This month you can become an incompetent magician, an independent radio DJ or an emergency repair drone. Alternatively, you might choose to fly high in a balloon, struggle to survive in the depths of the ocean, or simply try to combat a raging hangover. Dark family secrets may also await you, and the death of a brother could prove to be not all that it seems. Plus there are two new opportunities to enjoy an old classic series, in both an enhanced remake and a new fan-made episode. All these await you in February’s round-up of freeware releases.

King’s Quest III Redux: To Heir is Human

Turning 18 is always a difficult time in a young man’s life. For Gwydion, servant of the evil wizard Manannan, it is more stressful than most. His master is in the habit of killing his servants on their 18th birthday, before they become too troublesome for him to deal with. Faced with this nasty fate, Gwydion sets about plotting his escape. It is a quest that will require him to learn the ways of magic himself, as he tries to beat the wizard at his own game.

Rather than a straight remake of the original Sierra classic, this Redux edition from AGD Interactive expands on the additional story elements introduced in their previous update of King’s Quest II, offering something new even for series veterans. The graphics have had a significant overhaul, with detailed SVGA graphics replacing the more lurid original look. From the Stygian cave that is Mannanan’s lab to sunny woodlands, these environments all have their own distinctive look and feel. New character dialogue portraits have also been created which synchronise with the full voice work that has been added to the game. The smoothness of these animations are carried through to the rest of the game, as even the various action cursors are fully animated. The challenge level of the puzzles is retained, so players will need a keen eye, a sharp brain and likely a notepad in hand to get through. The soundtrack is also well done, ranging from a light medieval tune to Mannanan’s dark and sinister theme. As is the norm for the King’s Quest series, death sequences abound and players are advised to save regularly.

King’s Quest III Redux: To Heir is Human can be downloaded from the developer's website. Downloads for both PC and Mac are available.

The Silver Lining: Episode 3 – My Only Love Sprung from My Only Hate

If you’ve had your fill of original King’s Quests, a new adventure is available in The Silver Lining's ongoing saga. Things are not getting any easier for King Graham, as strange happenings beset the Isles, his Queen appears to have reached breaking point and Graham himself is afflicted by disturbing visions. The mysterious Isle of Mists may hold what he seeks, but untold dangers also await the unwary traveller there.

Phoenix Online’s all-new adventure reaches its mid-point in this instalment. A chunky piece of adventuring is on offer to mark that milestone, proving longer than each of the previous episodes, with a major new location, the Isle of Mists, featuring heavily. The game is once more fully voiced, and continues to display the attractive 3D graphics that have been used in previous episodes. In addition to the standard adventure puzzling found in its predecessors, this game also includes an action sequence where you must dodge attacks by foul monsters as you race upon your horse. The game also features many death sequences, so the usual saving advice applies as always.

Both this episode and the previous ones can be downloaded from the developer’s website (registration is required, but is free and carries no obligation).

~airwave~: I Fought the Law, and the Law One

Elodie Major is one of two DJs at the independent radio station Airwave, based in the town of Wave. Coming off a shift at the station, she just wants to kick back at the Ometa bar and listen to live music from father and daughter duo, Audrey and Rasputin. But a rep from a mainstream record label has managed to get a signed order, apparently from the mayor, banning unregistered acts from playing in town. If Elodie is to get the chance to enjoy her live gig, it is up to her to find a way to deal with this corporate flunky and his nefarious schemes.

The first game in a proposed series from Ben304, this is a very positive start. The graphics feature a cartoon style reminiscent of Full Throttle, with both architecture and characters drawn in a moderately realistic manner. The only oddities are the characters’ eyes, which are luminously bright-coloured ovals. Character animation is fluid and background animations, such as a flickering letter in the neon Ometa sign, add to the atmosphere. The tone of the game is lighthearted, with some peculiar characters dotting the area, such as Damon, the demented genius trying to collect pure rainwater by standing outside with a jug in each hand. Control is simple, with left-clicks for interaction and right to look. Every hotspot has a reaction to both, often involving Elodie reminiscing about the odd activities of various fictitious bands. A modest inventory and dialogue provide the puzzling element. The soundtrack is provided by Airwave radio, taken over by Elodie’s partner, Zak, when her shift ended. This is a pleasing mix of indie rock and jazz, interspersed with well-voiced DJ chatter from Zak himself. This plays throughout town, achieved in-game by having radios tuned into Airwave at every location. Any player finding the soundtrack not to their taste can mute it by the simple act of turning the radios off.

~airwave~: I Fought the Law, and the Law One can be downloaded from the AGS website.

Crazy Hangover

Most mature adults (and all immature ones) know that it’s good to let your hair down and have a party every now and then. But partying hard can have its consequences, as the hero of Crazy Hangover discovers to his detriment. Waking up with a huge hangover, all he wants to do is go outside to get some fresh air. The aftermath of the party makes this a less than easy task, however, as various bizarre obstacles bar the way to his desired goal.

Adopting a comedic tone throughout, this game presents a house that has been host to what must have been a truly spectacular party. The toilet is on the ceiling, dogs are playing poker in the hall and one semi-comatose partygoer has an octopus on his head. This is all presented in a bright and detailed cartoon style, with slightly exaggerated characters, like the hangdog protagonist and the beefy bouncer guarding the back door. These graphics are also well-animated, with nice background touches like the octopus intermittently squirting ink. The interface is point-and-click, with inventory puzzles being the order of the day, often through satisfying requests of various house residents. Whilst there is also on-screen text, the game is fully voiced, the lead character in particular sounding quite unwell. There are also a variety of other sounds, including a vacuum cleaner and the rap music the dogs are listening to. As a result, this is a game not to be played when you actually have a hangover, and the content generally is unsuitable for children.

Crazy Hangover from Pyrozen can be played online at Gamesfree.

Submerged: LaSol

LaSol is a luxury man-made holiday resort, standing on stilts in the middle of the ocean. When an explosion occurs, part of the resort breaks off and falls into the water. Now janitor Stan Winston finds himself underwater, in a structure that was never designed with that environment in mind. With water slowly making its way in, Stan has to act fast if his erstwhile workplace is not to become his tomb.

WHAM’s entry in the February 2011 MAGS competition is a race against time to escape the upside-down corridor where Stan finds himself trapped. As the player hunts for a way out, the initially dry corridor starts filling with water. This creates a number of hazards for our hero, starting with exposed wiring and ultimately leading to the sealed doors giving in, filling the corridor completely. As the water grows higher, moving around becomes harder and the lights dim, giving a real sense of urgency to proceedings. With the sole location being a single maintenance corridor, the graphics adopt a functional look, and the hallway only takes up the horizontal centre of the screen, providing a claustrophobic feel. The character of Stan is well-drawn and animated, as is the newsreader whose reports on the disaster serve as the introduction and epilogue. Puzzling is inventory-based and acting fast is key for such tasks as shutting off the electricity before the exposed wires are submerged. Failing to address problems in time will result in a death scene, which makes regular saving advisable, though the fairly short game length makes this less a requirement than normal. The game is also fully voiced, with at least one use of strong language. The music is a subtle ominous tune, which allows the effects, such as breaking pipes and sloshing water, to take precedence.

Submerged: LaSol can be downloaded from the AGS website.