The computer adventure game The Dagger of Amon Ra (also called Laura Bow II) features the character Laura Bow, created by Roberta Williams. It was published by Sierra On-Line in 1992 and is a follow-up to The Colonel's Bequest, another game with Laura Bow as the main character. Roberta Williams did not write or design this game, but she helped guide its development as a creative consultant. The game uses 8-bit color and a point-and-click interface. A CD-ROM version came out in 1993, which added voice acting. The game was made using Sierra's Creative Interpreter (SCI1.1). In 2017, it was released again on GOG.com with updated support for modern Windows computers.
Gameplay
The Laura Bow games were unique because they required players to use logic and thinking like a detective. However, most of the puzzles involved using items and interacting with the environment, similar to other Sierra adventure games. These games also often included sudden, unexpected deaths of the player character.
The game uses a point-and-click interface with icons for different actions, like other Sierra games from that time. One special icon lets players ask characters questions about topics listed in Laura's notebook. The notebook automatically fills in names, places, and other subjects Laura has previously encountered.
At the end of the game, the identity of the murderer is not shown directly. Instead, players answer a series of questions, as if being interviewed by the police, to determine if Laura solved the crimes and uncovered secrets about other suspects. If answers are incorrect, the coroner gives a hint that helps players find the right path in later gameplay. The game's ending changes based on the answers given, including the possibility of Laura being killed if the main murderer's identity is not known.
The game includes "The Official Guide to the Leyendecker Museum," which also acts as the game's manual. This guide includes a map of the museum's main level and a rough sketch of the lower level.
The game's creative director, Bill Davis, designed the game's visual style and chose the name for the game's central setting, inspired by the artist J. C. Leyendecker.
Plot
The game takes place in 1926, mainly in a museum, and shows the popularity of Egyptology during that time. The main character is Laura Bow, a young woman from the South who recently graduated from Tulane University and moved to New York City. She works at an important newspaper called The New York Daily Register News Tribune. For her first task, she looks into the theft of the Dagger of Amon Ra from the Leyendecker Museum's Egyptian display.
Laura starts her investigation by talking to people in the city before going to the museum's fundraising party that evening. During the event, a murder happens, and she is locked inside the museum with other people who might be involved. Stuck overnight, Laura faces more dangers as other crimes occur in the museum's exhibits and hidden areas.
The investigation shows several connected plans, including fake art, stolen identities, and a secret group linked to Egypt working in the museum's basement. Laura learns that the museum's Egyptian collection holds both ancient secrets and modern lies. The case becomes more complicated as she finds romantic relationships among the staff, a criminal network outside the museum, and proof that the original theft was planned from within the museum.
Laura's survival depends on solving puzzles, avoiding deadly traps, and finding clues hidden in the museum's exhibits. She must determine which of the suspects are responsible for the murders that happen that night.
The game has four different endings, depending on whether Laura gathers enough proof to reveal both the murderer and the thief. These endings include different outcomes for the villains, Laura's love life, her job, and what happens to the dagger.
Reception
Computer Gaming World said that Amon Ra was "much better than" The Colonel's Bequest. The magazine noted that the first two parts of the game had "slow and repetitive" gameplay and some situations that could make the game impossible to finish. However, it said that from Act 3 onward, the game became "very hard to stop playing." The magazine praised Amon Ra for its "beautiful visuals and sounds," saying the creators "should be proud" of their work. It also approved of the game's serious and realistic tone with "a little humor" and appreciated the use of a female main character, calling it "refreshing." The magazine concluded that Amon Ra was "another excellent adventure game" made by the creative team at Sierra. In April 1994, the magazine said Amon Ra had a "more realistic 1920s setting" than its earlier game and required players to use "attention to detail and logical thinking." The game received 4 out of 5 stars in Dragon magazine. Cynthia E. Field of PC Games called Amon Ra "a captivating mystery game" and praised how well the game combined "sound effects, music, and graphics." In April 1994, Computer Gaming World said the CD version of the game had "hand-painted artwork, emotional music, challenging puzzles, and a complex story" that made it a "successful multimedia game."