, although in some cases the puzzle has no consequence in the game's progress. The types of puzzles vary from jigsaw
through math
s to logic puzzle
s. Each of them has a basic short description about the objective of the puzzle, while some have a basic set of rules and conditions that help the player deduce the solution. The player can request three hints for each puzzle, and each hint costs the player a piece of chewing gum - gum is on shortage in the town, as the hotel clerk explains, but Nelson can collect pieces of used gum he finds at each location. The puzzles don't automatically approve the players solution, even if the player provides the correct answer - Nelson must send the answer back to HQ where it is either approved or rejected. If the solution is approved, the player is given a score depending on how many hints he used and how many failed attempts he had (the latter is represented in taxpayer dollars), and an optional further explanation is provided on how the puzzle can be solved.
) is the sole member of an obscure branch of the FBI
, the Puzzle Research Division. Dozing off while working on a crossword puzzle
, Tethers dreams of a man in a space suit
approaching him and scribbling something on the crossword. As the man in the spacesuit lifts his visor to reveal his face, Tethers wakes up and in his fright tears up the crossword. Upon reassembling the torn pieces, Tethers discovers that the word "SCOGGINS" had been written there. At that moment, he is called and given his first field assignment: the factory that produces the eraser
s used by the White House
has mysteriously stopped production, and attempts to contact the factory have been met only with strange puzzles. Tethers is dispatched to the small town of Scoggins, Minnesota
where the factory is located to get it running again before the "eraser shortage" becomes dire.
When Tethers arrives in Scoggins, he finds that many of the townsfolk are obsessed with puzzles and speak of "whispers". At the eraser factory, Tethers learns from Sheriff Bahg that the factory was closed down after an "accident" involving an alleged "explosion"; the factory's foreman, Isaac Davner, also hasn't been seen since. The nature of the accident and Isaac's fate can't be determined because the factory is sealed with an unusually complex lock. After discussing the accident with Sheriff Bahg and Isaac's wife, Glori, at the Moose Ear Diner, Tethers looks into two suspects: Randal Scruffman, a repairman who may have a crush on Glori, and Mike "Lobster" Lobb, one of Isaac's coworkers who recently had a fight with him. Traveling to Lake Svenz, Tethers finds Lobb sitting on a stump in the nearby Sasimy Woods, nearly frozen to death while solving a puzzle. Lobb hands Tethers a gear, a "key" to the factory, before dying. Tethers then finds Scruffman at an ice fishing hut on Lake Svenz, where Scruffman explains that the night of the accident he was repairing a damaged fence adjoining the town's hotel.
Tethers begins encountering red gnome-like creatures who hinder his progress. The townsfolk call them "the Hidden People", though most consider them to be nothing more than legend. However, Tethers is told that a group of townsfolk called Brothers of Scoggins believe in the Hidden People and are known to practice old Nordic
rituals at their Lodge. Investigating the Brorskap Av Skogen Lodge, Tethers sees Glori and three other men chanting in a circle inside. Sheriff Bahg catches Tethers and escorts him back to town, telling him to stop nosing around the town's traditions. Tethers then spots Glori sneaking across town and follows her to the factory, where she leaves a plate of food. Tethers watches as several Hidden People appear and poke at the food; suddenly, more Hidden People surround Tethers, scaring him into running into a tree and knocking himself unconscious.
Tethers awakens in the Lodge. Bjorn, the head of the Lodge, reveals that the Hidden People "whisper" puzzles to the townsfolk which fuels their obsession. Bjorn also cryptically says that Isaac Davner was "chosen" by the Hidden People. Bjorn does not know what it means to be "chosen", only that it is an honor. After Tethers is given the pieces to a second gear, a Hidden Person steals the gear and leads Tethers on a chase back to Lake Svenz. He enters the ice fishing hut to retrieve the gear, but is locked in by Glori Davner, who then uses a chainsaw to sink the hut with Tethers inside. Tethers manages to escape and returns to the Lodge for the third and final gear. There, he is confronted at gunpoint by Sheriff Bahg. Tethers distracts Bahg with a crossword puzzle in his coat pocket, and proceeds to the factory to open the lock using the gears. Intending to rescue Isaac, who had been trapped within the factory the entire time, Tethers makes his way past several obstacles, including a massive eraser which had fallen and caused the "explosion" sound in the factory. As Tethers comes upon a puzzle-maddened Isaac, a swarm of Hidden People rush into the room. Tethers shoots at them, but to no avail; the Hidden People grab Isaac and carry him out a window into the night.
