 = Voyage : Inspired by Jules Verne = 
 
 Voyage : Inspired by Jules Verne ( known as Journey to the Moon in the United Kingdom and Australia ) is a point @-@ and @-@ click adventure game with pre @-@ rendered graphics , developed by Kheops Studio and published by The Adventure Company for the PC in 2005 . The game 's story focuses on a French adventurer 's journey to the moon in the 19th century , and the ancient lunar civilization he subsequenfinds . 
 Voyage is loosely based on the novels From the Earth to the Moon and Around the Moon by science @-@ fiction author Jules Verne , and the novel The First Men in the Moon by science @-@ fiction author H.G. Wells . Reactions to the game were generally mixed . In particular , some reviewers praised it for immersing the player in the look and feel of the 19th century ; others have criticized it for featuring dated graphics and dull textures . 
 While staying true to most adventure game conventions , Voyage has some unique features for its genre . These include two dexterity minigames which take advantage of the reduced gravity in the game 's lunar setting , and an " Intelligence Management System " , in which a score is assigned to the player for every puzzle he solves , and for certain actions . The Adventure Company introduced this feature to motivate players to replay the game to increase their cumulative score . 
 
 = = Gameplay = = 
 
 The main focus of Voyage is puzzle @-@ solving . The player can move by clicking , and can swivel the camera 360 degrees . There are several types of puzzle in Voyage including those involving native plant life on the moon , mechanical puzzles , audio puzzles , and mathematical puzzles . Many of these puzzles require the player to decipher and use the native language of the moon . 
 Voyage features two unique dexterity minigames . Using a low @-@ gravity setting , the first minigame requires the player to collect floating bubbles in a can , and the second requires the player to execute large jumps across the surface of the moon . These two minigames form only a minor part of the game . The game also has several timed sequences requiring the player to complete puzzles under a time limit . The consequence of failing a puzzle of this sort is death , after which the player is able to return and replay the puzzle . Players can also be killed as the result of taking incorrect actions related to the game 's story . 
 A critical aspect of gameplay in Voyage is the inventory system , which allows the player to pick up and keep dozens of different items . However , the maximum quantity of a given item that the player may keep in his inventory at any one time is three . One of the main uses of the inventory is to combine items together to make new items . This process of breaking and reforming items in the inventory comprises a large portion of the puzzle aspect of the game . The inventory can also be used to create meals which the player can consume ; this ability plays a major role in several puzzles . Another use of the inventory is to create hybrid lunar plants , which play a critical role in the earlier puzzles of the game . 
 
 = = = Intelligence Management System = = = 
 
 The " Intelligence Management System " featured in Voyage is a score assigned to the player by the Selenites , the natives of the moon . For each puzzle the player solves , and for certain actions , this score is increased , and the Selenites treat the player with more respect . During an interview with GamersInfo , Benoît Hozjan , Managing Director and co @-@ founder of Kheops Studio , described the system , saying : 
 In the same interview , Alexis Lang , the Lead Game Designer at Kheops , commented that : " [ A ] low score does not mean that you are stupid in any way , it just means that some pompous and bombastic lunar people think that your character is dumb ! " This reflects the fact that the " Intelligence Management System " is designed primarily to earn the respect of the Selenites . However , Hozjan also said that he hopes " players will try to increase their score and certainly share their experience through forums . " The Adventure Company has marketed the system as bringing a degree of replay value to Voyage , as players can replay the game to achieve a higher score . 
 
 = = Synopsis = = 
 
 
 = = = Setting = = = 
 
 Voyage is set in 1865 . President Barbicane of the ' Gun Club ' decides to build an enormous cannon in Baltimore to shoot a shell , capable of supporting human life , towards the moon in the hopes of a successful landing . Voyage 's protagonist , Michel Ardan , volunteers to travel in the aluminium shell . After the game 's brief introduction in the shell , Ardan lands on the moon and discovers the Selenites , as well as a complex ecosystem of lunar plants . The main accessible areas in the game are the moon 's surface , and the underground Selenite civilization . 
 The ' Selenites ' are the subterranean inhabitants of the moon , and are a highly intelligent society maintained by hierarchy and secret . They possess blue skin , large black eyes and transparent cerebral lobes on the sides of their heads . This is in fact a reference to H.G. Wells ' book The first men in the moon , as the adventurers never actually land on the moon in Verne 's original story . 
 They are divided into castes . The Selenites live in a large complex under the surface of the moon from which they rarely venture , with the exception of the ' exiles ' . The Selenites " banish [ these ] dregs of their society , the criminals and psychotics , " to the surface of the moon . There are three Selenite exiles with whom the player can interact ; they live on the surface and sleep in their isolated underground stables at night . Each exile has two different plants on either shoulder with which they share a special bond . 
 
