Sanitarium (video game): Difference between revisions

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[[File:Sanitarium_Cover_5438.png|frame]]
[[File:Sanitarium_Cover_5438.png|frame]]


{{quote|"If ''[[Jacobs Ladder]]'' was reality squared, this is reality cubed"|J.C. Herz (The New York Times) on the game}}
{{quote|"If ''[[Jacob's Ladder]]'' was reality squared, this is reality cubed"|J.C. Herz (The New York Times) on the game}}


''Sanitarium'' is a [[Point and Click]] [[Adventure Game]] by ASC Games. It is set in a mental hospital, except when it ''isn't''.
''Sanitarium'' is a [[Point and Click]] [[Adventure Game]] by ASC Games. It is set in a mental hospital, except when it ''isn't''.
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* [[Adult Child]]: Lenny
* [[Adult Child]]: Lenny
* {{spoiler|[[Adventures in Coma Land]]}}
* {{spoiler|[[Adventures in Coma Land]]}}
* [[A Glitch in The Matrix]]: The "real world" starts becoming more and more unreal with each chapter.
* [[A Glitch in the Matrix]]: The "real world" starts becoming more and more unreal with each chapter.
* {{spoiler|[[All Just a Dream]] - Most of the game, except several cutscenes, is just Max's dreams while he was in coma.}}
* {{spoiler|[[All Just a Dream]] - Most of the game, except several cutscenes, is just Max's dreams while he was in coma.}}
* [[All the Worlds Are A Stage]] - The next to last subchapter is a mishmash of all of the non-"real world" chapters. {{spoiler|You also have to [[Shapeshifting]] between Max and all of his alter-egos.}}
* [[All the Worlds Are a Stage]] - The next to last subchapter is a mishmash of all of the non-"real world" chapters. {{spoiler|You also have to [[Shapeshifting]] between Max and all of his alter-egos.}}
* [[Alternate Universe]] - {{spoiler|It turns out that the Morgan from Max's past is not the same Morgan that he encounters throughout the game. The former exists in the real world. The latter exists in Max's dream world.}}
* [[Alternate Universe]] - {{spoiler|It turns out that the Morgan from Max's past is not the same Morgan that he encounters throughout the game. The former exists in the real world. The latter exists in Max's dream world.}}
** {{spoiler|Two of the chapters have an alternate universe version of Max's wife as well.}}
** {{spoiler|Two of the chapters have an alternate universe version of Max's wife as well.}}
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* [[Buried Alive]] - Happens to at least 3 characters
* [[Buried Alive]] - Happens to at least 3 characters
* [[The Chessmaster]] - Morgan {{spoiler|(both of him)}} and Gromna
* [[The Chessmaster]] - Morgan {{spoiler|(both of him)}} and Gromna
* [[Circus of Fear]] - [[Playing With a Trope]]. The circus is very unnerving, but only two of the staff members are dangerous and, of those two, only one is actually evil.
* [[Circus of Fear]] - [[Playing with a Trope]]. The circus is very unnerving, but only two of the staff members are dangerous and, of those two, only one is actually evil.
* [[Cloudcuckoolander]] - A non-comedic example. Don, Lenny, and Martin in the first chapter. See "Foreshadowing" below.
* [[Cloudcuckoolander]] - A non-comedic example. Don, Lenny, and Martin in the first chapter. See "Foreshadowing" below.
* [[Combat Tentacles]] - Iggy
* [[Combat Tentacles]] - Iggy
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* [[Manipulative Bastard]] - Morgan
* [[Manipulative Bastard]] - Morgan
* {{spoiler|[[Mental World]]}}
* {{spoiler|[[Mental World]]}}
* {{spoiler|[[The Mind Is a Plaything of The Body]] - Multiple shape-shifting events}}
* {{spoiler|[[The Mind Is a Plaything of the Body]] - Multiple shape-shifting events}}
** At its most extreme with Olmec, who is almost the exact opposite of the kind, compassionate Max.
** At its most extreme with Olmec, who is almost the exact opposite of the kind, compassionate Max.
* [[Mind Screw]] - A good example is the pumpkin children. In fact, there's a lot of unexplained symbolism.
* [[Mind Screw]] - A good example is the pumpkin children. In fact, there's a lot of unexplained symbolism.
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** {{spoiler|Everything other than the opening and the flashbacks was a [[Dying Dream]] resulting from Morgan trying to kill Max; also, there are two Morgans; the one who sabotaged Max's car and the one who exists in the dream world and tries to prevent Max from making any progress}}, chapter 8
** {{spoiler|Everything other than the opening and the flashbacks was a [[Dying Dream]] resulting from Morgan trying to kill Max; also, there are two Morgans; the one who sabotaged Max's car and the one who exists in the dream world and tries to prevent Max from making any progress}}, chapter 8
** {{spoiler|Max's wife is pregnant}}, chapter 9
** {{spoiler|Max's wife is pregnant}}, chapter 9
* [[Rhymes On a Dime]]: Vera