The following day, the eraser factory has been reopened but Isaac Davner remains missing. Back at FBI Headquarters, Tethers is congratulated on his work, despite it turning out that the President hadn't even been aware of the eraser shortage. Tethers' superior brushes off Isaac's disappearance, claiming it's a matter for local law enforcement to handle, and leaves Tethers alone in his office.
Upon arrival, Tethers attempts to check in at Valda's Inn, the local hotel, but receives some hostility from Martha Garret, the owner, who attempts to push him into leaving. Tethers eventually manages to rent out a room, but experiences a dream at night in which he is visited by an astronaut
, just like his dream before he first went to Scoggins, this time leaving a note on the floor. Also like the previous dream, Tethers wakes up to find that he was dreaming, but the note on the floor is still there, reading "Isaac Davner does not exist" on one side while having a puzzle on the other side. The puzzle consists of the names of a number of unknown people, arranged into a jumbled order, prompting Tethers to find out more about the names mentioned so that he can solve it.
Outside the hotel, Tethers learns from Darryl Boutin, a resident previously seen in the Moose Ear Diner, that the names in the puzzle refer to past residents who have mysteriously disappeared into Sasimy Woods across the past several years, one of them being Darryl's brother, Darrel. Tethers travels to the local campsite, the Wallows, to meet with Alfred Versteckt, an anthropologist
whose student, Will Medlock, is also mentioned in the puzzle. Alfred, who is not native to Scoggins and is therefore quickly deemed by Tethers as being "helpful", believes that the disappearances may be related to Scoggins' folklore, namely the Hidden People. Tethers next heads to the Moose Ear Diner to meet with Sheriff Bahg, and requests access to his files on the 'missing persons' cases, but Bahg, as hostile as ever, quickly denies him. However, Glori Davner, despite previously attempting to kill Tethers, offers to distract Bahg while Tethers breaks into his office if he will promise to find her husband, Isaac. Glori claims that Isaac was being "troubled" by something, and the Brotherhood of Scoggins, led by Bjorn, had offered to take him in and help him. However, they had then locked him away in the eraser factory and given him to the Hidden People, simply telling Glori that he had been "chosen" when she questioned them. As there has been no news on Isaac's whereabouts since he was stolen away into the woods after Tethers found him, Glori has become distrustful of the Brotherhood, now believing that they are behind the many disappearances.
Tethers sneaks into Bahg's office and is able to retrieve the Missing Persons files, despite being caught in the act by Bahg. Using the files, Tethers is able to complete the puzzle on the note, which then leads him to Melkorka Teterdottir, or 'Korka' for short, a puzzle-obsessed woman not unlike himself. Korka explains that she had posted the note under his door at night in an attempt to summon him, as she wishes to partner with him to solve the case. Korka herself has made a remarkable discovery concerning Isaac: his true identity is Ed Davis, a test pilot who had apparently been killed after his craft crashed into Sasimy Woods. Korka believes that the alias of Davner was forged so that Ed Davis could be declared dead, but he is actually residing in the woods as a serial killer
, and is therefore responsible for the disappearances. Having become obsessed with taking down Isaac after her lover, Halldor Magnusson, had disappeared many years ago, Korka has devoted her recent years to tracking him, and now wishes to use Tethers to hunt him. Korka sends Tethers out into Sasimy Woods to find Isaac.
In the woods, Tethers finds no sign of Isaac but instead finds Edvard, a member of the Brotherhood, sneaking around. Tethers follows him through the woods, but loses him and tumbles down a slope. Beneath a tree at the base of the slope, Tethers discovers the crumpled body of an astronaut, but before he can look closer, a group of Hidden People spook him and he flees, eventually ending up back at Korka's house. However, Korka quickly dismisses his findings as nonsense, believing that the Hidden People are nothing more than an urban myth
. With no other leads, Tethers heads to the Brotherhood lodge to directly interrogate Bjorn, but finds that he too appears to be troubled by the disappearances, and is innocent. Bjorn reveals that the Brotherhood itself has been shrinking as its members have been vanishing into Sasimy Woods. Edvard, who Tethers had seen in the woods, had been searching for Skjoldr, another Brotherhood member who had gone missing not long ago. Bjorn also states that the Hidden People have been "angered" by something nearby, which may have something to do with their "choosing" of Isaac. Begging Tethers to find the missing people and restore the Brotherhood, Bjorn directs Tethers to the cabin of Olav Welhaven, another past member who was one of Bjorn's best friends.
Tethers reaches Olav's cabin and finds that the man was a dedicated astropsychologist
who had invented a complex formula linking lunacy
to the phases of the Moon
, most notably lunar eclipses
. A set of tape recordings reveal that Olav had sent his research to NASA
. Tethers realises that Olav's game-changing discovery, as well as his contact with NASA, must play an important role in the mysteries surrounding Scoggins, such as the astronaut body and the Hidden People, and revisits Korka to show her his findings. However, Korka is revealed to be an obsessive lunatic when Tethers discovers that she believes that the entire mystery revolves around the 'Kitimat Incident' - the rumoured discovery of a Sasquatch
in Sasimy Woods.
Believing that Alfred is the only competent person in Scoggins, Tethers returns to the Wallows to show him his findings. Alfred appears to be amazed by Olav's research, noting that when placed besides his own research into the Hidden People, it will pinpoint the creatures' home. Alfred accompanies Tethers into the woods to look for the Hidden People, but before long he disappears; Tethers searches for him and stumbles across a campsite in a large clearing. The campsite appears to have been built around a crashed lunar lander
, branded as the 'Hermes II', and is occupied by a pair of astronauts. Tethers spots the remains of a skier nearby, but before he can react, the astronauts grab hold of him and sedate
him.
Tethers wakes up once again in Valda's Inn, but learns from a call from Ingraham that the FBI has discovered Tethers' findings involving the body of the astronaut, and a task force of Men in Black
are en route to Scoggins. Tethers confronts FBI Director Jennings in the Moose Ear Diner and voices his concern that the astronauts in the woods have been murdering people, and are responsible for the disappearances, but Jennings simply warns him to back away from the case and leave Scoggins before he learns too much. Refusing to abandon the case, Tethers returns to the astronaut's body he discovered in the woods and finds that it is not really a body, but an empty suit. To his surprise, Isaac Davner appears behind him and reveals that the suit belonged to him. Isaac explains that, previously known as Ed Davis, he was in the team of astronauts who were sent to the Moon on the Hermes II mission, a secret operation in response to Olav Welhaven's research in which the team were ordered to plant a device called the 'Lunar Ray' on the surface. However, the mission had gone awry; a lunar eclipse had occurred before the team had reached the surface, causing the two astronauts on the outside of the craft to instantly go insane. With the Lunar Ray still attached to the lander, Isaac had piloted the craft back towards Earth, where it crashed into Sasimy Woods - directly on top of the Hidden People's home. The Lunar Ray had formed a barrier around the area which repelled the Hidden People, forcing them out of their habitat. Isaac had fled the crash site upon impact, running from the two insane astronauts, and had created the new identity of Isaac Davner in an attempt to forget the mission and start a new life. From there, he had settled down with Glori and begun a peaceful career as the eraser factory foreman, but the astronauts continued to haunt him in his dreams so he went to Bjorn for help. The Hidden People, who were aware that Isaac had been involved in the Hermes II mission, had "chosen" him so that Bjorn would hand him over, and they had whispered to him in an attempt to brainwash him into destroying the Ray. When Tethers had found him in the factory, and he had been dragged away into the woods, the Hidden People had actually taken him back to the lander, but he had been unable to stop the Ray and had fled back into the woods, where he has been hiding ever since.
