Not that it is without merit-the opening scenes are quite breathtaking, with excellent graphics and grand Wagnerian-style musical score: an Asteroid Attila, which suddenly appeared in orbit around the Earth, is threatening the world population with unavoidable collision in the near future. The involvement of celebrities such as Orson Scott Card (dialogue script), Steven Spielberg (original idea), and Sean Clark (director), should make The Dig much more original than it is. If you belong to the game’s intended audience, though, you’ll likely enjoy the game despite a somewhat cliché plot. The game therefore suffered the same fate as Sierra’s outstanding RAMA years later: a difficult game that appeals only to a limited audience, namely fans of hard sci-fi.

In addition to this niche premise, longtime LucasArts fans may be frustrated with most puzzles in the game, which are much more challenging than in previous LucasArts games (although I find them all to be quite logical). Contrary to their expectation, The Dig is a serious, “hard” sci-fi game – a genre that definitely has a much narrower audience than cartoon adventures.

I think part of the reason for this is that most people who bought the game expected The Dig to be another zany, humorous cartoon adventure in the same vein as Monkey Island or Day of The Tentacle. The Dig is a highly underrated sci-fi adventure, one of the few releases from LucasArts that were not commercial blockbusters.

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