In 2015 Yandros released this “Micro FM” that’s jam-packed with atmosphere and has a few just-right puzzles to solve. It took me around thirty minutes to complete, and would take you less if you do not get stumped on one section as I did. It’s quick, but the quality is such I’d hardly call it a fix – this is more like a tiny bit of steak wrapped in bacon you’d get at a fancy restaruant. Now, if you think that’s a fix, my comparison falls flat. My main point is, this is no fast food chicken nugget.
The start of the mission immediately satisfies me – it’s all you need, really. A heavily atmospheric graveyard in the rain, with a Widow Moira-esque view of the ocean. I spent more time in the graveyard than in the tomb, and not just because I got stumped out there. A part of me wants to retire to a seaside cemetery.
You’ll need to pass a couple puzzles to gain entry to the tomb, but a scripted sequence gives you a start. I figured out the first puzzle quickly, though what you use does not highlight. The second thing you frob does highlight – I just didn’t see it.
I also didn’t see the pit inside of the tomb. Falling in, I lost all but two health (playing on Expert). Given SlyFoxx’s line, I bet unaware players falling in is exactly what the designer wanted.
The pit is in the first hallway after a turn you take right after entering the tomb, just past a small room to the side. To get back out of it you’ll need a rope arrow, but you don’t just pick it up, you have to assemble it. Aim carefully with it. A miss of the wooden beam above means poor Garrett’s no better than the skeleton down there. At least Garrett figured out to put rope and arrow together, unlike this other poor sod.
Back up in the tomb, you have another hallway that leads to the main room – the one with Abedzen’s sarcophagus. You’ll square off against the old King’s ghost. The treasure isn’t in here, though. Placing Abedzen’s Talisman into a receptacle in the wall opens another room – his treasure room. But it’s been plundered.
But there is a room the plunderers have missed all these years, and if you’ve picked up some coins and gleaned some clues from a story book, you’ll have access to this room and all its glories. The crowning piece of the collection is a recognizable statue, and there’s an appropriate quip from Garrett.
Before leaving, you’ll hear the growls of a creature that’s been teased at throughout the mission. You’ll also run into a couple spiders. I thought quick enough to duck into the nearest shadow, but was still too close for comfort.
On the way out, be sure to jump back over the pit, lest you fall in again (which I haven’t done – but I bet someone has).
King Abedzen’s Tomb is a must-play FM and a perfect quick treat for Halloween. Though, as I indicated at the start, it’s less a Halloween treat and more like a gourmet brownie dessert, with chocolate candy corn sprinkled on, served under the flickering light of fancy, glazed Jack-O-Lanterns.
The Thief Diaries 