Now understanding that the Hidden People are simply being disturbed by the Ray, Tethers agrees to assist Isaac in destroying it. The two head to the lander, but find that the Men in Black have got there first, although the insane astronauts have been apprehended. The agents take the pair back to the town, returning Tethers to Valda's Inn while presumably reuniting Isaac with Glori. Tethers receives another phone call from Ingraham, who has been studying Tethers' many recordings throughout his two visits to Scoggins. Ingraham points out that there is a strange melody in the background of Olav Welhaven's recording. Realising that Olav must have had direct contact with the Hidden People in order to reach his bizarre conclusion, Tethers deduces that the melody was used to summon the Hidden People to the cabin. Tethers heads back to the cabin and replays the recording, causing a large crowd of Hidden People to enter, one of them climbing onto a stool and whispering into Tethers' ear.
As a result of the whispers, Tethers experiences a strange illusion in which he contacts the Hidden People in space, apparently agreeing to assist them in destroying the Ray. When he snaps back into consciousness, he is already at the lander, surrounded by agents. Tethers is able to sabotage the Ray, but it goes haywire and begins to zap the agents, turning them insane. He then rushes away from the lander with the Ray, moving the barrier blocking the Hidden People away from the campsite and allowing them to return home. Tethers carries the Ray to Lake Svenz and attempts to throw it into the water, but the thick layer of ice on the surface prevents it from falling through. However, the Sasquatch which Korka had theorised about suddenly emerges from the trees near the lake and splits the ice, sinking the Ray to the bottom and finally ending its reign of lunacy over Scoggins.
Despite going against his orders from Director Jennings, Tethers is allowed to return to the FBI, although Ingraham is relocated as he had assisted Tethers despite still being on shifts. Tethers receives a postcard from Isaac and Glori, who have happily reunited and are on vacation in Bermuda
. The game ends as Tethers questions their safety, clearly concerned about the Bermuda Triangle
.
Telltale Games
Telltale Games is a leading independent digital first publisher and game developer founded in June 2004 as Telltale, Incorporated. Based in San Rafael, California, the studio includes designers formerly employed by LucasArts...
, in collaboration with Graham Annable
Graham Annable
Graham Annable is a cartoonist and animator living in Portland, Oregon. He is the creator of Grickle, published by Alternative Comics, and one of the founders of the Hickee humor anthology...
. It is the first game to come out of Telltale's pilot project. It was released on June 30, 2010. The game claims to be influenced by the works of David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
, Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
and the Coen brothers
Coen Brothers
Joel David Coen and Ethan Jesse Coen known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are American filmmakers...
(most notably Fargo
Fargo (film)
Fargo is a 1996 American dark comedy-crime film produced, directed and written by brothers Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Frances McDormand as a pregnant police chief who investigates a series of homicides, William H...
).
A WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
release of the game was planned but eventually cancelled.
Gameplay
The game structure resembles a linear adventure gameAdventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
- the player doesn't have an inventory, but can traverse into dialog trees with other characters. Some items or choices of dialog result in puzzles to be solved, although in some cases the puzzle has no consequence in the game's progress. The types of puzzles vary from jigsaw
Jigsaw puzzle
A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of numerous small, often oddly shaped, interlocking and tessellating pieces.Each piece usually has a small part of a picture on it; when complete, a jigsaw puzzle produces a complete picture...
through math
Mathematical puzzle
Mathematical puzzles make up an integral part of recreational mathematics. They have specific rules as do multiplayer games, but they do not usually involve competition between two or more players. Instead, to solve such a puzzle, the solver must find a solution that satisfies the given conditions....
s to logic puzzle
Logic puzzle
A logic puzzle is a puzzle deriving from the mathematics field of deduction.-History:The logic puzzle was first produced by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, who is better known under his pen name Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...
s. Each of them has a basic short description about the objective of the puzzle, while some have a basic set of rules and conditions that help the player deduce the solution. The player can request three hints for each puzzle, and each hint costs the player a piece of chewing gum - gum is on shortage in the town, as the hotel clerk explains, but Nelson can collect pieces of used gum he finds at each location. The puzzles don't automatically approve the players solution, even if the player provides the correct answer - Nelson must send the answer back to HQ where it is either approved or rejected. If the solution is approved, the player is given a score depending on how many hints he used and how many failed attempts he had (the latter is represented in taxpayer dollars), and an optional further explanation is provided on how the puzzle can be solved.
