Once found, determining the use of objects is just as easy thanks to the use of a unique positronics machine. Available in a number of places throughout the game, this is the intergalactic equivalent of the Encyclopedia Britannica. This proves to be an invaluable resource, as the player can place any collected object, name of a character, or even alien phrase into the machine for a quick who/what/when/where/why description. It’s simple to use, and players really cannot avoid doing so, as there is much to be learned from the information provided. Not all of it is necessary to complete the game, but it’s an impressive amount of detail that fleshes out the “Perryverse” for those who want to learn more.

The prerendered graphics are not only helpful in distinguishing hotspots, but a highlight in their own right. The environments are fairly dynamic and the settings often reminiscent of the likes of Star Wars, with highways in the sky and many moons looming in the background. Simply staring out the windows and admiring the views is something I did more than once. The main problem I saw with the graphics is the characters. Rhodan and a number of other characters sometimes stand in awkward positions, with their backs unnaturally arched as they speak to others. Further, the 3D characters have a “dead stare”, where their eyes are glazed over and they perpetually stare into space, as if they died from a drug overdose (maybe it’s from one-too many zero gravity space missions). Nevertheless, the crisp visuals are a definite highlight of the game.

The orchestral music varies according to the locations, and unobtrusively sets the appropriate mood. Voicework is generally solid, although at times I found the dialogues choppy, with sentences occasionally shortened as if mistakenly cut off by an over-anxious editor. The acting is also pretty good overall, as each actor sounds appropriate for the character they are asked to perform. Rhodan himself is quite convincing, displaying a confident but not arrogant air about him. The only criticism I have of the dialogues is an issue of design, as sometimes characters who should know something about a topic act like they don’t know what Rhodan is asking them. There is a lot of information to be acquired in this game, so this felt like either an unnaturally contrived obstacle to slow the player down or a sloppy sequencing issue when doing things outside of the expected order.

Puzzles in Immortals are not overly difficult once you look past the sci-fi window dressing that makes them seem more complicated. Most involve inventory applications, and experienced adventure gamers will find object combinations to be fairly straightforward. Fortunately, puzzle clues follow a logical sequence for the most part, though some require to moving from one location to another to piece them all together. Blending nicely into the storyline, these clues also provide the “big picture” information, as players must read through journals, examine video recordings, and inspect robot parts in order to gradually understand the reasons behind the attack on the Solar Residence and the abduction of Mondra.

The point-and-click controls are entirely traditional, but the interface does include a few nice details. Hovering the cursor over an exit, for example, will bring up a small image of the room beyond it (assuming you’ve explored it at least once), just in case all the doors start looking the same after a while. And when right-clicking on inventory items to examine them in more detail, you’ll see Rhodan punching keys on his wristband gadgetry as if accessing the information along with you. From the ever-visible inventory you’ll also find Rhodan’s journal, which keeps track of your current challenges and even provides some useful tips for achieving them. One feature I did miss was subtitles for hotspots. While all dialogue includes subtitles automatically, there is no way to determine the nature of a hotspot without clicking on it, and since many active hotspots are larger than the actual items, this led to a lot of unintentional clicking on the same object. It’s hardly a deal-breaker, but it’s one area that’s less user-friendly than it could have been.

Overall, The Immortals of Terra: A Perry Rhodan Adventure is an entertaining, well-developed game that should take players about eight hours of solid gameplay. It is not without its lack of polish in some areas, and it rarely exceeds its very conservative gameplay ambitions. However, the graphics make it one of the more visually appealing adventures today, and the storyline manages to be both engaging in its own right and a gentle introduction to a much deeper, more diverse world than many sci-fi offerings, without requiring any intimate previous knowledge of the fictional “Perryverse”. I can easily recommend this game to adventure fans, and while this is only the first game for Perry Rhodan, I hope we see more like this one, preferably before thousands more books have been written.