The Dig

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In "The Dig," a group of astronauts are sent to destroy an asteroid threatening Earth, but instead uncover an ancient alien civilization. They must solve puzzles and make choices that determine their survival and the fate of the alien world. Based on the LucasArts adventure game, it combines sci-fi and mystery in an engaging narrative with a strong focus on exploration and character interactions.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 694 reviews

story191 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

The game features a captivating and engaging story, with a unique sci-fi premise that keeps players invested.
The graphics, while dated, are beautifully designed for their time, creating an immersive atmosphere.
The voice acting and soundtrack are top-notch, enhancing the overall experience and emotional depth of the game.

Many puzzles are frustratingly obscure and require trial-and-error, often leading to confusion and the need for walkthroughs.
The game can feel slow-paced due to character movement and unskippable dialogue, which may detract from the experience.
Some interactions and objects blend too well with the background, making it difficult to identify important items.

story
347 mentions
55 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The story of "The Dig" is widely praised for its mature and engaging narrative, crafted by notable figures like Steven Spielberg and Orson Scott Card, which combines elements of science fiction with deep character development and intriguing plot twists. While some players find the writing and pacing inconsistent, many appreciate the atmospheric setting and the way the story unfolds, making it a memorable experience that stands out in the point-and-click genre. Despite its dated graphics, the compelling storytelling and immersive soundtrack continue to resonate with players, solidifying its status as a classic adventure game.
- “The story is just amazing and the way it unravels, definitely worth the money.”
- “The dig is a classic, masterful point and click science fiction story, which was originally going to be a movie and you can really tell with how good the writing is and the sense of mystery surrounding the alien planet.”
- “Created by Lucasarts and Steven Spielberg, the dig is a masterpiece of unique design, incredible storytelling and hauntingly beautiful music.”
- “But the writing and plot were beyond bad, stuffed with cliches and with some characters seemingly having wandered in from the pages of the Book of Mormon.”
- “The story is full of generic sci-fi tropes and the puzzles are incredibly frustrating, mostly consisting of figuring out which weird alien artifact goes where.”
- “The story is not worth putting yourself through all that for.”
music
142 mentions
59 % positive mentions
39 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a beautiful and haunting soundtrack that complements the story and setting. Many reviewers highlight the exceptional quality of the score, noting its ability to evoke emotions and create a sense of wonder, making it a standout feature of the game. Despite some criticisms regarding other aspects, the music consistently receives accolades, often described as a timeless and integral part of the game's charm.
- “From mysterious ambient tracks to pulse-pounding sequences, the music enhances the game's atmosphere like a sprinkle of stardust on a cosmic cupcake.”
- “The music is not only enjoyable to listen to but it’s also quite relaxing.”
- “The atmosphere, dialogue, music, and the mesmerizing graphics are all perfect.”
- “It's boring, uninteresting, empty, bad voice acting, really bad art, and f*ing annoying music.”
- “The cutscenes may look dated and not as cool as the ones from Full Throttle, another LucasArts masterpiece that came out that same year (1995), but the puzzles, music, sound effects, and voices (well, maybe not Mary Weiss' and Steven Blum's performances) are top notch.”
- “The music needs a separate recognition, as it’s fantastic.”
graphics
135 mentions
42 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated, reflecting the technology of its time, yet many players appreciate their artistic charm and atmospheric quality. While some find the pixelated visuals and low resolution off-putting, others argue that they enhance the nostalgic experience and complement the game's strong narrative and sound design. Overall, the visuals may not meet modern standards, but they still evoke a sense of wonder and immersion that resonates with fans of retro gaming.
- “The graphics are beautiful and the voice overs are well done.”
- “The graphics for its weird alien backgrounds are gorgeous, the sound design is just absolutely at the top of its game more than ever from LucasArts with roaring waves, howling winds, deep resonance within space and the most oddest of creatures wallowing and shrieking from all around you.”
- “The atmosphere, dialogue, music and the mesmerizing graphics are all perfect.”
- “It starts in windowed mode and requires workarounds to get it fullscreen, and the graphics are mangled by the denoiser they apply to everything.”
- “Similar can be said for the backgrounds of the various scenes of the game; it can be difficult to make out interactable objects and items to pick up, often leading you to pixel hunt for something you overlooked in the blurry, jagged graphics.”
- “The graphics are obviously dated, though with the uptick in popularity in pixel graphics, it's right at home with what is popular now with adventure games.”
atmosphere
52 mentions
63 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive qualities, enhanced by a captivating soundtrack and beautifully crafted environments that evoke a sense of wonder and mystery. While some players note that low-resolution graphics and archaic puzzles may detract from the experience, the overall ambiance—characterized by eerie music and engaging storytelling—remains a standout feature that resonates with players, making it a memorable sci-fi adventure.
- “With its immersive atmosphere, challenging puzzles, and memorable characters, it's a classic adventure game that leaves a lasting impression.”
- “From mysterious ambient tracks to pulse-pounding sequences, the music enhances the game's atmosphere like a sprinkle of stardust on a cosmic cupcake.”
- “The painted backgrounds of a world in permanent magic-hour are utterly gorgeous, and the soundtrack creates a powerful sense of isolation, wonder, and mystery -- a somber atmosphere that's not too different from Shadow of the Colossus.”
- “The atmosphere is dense and you will need lots of patience and 'try and error' attempts to finish all the puzzles (gosh.. that goddam turtle!).”