Puzzle Agent
Agent Nelson Tethers (voiced by Doug BoydDoug Boyd
Doug Boyd is an American voice actor and editor. He has been in the business since the 1980s.-Voice roles:* Puzzle Agent 2 .... Nelson Tethers* Puzzle Agent .... Nelson Tethers...
) is the sole member of an obscure branch of the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, the Puzzle Research Division. Dozing off while working on a crossword puzzle
Crossword
A crossword is a word puzzle that normally takes the form of a square or rectangular grid of white and shaded squares. The goal is to fill the white squares with letters, forming words or phrases, by solving clues which lead to the answers. In languages that are written left-to-right, the answer...
, Tethers dreams of a man in a space suit
Space suit
A space suit is a garment worn to keep an astronaut alive in the harsh environment of outer space. Space suits are often worn inside spacecraft as a safety precaution in case of loss of cabin pressure, and are necessary for extra-vehicular activity , work done outside spacecraft...
approaching him and scribbling something on the crossword. As the man in the spacesuit lifts his visor to reveal his face, Tethers wakes up and in his fright tears up the crossword. Upon reassembling the torn pieces, Tethers discovers that the word "SCOGGINS" had been written there. At that moment, he is called and given his first field assignment: the factory that produces the eraser
Eraser
An eraser or rubber is an article of stationery that is used for rubbing out pencil markings. Erasers have a rubbery consistency and are often white or pink, although modern materials allow them to be made in any color. Many pencils are equipped with an eraser on one end...
s used by the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
has mysteriously stopped production, and attempts to contact the factory have been met only with strange puzzles. Tethers is dispatched to the small town of Scoggins, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
where the factory is located to get it running again before the "eraser shortage" becomes dire.
When Tethers arrives in Scoggins, he finds that many of the townsfolk are obsessed with puzzles and speak of "whispers". At the eraser factory, Tethers learns from Sheriff Bahg that the factory was closed down after an "accident" involving an alleged "explosion"; the factory's foreman, Isaac Davner, also hasn't been seen since. The nature of the accident and Isaac's fate can't be determined because the factory is sealed with an unusually complex lock. After discussing the accident with Sheriff Bahg and Isaac's wife, Glori, at the Moose Ear Diner, Tethers looks into two suspects: Randal Scruffman, a repairman who may have a crush on Glori, and Mike "Lobster" Lobb, one of Isaac's coworkers who recently had a fight with him. Traveling to Lake Svenz, Tethers finds Lobb sitting on a stump in the nearby Sasimy Woods, nearly frozen to death while solving a puzzle. Lobb hands Tethers a gear, a "key" to the factory, before dying. Tethers then finds Scruffman at an ice fishing hut on Lake Svenz, where Scruffman explains that the night of the accident he was repairing a damaged fence adjoining the town's hotel.
Tethers begins encountering red gnome-like creatures who hinder his progress. The townsfolk call them "the Hidden People", though most consider them to be nothing more than legend. However, Tethers is told that a group of townsfolk called Brothers of Scoggins believe in the Hidden People and are known to practice old Nordic
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
rituals at their Lodge. Investigating the Brorskap Av Skogen Lodge, Tethers sees Glori and three other men chanting in a circle inside. Sheriff Bahg catches Tethers and escorts him back to town, telling him to stop nosing around the town's traditions. Tethers then spots Glori sneaking across town and follows her to the factory, where she leaves a plate of food. Tethers watches as several Hidden People appear and poke at the food; suddenly, more Hidden People surround Tethers, scaring him into running into a tree and knocking himself unconscious.
