Really, there are only two things you need to know about Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion mastermind Ron Gilbert's The Cave: 1) It takes place inside a talking cave. 2) The cave is mysterious. And a bit sultry. "Welcome," the Cave said as the demo began. "Don't let my sultry and mysterious voice startle you." Meanwhile, when asked about the titular magic rock formation's overall role in the game's proceedings, Gilbert chimed in: "He's kinda mysterious. Sultry, too,"
OK, maybe there's a bit more to it than that. Here are the basics: there are seven characters, each of whom has ventured to a time-and-space-transcending cave to "learn something about themselves and who they might become." So yeah, Mr Cave (whose last name is hopefully not "Johnson" - that could get confusing) gets top billing, but this is a game first and foremost about those seven - with backgrounds ranging from Medieval knight to time-traveler. So you pick any three, descend into the depths of their respective madnesses (and, you know, a cave), and leap between them to advance through an interconnected Metroidvania-style world. Appearances, however, can be deceiving, so here's the bit that should have you jumping for nostalgic joy: "It is an adventure game," said Gilbert, quickly pocketing an entire bucket in-game. "You want to pick up everything you can."
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