 = = = Characters = = = 
 
 The player character is Michel Ardan , an eccentric and intrepid French scientist who is enthusiastic , daring and cheerful . President Barbicane , the President of the Gun Club , and Captain Nicholl , an engineer , are both found dead at the start of the game , not having survived the flight to the moon . A woman called Diana features in the game 's backstory , as a woman whose ancestors made contact with the Selenites . Apart from these human characters , there are also several Selenite characters such as the Supreme Moon Ruler , the High Dignitary , Scurvy , Scruple , and the three exiles . 
 
 = = = Plot = = = 
 
 Voyage begins as Ardan awakes in the shell and discovers his two dead companions : Barbicane and Nicholl . The first part of the game consists of Ardan investigating the shell , trying to regain his memory of what happened , and how Barbicane and Nicholl died , he will also encounter other problems , most notably when his oxygen supply is low and needs to be remedied . Eventually Ardan 's journey will carry him into orbit around the moon in which he must prepare himself for a lunar landing . 
 Once Ardan successfully lands the shell on the moon , he must solve a series of puzzles on the surface in order to gain access to the hidden civilization below . There he encounters the Selenite race . Following this , Ardan focusses on finding a way to leave the moon and report his findings to Earth . After acquiring what he needs , Ardan travels back to Earth in the shell . He lands in the ocean and manages to swim to a nearby island , where he meets another famous Jules Verne character , Captain Nemo . 
 
 = = Development = = 
 
 Journey to the Center of the Moon was announced for the PC at E3 2005 . The Adventure Company collaborated with developers Kheops Studios for the release . Benoît Hozjan , the co @-@ founder of Kheops Studio , became Managing Director of the game , while Alexis Lang became the Lead Game Designer . 
 Journey to the Center of the Moon was later renamed Voyage : Inspired by Jules Verne . Benoît Hozjan explained the change , saying that Journey to the Center of the Moon " seems to be confusing and some people thought that it could be the sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth , " another Verne @-@ inspired PC game , " so marketing decided to change it . " The name was changed on July 7 , 2005 , a few months after the game 's announcement . 
 Benoît Hozjan explained Kheops Studio 's choice of Jules Verne 's work as a basis for Voyage , saying that : " Jules Verne 's novels provide the two core elements of adventure games : dreams and challenges . Characters are ordinary men engaged in concrete challenges that are [ a ] great inspiration for puzzles . " He further went on to say that the game is influenced by Verne 's From the Earth to the Moon , which documents the lead up to the lunar trip , but draws more heavily from the sequel Around the Moon , which recounts the actual voyage . The main difference , Hozjan said , was that in the novel the protagonists fail to reach the moon , whereas in Voyage the trip is a success . Additionally , Alexis Lang attributed the inspiration for the Selenites to H.G. Wells ' The First Men in the Moon , explaining that : " [ Wells ] pictured a very ancient Selenite civilisation horrified at human roughness . Wells was more misanthropist than Verne . To balance this fact , we 've added a touch of irony in our story and chosen a very optimistic and joyful main character . " 
 The Adventure Company announced the release of the Voyage demo on August 3 , 2005 . The demo included the game 's introduction in the shell . Voyage , originally slated for a September 27 release , was shipped to stores ahead of schedule on August 16 , 2005 . The game retailed for US $ 19 @.@ 99 . 
 
 = = Reception = = 
 
 In general , Voyage received mixed reviews upon its release . According to Metacritic , reviewers have given Voyage scores between 60 % and 86 % . One of the more positively received aspects of the game was its ability to recreate the mood of 19th century science @-@ fiction , with GameSpot writing that the game " nicely re @-@ creates the whimsical mood of 19th @-@ century sci @-@ fi [ and ] a sense of wonder fills every pixel of the graphic design . " In contrast , Game Over Online Magazine said that once the player leaves the capsule and arrives on the moon , instead of viewing colorful and wondrous sights , the game turns into a drab and unlikely bore . The puzzle aspect of Voyage met with mixed responses . On the other hand , GameSpot accused the puzzle aspects of Voyage of " reduc [ ing ] Jules Verne 's tale of a visit to the moon in 1865 to a series of clumsily arranged logic puzzles geared to try the patience of adventure @-@ game veterans . " The puzzles in the game are often extremely difficult , with Just Adventure attributing the unexpected difficulty in the game to the fact that there are often several different ways to achieve the same goals , thanks to the game 's " Intelligence Management System " . The game 's inventory system received praise from Gamersinfo as being very well done . 
 In terms of graphics , Voyage was poorly received , with the graphics being described by Gamezone as containing some vibrant colors , but lacking the lush , spectacular view that has been seen in countless other adventure games . Voyage has also been criticized for its lack of story and over @-@ reliance on back story . The game 's music was generally appreciated , with Jolt describing the music has having a nice retro @-@ futuristic feel which sets the mood perfectly . G4 commented on the game 's voice acting as overly dramatic but appropriate , but criticized many of the sound effects as being cheesy . GameSpot described Ardan 's dialogue as somewhat lame , and also criticized the game 's sound effects . Metacritic averaged out the scores of several internet reviews of Voyage to reach a rating of 71 % , the closest to an ' overall ' rating of the game . 
 
 