Tethers awakens in the Lodge. Bjorn, the head of the Lodge, reveals that the Hidden People "whisper" puzzles to the townsfolk which fuels their obsession. Bjorn also cryptically says that Isaac Davner was "chosen" by the Hidden People. Bjorn does not know what it means to be "chosen", only that it is an honor. After Tethers is given the pieces to a second gear, a Hidden Person steals the gear and leads Tethers on a chase back to Lake Svenz. He enters the ice fishing hut to retrieve the gear, but is locked in by Glori Davner, who then uses a chainsaw to sink the hut with Tethers inside. Tethers manages to escape and returns to the Lodge for the third and final gear. There, he is confronted at gunpoint by Sheriff Bahg. Tethers distracts Bahg with a crossword puzzle in his coat pocket, and proceeds to the factory to open the lock using the gears. Intending to rescue Isaac, who had been trapped within the factory the entire time, Tethers makes his way past several obstacles, including a massive eraser which had fallen and caused the "explosion" sound in the factory. As Tethers comes upon a puzzle-maddened Isaac, a swarm of Hidden People rush into the room. Tethers shoots at them, but to no avail; the Hidden People grab Isaac and carry him out a window into the night.
The following day, the eraser factory has been reopened but Isaac Davner remains missing. Back at FBI Headquarters, Tethers is congratulated on his work, despite it turning out that the President hadn't even been aware of the eraser shortage. Tethers' superior brushes off Isaac's disappearance, claiming it's a matter for local law enforcement to handle, and leaves Tethers alone in his office.
Puzzle Agent 2
While on vacation, Tethers appears to be disturbed by the unresolved Scoggins case, noting that the FBI appears to be trying to cover it up. Deciding to go on an unofficial investigation, Tethers leaves his colleague and admirer Jim Ingraham to look after his files before heading back to Scoggins.Upon arrival, Tethers attempts to check in at Valda's Inn, the local hotel, but receives some hostility from Martha Garret, the owner, who attempts to push him into leaving. Tethers eventually manages to rent out a room, but experiences a dream at night in which he is visited by an astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
, just like his dream before he first went to Scoggins, this time leaving a note on the floor. Also like the previous dream, Tethers wakes up to find that he was dreaming, but the note on the floor is still there, reading "Isaac Davner does not exist" on one side while having a puzzle on the other side. The puzzle consists of the names of a number of unknown people, arranged into a jumbled order, prompting Tethers to find out more about the names mentioned so that he can solve it.
Outside the hotel, Tethers learns from Darryl Boutin, a resident previously seen in the Moose Ear Diner, that the names in the puzzle refer to past residents who have mysteriously disappeared into Sasimy Woods across the past several years, one of them being Darryl's brother, Darrel. Tethers travels to the local campsite, the Wallows, to meet with Alfred Versteckt, an anthropologist
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
whose student, Will Medlock, is also mentioned in the puzzle. Alfred, who is not native to Scoggins and is therefore quickly deemed by Tethers as being "helpful", believes that the disappearances may be related to Scoggins' folklore, namely the Hidden People. Tethers next heads to the Moose Ear Diner to meet with Sheriff Bahg, and requests access to his files on the 'missing persons' cases, but Bahg, as hostile as ever, quickly denies him. However, Glori Davner, despite previously attempting to kill Tethers, offers to distract Bahg while Tethers breaks into his office if he will promise to find her husband, Isaac. Glori claims that Isaac was being "troubled" by something, and the Brotherhood of Scoggins, led by Bjorn, had offered to take him in and help him. However, they had then locked him away in the eraser factory and given him to the Hidden People, simply telling Glori that he had been "chosen" when she questioned them. As there has been no news on Isaac's whereabouts since he was stolen away into the woods after Tethers found him, Glori has become distrustful of the Brotherhood, now believing that they are behind the many disappearances.
Tethers sneaks into Bahg's office and is able to retrieve the Missing Persons files, despite being caught in the act by Bahg. Using the files, Tethers is able to complete the puzzle on the note, which then leads him to Melkorka Teterdottir, or 'Korka' for short, a puzzle-obsessed woman not unlike himself. Korka explains that she had posted the note under his door at night in an attempt to summon him, as she wishes to partner with him to solve the case. Korka herself has made a remarkable discovery concerning Isaac: his true identity is Ed Davis, a test pilot who had apparently been killed after his craft crashed into Sasimy Woods. Korka believes that the alias of Davner was forged so that Ed Davis could be declared dead, but he is actually residing in the woods as a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
, and is therefore responsible for the disappearances. Having become obsessed with taking down Isaac after her lover, Halldor Magnusson, had disappeared many years ago, Korka has devoted her recent years to tracking him, and now wishes to use Tethers to hunt him. Korka sends Tethers out into Sasimy Woods to find Isaac.
