Story

1348. Matthew, a young thief, comes to Paris seeking his fortune. A bungled burglary lands him in Ch®telet prison, where he meets Jack, an elder Templar knight, who has taken a serious beating at the hands of the Inquisition torturers. Just before dying, he gives Matthew a seal, seemingly the first step towards finding the Treasure of the Templar Knights. From that moment on, the agile Matthew has just one thing on his mind: getting out of Ch®telet prison and onto the trail of the impenetrable secret of the Templar Order. Mercilessly pursued by the Inquisition and wading his way through vile plague-infested mass graves, Matthew will need to use all of his skill to stay alive, and perhaps go on to discover the incredible secret of the Temple Order.

He’ll have Inquisitors, bloodthirsty pillaging "skinners", wretched beggars and esoteric brothers hot on his heels on the roads of a kingdom with the greatest scourge of all time: The Black Plague…

Diverse gameplay: a good mix of adventure, combat and infiltration.

Inquisition is a third-person 3D real time action/adventure game. It offers a blend of action, infiltration and adventure in a medieval universe. Sneaking between homes and past sleeping guards, players will need to keep themselves from being spotted, hopping from ledge to ledge and from roof to roof, picking locks, striking the enemy, gleaning and stealing information without the enemy knowing : these are the kind of actions that will bring players closer to discovering the hiding place of the Templar knights’ treasure. With such subtle action, players have to be on their toes at all times! Players also given different means of exploring and moving around in total secrecy: creeping silently and hiding in shadows.

There are riddles closely linked to the scenario which they will need to solve over the course of their adventure: finding and opening passageways, gathering objects and using them wisely.

Inquisition, Plague, Torture... total immersion in the medieval world

Inquisition gives players a realistic and true-to-life reconstitution of the medieval world of the 14th Century. Attention to detail is apparent in every architectural element, every costume, and every weapon that has been extensively researched to recreate a medieval atmosphere as palpable as the one shrouding the film "The Name of the Rose", by Jean-Jacques Annaud. Players will discover the period of the Middle Ages in an adventure that won’t let up for a second... Axe-happy guards, starving rats and wolves will accompany them on a tortuous journey plunging them into the very heart of a medieval reconstitution in 3D real time unlike anything they’ve ever seen.

Inquisition has seven levels of play and more than fifteen places faithfully recreated on the basis of authentic period documents. For example, Gothic Paris with its prison of Ch®telet, the Court of Miracles, high half-timbered building fronts rising above narrow streets and a Roman abbey containing hidden underground passageways. Special care is taken in the modeling of characters. Their attire has been designed so as to faithfully reflect 14th century style. In the same way, experts have perfected characters’ dialogue so that it retains the authenticity of medieval language but remains understandable to players. Finally, sound plays a crucial role in Inquisition. Besides helping to set the mood, it also guides players through the game. Each sound or type of music has its own special meaning and can provide a precious clue as to what lies in store for each and every player.

Systems: PS2/PC
Release date: Fall/Winter 02/03
Number of players: 1
Audience: Not recommended for children under the age of 16
Genre: Action/Adventure
Developer/Publisher: Wanadoo/Strategy First
References, inspired by: Jean-Jacques Annaud’s The Name of the Rose, Jean Giono’s The Horseman on the Roof, Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe