Atlus re-energizes Tex Murphy in Tesla Effect

The post-apocalyptic gumshoe return after a long hiatus in the live-action Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure.

If you’re a longtime PC adventure game fan, then you know all about Tex Murphy. The series is a true classic of the genre and was one of the most successful games to merge the live action craze of the mid-90s with actual gameplay. In the case of Tex, it was in an adventure game format, and one that fans really took to.

“The Tex Murphy franchise is definitely much beloved around the ATLUS office; a lot of us were playing Tex games before we started our careers in the games industry,” said Bill Alexander, vice president of production and business development. “ATLUS has a great penchant for stepping in to help developers bring their incredible games to market, and we are eager to breathe new life into this classic franchise. We hope that it will bring back fond memories for Tex Murphy fans as well as introduce a new generation of gamers to his one-of-a-kind humor.”

Big Finish Games has taken over for original developer Access Games for what’s the first Tex Murphy adventure since 1998’s Tex Murphy: Overseer. Originally a Kickstarter project, Tesla Effect has now moved over to Atlus as a publisher and, as a result, Big Finish will be able to  flesh out the title more than they ever could have before. Given the tale they’ve woven, that’s a good thing.

When Tesla Effect opens, we find a familiar story for Tex as he’s down on his luck and on the wrong end of trouble. The PI wakes up, alone and in bad shape, on his fire-escape just outside of his office. A strange injection mark scars his arm and the last seven years of his life are seemingly gone from his mind. All that basically means that Tex’ latest case is actually about him and who stole his memories.

In typical Tex Murphy fashion, Big Finish Games has kept the quirky live action look of the series instead of moving to a more traditional format. That’s a move that fans should eat up, considering that half of the charm of the games was always the way they looked and how that worked in with the actual interface.

Look for Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure to hit Steam for the PC and Mac in 2014.