In the woods, Tethers finds no sign of Isaac but instead finds Edvard, a member of the Brotherhood, sneaking around. Tethers follows him through the woods, but loses him and tumbles down a slope. Beneath a tree at the base of the slope, Tethers discovers the crumpled body of an astronaut, but before he can look closer, a group of Hidden People spook him and he flees, eventually ending up back at Korka's house. However, Korka quickly dismisses his findings as nonsense, believing that the Hidden People are nothing more than an urban myth
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
. With no other leads, Tethers heads to the Brotherhood lodge to directly interrogate Bjorn, but finds that he too appears to be troubled by the disappearances, and is innocent. Bjorn reveals that the Brotherhood itself has been shrinking as its members have been vanishing into Sasimy Woods. Edvard, who Tethers had seen in the woods, had been searching for Skjoldr, another Brotherhood member who had gone missing not long ago. Bjorn also states that the Hidden People have been "angered" by something nearby, which may have something to do with their "choosing" of Isaac. Begging Tethers to find the missing people and restore the Brotherhood, Bjorn directs Tethers to the cabin of Olav Welhaven, another past member who was one of Bjorn's best friends.
Tethers reaches Olav's cabin and finds that the man was a dedicated astropsychologist
Psychological astrology
Psychological astrology, or astropsychology, is the result of the cross-fertilisation of the fields of astrology with depth psychology, humanistic psychology and transpersonal psychology. The horoscope is analysed through the archetypes within astrology to gain psychological insight into an...
who had invented a complex formula linking lunacy
Lunatic
"Lunatic" is a commonly used term for a person who is mentally ill, dangerous, foolish, unpredictable; a condition once called lunacy. The word derives from lunaticus meaning "of the moon" or "moonstruck".-Lunar hypothesis:...
to the phases of the Moon
Lunar phase
A lunar phase or phase of the moon is the appearance of the illuminated portion of the Moon as seen by an observer, usually on Earth. The lunar phases change cyclically as the Moon orbits the Earth, according to the changing relative positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun...
, most notably lunar eclipses
Lunar eclipse
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes behind the Earth so that the Earth blocks the Sun's rays from striking the Moon. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle. Hence, a lunar eclipse can only occur the night of a...
. A set of tape recordings reveal that Olav had sent his research to NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
. Tethers realises that Olav's game-changing discovery, as well as his contact with NASA, must play an important role in the mysteries surrounding Scoggins, such as the astronaut body and the Hidden People, and revisits Korka to show her his findings. However, Korka is revealed to be an obsessive lunatic when Tethers discovers that she believes that the entire mystery revolves around the 'Kitimat Incident' - the rumoured discovery of a Sasquatch
Bigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
in Sasimy Woods.
Believing that Alfred is the only competent person in Scoggins, Tethers returns to the Wallows to show him his findings. Alfred appears to be amazed by Olav's research, noting that when placed besides his own research into the Hidden People, it will pinpoint the creatures' home. Alfred accompanies Tethers into the woods to look for the Hidden People, but before long he disappears; Tethers searches for him and stumbles across a campsite in a large clearing. The campsite appears to have been built around a crashed lunar lander
Lander (spacecraft)
A lander is a spacecraft which descends toward and comes to rest on the surface of an astronomical body. For bodies with atmospheres, the landing is called atmospheric reentry and the lander descends as a re-entry vehicle...
, branded as the 'Hermes II', and is occupied by a pair of astronauts. Tethers spots the remains of a skier nearby, but before he can react, the astronauts grab hold of him and sedate
Sedative
A sedative or tranquilizer is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement....
him.