* [[Rhymes on a Dime]]: Vera
* [[Romancing the Widow]]
* [[Romancing the Widow]]
* [[Rule of Scary]] - {{spoiler|Subverted near the end when it turns out it was [[All Just a Dream]], which perfectly explains away all the outlandish stuff.}}
* [[Rule of Scary]] - {{spoiler|Subverted near the end when it turns out it was [[All Just a Dream]], which perfectly explains away all the outlandish stuff.}}
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* [[Sliding Scale of Anti-Heroes]] - Olmec is Type III
* [[Sliding Scale of Anti-Heroes]] - Olmec is Type III
** Appropriately, as he is the least likable of the playable characters, Olmec is voiced by the same actor who plays the [[Big Bad]]
** Appropriately, as he is the least likable of the playable characters, Olmec is voiced by the same actor who plays the [[Big Bad]]
* [[Songs in The Key of Lock]]: One of the doors in the Hive has a lock with keypad buttons that produce individual musical tones.
* [[Songs in the Key of Lock]]: One of the doors in the Hive has a lock with keypad buttons that produce individual musical tones.
* [[Surreal Horror]]
* [[Surreal Horror]]
* [[Talking to Himself]] - Grimwall and Max share the same voice actor. Grimwall briefly talks to Max in the final chapter.
* [[Talking to Himself]] - Grimwall and Max share the same voice actor. Grimwall briefly talks to Max in the final chapter.
* [[Theme Naming]] - All of the cyclopses have names beginning with "GR."
* [[Theme Naming]] - All of the cyclopses have names beginning with "GR."
* [[Timeshifted Actor]] - Frank Schurter plays Adult Max while Paul Crocker plays him during his childhood flashbacks.
* [[Timeshifted Actor]] - Frank Schurter plays Adult Max while Paul Crocker plays him during his childhood flashbacks.
* [[Town With a Dark Secret]] - The entirety of chapter 2.
* [[Town with a Dark Secret]] - The entirety of chapter 2.
* [[Twist Ending]]
* [[Twist Ending]]
* [[The Unseen]] - A big part of Max's arc. His face is covered in bandages. When he is seen in flashbacks, his face is always hidden. The one exception is a flashback from his childhood.
* [[The Unseen]] - A big part of Max's arc. His face is covered in bandages. When he is seen in flashbacks, his face is always hidden. The one exception is a flashback from his childhood.
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* [[Unusual Euphemism]] - Grimwall's favorite exclamation, "Grap".
* [[Unusual Euphemism]] - Grimwall's favorite exclamation, "Grap".
* [[Unwitting Pawn]] - Arguably {{spoiler|Dream World Morgan.}} He believes that {{spoiler|he and Real World Morgan are the same person and doesn't realize that his fighting Max and enabling the poison to work its way through his veins will actually kill him along with Max.}} The example has the oddity of ''both'' the pawn ''and'' the manipulator being unaware of the manipulation {{spoiler|due to Real World Morgan being unaware of Dream World Morgan's existence}}.
* [[Unwitting Pawn]] - Arguably {{spoiler|Dream World Morgan.}} He believes that {{spoiler|he and Real World Morgan are the same person and doesn't realize that his fighting Max and enabling the poison to work its way through his veins will actually kill him along with Max.}} The example has the oddity of ''both'' the pawn ''and'' the manipulator being unaware of the manipulation {{spoiler|due to Real World Morgan being unaware of Dream World Morgan's existence}}.
* [[Villain With Good Publicity]] - {{spoiler|Morgan and Gromna}}
* [[Villain with Good Publicity]] - {{spoiler|Morgan and Gromna}}
* [[Waking Up At the Morgue]]
* [[Waking Up At the Morgue]]
* [["Well Done, Son" Guy]] - Morgan
* [["Well Done, Son" Guy]] - Morgan

Revision as of 09:19, 8 April 2014
"If Jacob's Ladder was reality squared, this is reality cubed"
—J.C. Herz (The New York Times) on the game

Sanitarium is a Point and Click Adventure Game by ASC Games. It is set in a mental hospital, except when it isn't.

More clearly, it begins with the main character losing his memory and being instituted in a sanitarium. Occasionally, he is transported to strange, alternate worlds, sometimes changing his form, sometimes not. A constant feeling of bewilderment and fear follow you as the worlds you visit become stranger and stranger.

You need to figure out many things: Why have you lost your memory? Why are you in an insane asylum? Is the asylum the "real" world, or is it just another dream?

This game provides examples of:

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