The adventure genre has put out many high quality titles over the years, from different companies and even individuals who release them as freeware, and it's one like Pleurghburg: Dark Ages that really stands out from the pack. The quality, attention to detail and effort that went into making this game a top-notch addition to the genre is evident in many aspects of the game. From the writing and music to the art style, each part has been carefully crafted to a high level of quality that, as the game comes together, really is something to admire.

In Pleurghburg you take on the role of detective Jake McUrk, working for the P.D.A. (which stands for the Police Detective Agency), which was established by the city of Pleurghburg to only use detectives to fight crime in the city. As a result, crime dropped by 50% and it seemed that things couldn't go wrong. That quiet tranquillity that the city now enjoys changes one morning as Jake receives a message from his boss, that there has been a report of a series of screams at the morgue and that Jake needs to go check it out. What Jake doesn't realise is that he's about to be drawn into a plot of mystery, intrigue, and the realisation that he can't trust anyone.

As you begin exploring the world of Pleurghburg, lots of attention has been paid to things ranging from the environment itself to the different characters you meet on your journey to solve the mystery that lies at the heart of this game. The graphics have a distinctive sort of look; they may not seem to be all that impressive at first glance, but as you start to explore the game and the different areas you'll see that they do fit in nicely with the mesh of the game and don't take anything away from the experience. The game does change up the graphics though, through cutscenes that play during the game at important events, while the close-ups of some of the bodies you see in-game are done with a nicer, cleaner style.

The game's story has been crafted nicely, as it links together well with each event that transpires as you investigate the different leads and clues along the way. It really draws you into the whole story that goes on, it certainly kept my attention with each new part of the puzzle I discovered. In addition, the game is a very nice length; you won't finish this in one sitting, as the game has been divided into 4 days that each take a fair amount of time to complete since they are divided into morning, afternoon and night segments. The game definitely has a dark feeling to it, and this again is made all the more effective by both the story itself and the different things you will see as the game progresses.

It really is hard to find faults in the game; everything about it, story, sound, graphics, design and everything in between was all done excellently. The game even won 5 AGS awards in 2001 for Best Music, Best Scripting, Best Story, Best Gameplay and Best Game Created with AGS 2001. So if you want a deep engrossing adventure game to keep you busy, check out Pleurghburg: Dark Ages and you'll see why!