Tethers wakes up once again in Valda's Inn, but learns from a call from Ingraham that the FBI has discovered Tethers' findings involving the body of the astronaut, and a task force of Men in Black
Men in Black
Men in Black , in American popular culture and in UFO conspiracy theories, are men dressed in black suits who claim to be government agents who harass or threaten UFO witnesses to keep them quiet about what they have seen. It is sometimes implied that they may be aliens themselves...
are en route to Scoggins. Tethers confronts FBI Director Jennings in the Moose Ear Diner and voices his concern that the astronauts in the woods have been murdering people, and are responsible for the disappearances, but Jennings simply warns him to back away from the case and leave Scoggins before he learns too much. Refusing to abandon the case, Tethers returns to the astronaut's body he discovered in the woods and finds that it is not really a body, but an empty suit. To his surprise, Isaac Davner appears behind him and reveals that the suit belonged to him. Isaac explains that, previously known as Ed Davis, he was in the team of astronauts who were sent to the Moon on the Hermes II mission, a secret operation in response to Olav Welhaven's research in which the team were ordered to plant a device called the 'Lunar Ray' on the surface. However, the mission had gone awry; a lunar eclipse had occurred before the team had reached the surface, causing the two astronauts on the outside of the craft to instantly go insane. With the Lunar Ray still attached to the lander, Isaac had piloted the craft back towards Earth, where it crashed into Sasimy Woods - directly on top of the Hidden People's home. The Lunar Ray had formed a barrier around the area which repelled the Hidden People, forcing them out of their habitat. Isaac had fled the crash site upon impact, running from the two insane astronauts, and had created the new identity of Isaac Davner in an attempt to forget the mission and start a new life. From there, he had settled down with Glori and begun a peaceful career as the eraser factory foreman, but the astronauts continued to haunt him in his dreams so he went to Bjorn for help. The Hidden People, who were aware that Isaac had been involved in the Hermes II mission, had "chosen" him so that Bjorn would hand him over, and they had whispered to him in an attempt to brainwash him into destroying the Ray. When Tethers had found him in the factory, and he had been dragged away into the woods, the Hidden People had actually taken him back to the lander, but he had been unable to stop the Ray and had fled back into the woods, where he has been hiding ever since.
Now understanding that the Hidden People are simply being disturbed by the Ray, Tethers agrees to assist Isaac in destroying it. The two head to the lander, but find that the Men in Black have got there first, although the insane astronauts have been apprehended. The agents take the pair back to the town, returning Tethers to Valda's Inn while presumably reuniting Isaac with Glori. Tethers receives another phone call from Ingraham, who has been studying Tethers' many recordings throughout his two visits to Scoggins. Ingraham points out that there is a strange melody in the background of Olav Welhaven's recording. Realising that Olav must have had direct contact with the Hidden People in order to reach his bizarre conclusion, Tethers deduces that the melody was used to summon the Hidden People to the cabin. Tethers heads back to the cabin and replays the recording, causing a large crowd of Hidden People to enter, one of them climbing onto a stool and whispering into Tethers' ear.
As a result of the whispers, Tethers experiences a strange illusion in which he contacts the Hidden People in space, apparently agreeing to assist them in destroying the Ray. When he snaps back into consciousness, he is already at the lander, surrounded by agents. Tethers is able to sabotage the Ray, but it goes haywire and begins to zap the agents, turning them insane. He then rushes away from the lander with the Ray, moving the barrier blocking the Hidden People away from the campsite and allowing them to return home. Tethers carries the Ray to Lake Svenz and attempts to throw it into the water, but the thick layer of ice on the surface prevents it from falling through. However, the Sasquatch which Korka had theorised about suddenly emerges from the trees near the lake and splits the ice, sinking the Ray to the bottom and finally ending its reign of lunacy over Scoggins.
Despite going against his orders from Director Jennings, Tethers is allowed to return to the FBI, although Ingraham is relocated as he had assisted Tethers despite still being on shifts. Tethers receives a postcard from Isaac and Glori, who have happily reunited and are on vacation in Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. The game ends as Tethers questions their safety, clearly concerned about the Bermuda Triangle
Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and surface vessels allegedly disappeared under mysterious circumstances....
.
Puzzle Agent 2
TellTale announced that they were making five new games, one of which was Puzzle Agent 2. The game serves as a direct sequel to the first instalment. It was released on June 30th, 2011 to a positive reception, although it was criticised for its "messy" story and use of recycled puzzles.External links
- Puzzle Agent at GameRankings
- Puzzle Agent at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...