Lifespan

Anyone who still thinks electronic gaming is a mindless hobby should sit down to a few games of Lifespan. This multi-scenario action game is an analogy of a person's life experiences, from the cradle to the grave, with the ultimate objective of leading the longest, fullest life possible.

Each game begins with the birth spiral screen, wherein the player is treated to a pretty light sequence. While waiting for the fetus to "develop", the gamer can move the joystick in any direction to add musical tones to the birth chorus.

Gradually, the birth spiral fades away and the player becomes an infant in a playpen. The object of this screen is to isolate as many personality traits as possible (there are four altogether) to become as well-rounded a person as possible. To do this, garners move building blocks around the screen with their cursor, dropping the blocks near the corners of the playpen, thus keeping the free-bouncing personality traits from escaping. The more traits trapped, the sooner opportunities come knocking later and the longer the player's lifespan.

The third screen brings the gamer's character to the threshold of adulthood - the opportunity gates. The gates are actually a dark, forbidding corridor filled with tiny points of light.

Depending on the character traits trapped in early childhood, perfect and not-so-perfect opportunities whiz by on the screen. The best opportunities are those that look exactly like the player's character trait. Those with similar shapes but different colors (or colored alike but differently shaped) are decent opportunities, while those bearing no resemblance are the worst choices. The object of the screen is to locate the right opportunity, then enter it by passing through the center of its spiral.

Successfully entering an opportunity leads to the next scenario, situations and conversations. Unsuccessful tries have a negative effect on the gamer's health. This screen is an analogy to the social process, in which players must make contact with common interests (depicted as colored squares on the grid) in order to enter conversations with their peers. This must be done while avoiding creatures that rob the gamer of common interests. When enough common interests have been acquired and the player successfully joins a conversation, it's time for the most dangerous screen of all - the experience corridor.

Hurtling through the corridor at lightning speed, the player has to steer clear of the dark Worries, Fears and Doubts that threaten the health of the character. Large, bright lights are Hopes, which can reverse some of the debilitating effects of failure. If the player is strong enough to cope with life experiences, he or she is rewarded with an extra character dimension and a beautifully animated Insight before returning to the earlier screens to continue play.

The real payoff comes at the end in the form of a brilliant sound and light show, the electronic version of one's life flashing before his eyes. The better the player, the more spectacular the finale. It's impossible to detail all the intricacies of the game in just one review. But it's a refreshing change to see a game that emphasizes aesthetics above scoring, without sacrificing a iota of playability in the process. John O'Neill, artist turned game designer, has succeeded in what he set out to do - to produce a great game that appeals to the psyche as well as the trigger finger.