- “The painted backgrounds of a world in permanent magic-hour are utterly gorgeous, and the soundtrack creates a powerful sense of isolation, wonder and mystery -- a somber atmosphere that's not too different from Shadow of the Colossus.”
- “A sci-fi atmosphere unlike any other I've experienced, an awe-inspiring storyline which captures the wonders of distance across time and space, and of course for those of my age, a nostalgic journey to our past.”
gameplay
32 mentions
25 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a simplified interface typical of classic adventure games, yet it presents challenging puzzles that can lead to frustration, often requiring external help. While some players appreciate the engaging story and atmosphere, others criticize the inventory system and backtracking, suggesting that the gameplay mechanics have not aged well. Overall, the game offers a mix of enjoyable point-and-click interactions and complex problem-solving, though opinions vary on its execution and pacing.
- “After all those years, this game still works perfectly and storytelling and gameplay are wonderfully designed.”
- “The gameplay is good, the storyline is more serious than other LucasArts games and possibly more innovative and thought-provoking.”
- “Hours of fun gameplay and a magical musical score that is one of the best I've heard in a game.”
- “The gameplay can be fairly frustrating and I had to look up multiple puzzles that didn't make much sense, but other parts work just fine.”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay itself has quite a few issues, with a bloated inventory system, some trial-and-error/obtuse puzzles, and a frustrating amount of backtracking.”
- “The game design and gameplay did not age well.”
humor
27 mentions
96 % positive mentions
-7 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally considered less impactful compared to classic LucasArts titles, with many reviewers noting a more serious tone and fewer laugh-out-loud moments. While some players found certain dialogues and situations amusing, the overall comedic elements are described as subtle and inconsistent, lacking the wacky charm typical of earlier adventure games. Despite this, a few moments do elicit chuckles, making it a mixed bag for those seeking humor in their gaming experience.
- “The game has some great humor, although the standard dialogue is variable.”
- “A fun adventure game with some light humor.”
- “Many people say that it has no humor, but I found myself chuckling many times.”
- “It is not funny like Monkey Island.”
- “The humor falls flat and feels forced.”
- “I expected more clever jokes, but it was mostly cringeworthy.”
grinding
8 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be frustrating and tedious, particularly in the latter stages where puzzles feel nonsensical and the controls can be cumbersome. While some appreciate the cinematic elements, the repetitive and slow-paced nature of the gameplay detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to a sense of boredom.
- “But the last 1/4 is very frustrating and tedious.”
- “I still had fun watching all of the animated sequences, and this game is a lot more cinematic in plot and voice acting than other point-and-click games, in my opinion, but the overall experience is tedious and boring.”
- “If you miss something, going back through the tunnels and trams is tedious and annoying.”
stability
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates strong initial stability with solid performance and proper aspect ratio support, but users report some lingering audio glitches on modern Windows systems after extended playtime. While some players did not encounter any bugs, the experience can become tedious after the first hour.
- “It starts strong, and the client runs great -- with stable performance and a proper 4:3 aspect ratio, even on 16:9 monitors.”
- “I didn't encounter any bugs either (not saying it's bug-free, just that I didn't stumble upon any).”
- “Some glitches that haven't been fixed for modern Windows systems.”
- “Audio glitches when using the 48kHz audio setting.”
optimization
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The game initially performs well with stable optimization and a proper aspect ratio, but after the first hour, it tends to drag. While the voice acting is generally solid, some performances fall flat, and the cutscenes appear dated compared to contemporaries. Overall, the optimization is decent, but the pacing may affect the experience.
- “It starts strong, and the client runs great -- with stable performance and a proper 4:3 aspect ratio, even on 16:9 monitors.”
- “The puzzles, music, sound effects, and voices are top-notch.”
character development
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-150 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is criticized for being lackluster, with players feeling that failures do not contribute to meaningful growth or humor. Instead, the narrative conveys a sense of bleak hopelessness, leaving players emotionally disconnected from the characters and their journeys.
- “The character development, the story, the emotion, the bleak hopelessness of trying to find your way home... and not wanting to at the same time.”
- “Even that would be endurable if your failures gave you some kind of funny joke or character development, or something, but it's just a dead voiced recitation of 'that.'”
- “The character development feels shallow and unengaging, leaving me disconnected from the story.”
- “I found the character arcs predictable and lacking depth, which made it hard to invest in their journeys.”
- “The emotional moments intended to highlight character growth fell flat, making the overall experience feel hollow.”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, highlighting its ability to evoke sincere love for the point-and-click genre through its thought-provoking story, beautiful visuals, and impressive soundtrack. It is highly recommended for those seeking an engaging and emotionally resonant experience.
- “It was one of the games that made me feel a sincere love for point-and-click adventures.”
- “I can wholeheartedly recommend this game to anyone looking for some good puzzles to solve, beautiful scenery, impressive soundtracks, and an overall thought-provoking story.”
replayability
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players highlight the game's enduring replayability, citing its captivating musical score, art direction, and engaging gameplay as factors that keep them returning to it even decades after its release.
- “I have played this game since its release in 1995 and still find the musical score, art direction, and gameplay replayable after all these years.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Users express a positive sentiment towards the monetization aspect, noting that the ads for various games are engaging and make them eager to try out the featured titles.