Return of the Phantom

                   by Microprose

                  Solution by V&D



  Microprose is starting to break thru to the adventure
scene  and it's making very good job of it.       Their 
adventure   'Return  of  the  Phantom'  features   very
realistic  character movements. Graphixs  is  extremely
detailed  and  colourful. Music is on  it's  best  when
listened thru roland.
 But OK, on with the Show.

   You are detective Raoul Montand with the S–ret‚  and
You're  spending  a relaxing night at  the  opera,  but
there  is  an  unfortunate accident and  naturally  You
start  investigation. Monsieur Brie asks You to  follow
him. Let's do just that! Go to the right and speak with
Brie about everything.
   BTW always when You're speaking with anybody try  to
speak  about  all possible things, so You doesn't  miss
some vital clues.
   
   When  manager  leaves, head  to  the  right  towards
orchestra pit. From the pit enter thru orchestra  door.
Mm,   we  are  under  stage.  Let's  take  a  look  via
prompter's  box. After animation push prompter's  stand
to  the  new location. Trapdoor seems to be closed.  No
problems, pull lever and climb to the stage. If  You'll
want  to 'break a leg' jump down to the orchestra  pit.
Let's  go  see  Charles. Head to the  left.  Chat  with
Charles about phantoms and other nice things. We should
catch  that ballerina Julie Giry before she leaves,  so
stride  to  the  backstage. At distance You'll  find  a
door.  Enter  boldly and climb to the next level.  Open
door.  Enter trough the right door and meet our  lovely
ballerina. Have a friendly chit-chat and climb  to  the
next level (sorry, no elevator). In thru the door we go
and  go  on  via left door. Here's our beautiful  prima
donna  Christine Florent. Talk to her  to  gather  some
additional evidence and clues. Now it's time to do some
sky walking. Climb all the way down and try to climb up
a  spiral  staircase. Seem to be raining? Take  sandbag
(You'll  never  know, when You need  some  sand!).  OK,
let's  find out who did this. Climb carefully  up.  Did
You  just  see  something? I  didn't  see  anything  so
proceed to the left. What's this, a blue colour  frame?
Grab  it and move on to the left. Take a note from  the
chandelier  cable. Now we can climb back  down  to  the
backstage and beyond. Mm, another colour frame. Get  it
too!  There  is  yet another lower  level  for  You  to
explore,  but it's not really necessary.  Take  a  look
around  (push  thunder machine for some sound  effects)
and  climb  back to the backstage. Exit to stage  right
wing.  And  well,  well,  there lies  another  coloured
frame.  Climb through trap door back under stage.  Walk
back  through  whole  house to the grand  foyer.  Enter
through  middle door to the library and take a look  at
broken  glass  case.  Search  left  bookshelf  for  the
certain book and retrieve it. Walk through door (to the
left). Let's talk to monsieur Brie some more. If You're
done  all  correctly to this point,  You'll  hear  some
female   screams  and  find  Yourself  near   Christine
Florent's dressroom. Pay her a visit. She is quite dead
and  You  have to catch his murderer. So  run?  to  the
catwalks   below  ceiling.  And  hurry  to  the   left.
Aaaarrggghhhhhh .....

   You wake up on the year 1881. With spinning head,  I
might  add.  Ask  some  silly questions  and  get  some
astonished answers. Now You're called Raoul de  Chagny.
You  did  bring along some unwanted modern items,  that
don't  just  fit into current age. So let's go  collect
them.  Stride  to  the right and get yellow  frame.  At
backstage we'll find a cable hook. It's not too modern,
but just get it just in case You'll need it someday. Go
up circular staircase and find blue coloured frame. Now
there's  a brand new chandelier and You can climb  down
to  it,  just for fun. Now let's check out  some  lower
floors.  Climb  down to the room with thunder  machine.
Amazing how everything seems to be the same way  as  it
was  on Your time! Locate a red coloured frame and  get
it.  On the prop table stands new antique lantern. Grab
it!  Now  it's time to descend to the lower floor  (via
staircase,  of  course). Take Your time and  look  this
room over. On the box You discover a rope. Pick it  up.
Now  we  have rope and hook. Does it ring a bell?  Yes,
attach  hook  to  rope. Now You have grappling  device.
Climb  to  the room with graffiti and leave  thru  door
(yes, it's open now). Talk to Jacques, who turns out to
be a quite pleasant man. Now should be good time as any
to go and meet monsieur Richard. Go to the grand foyer.
There  You'll  find one weird artist,  who's  a  little
lost.  Help  him to find his way. And right  thru  left
door to the office. Chat a while and exit back to grand
foyer.  Let's  pay visit to Madame Giry. Climb  through
right  door and speak with her. She'll opens room  five
for  You,  when You're thru with chatting.  Go  in  and
examine room carefully. Get a note and read it. Look at
the  left  column.  A secret door! Damn,  it's  locked.
Leave the scene and strode to the right, towards actors
dressing  rooms. Climb all those looonnnng  stairs  and
visit  Christine  Dae‚. Chat about dreams,  angels  and
others interesting things. Finally she throws You  out.
Listen  at the door and when things get hot,  grab  axe
and smash the door! She's gone!

    Later  You'll  talk  with  monsieur  Richard  until
Christine  walks  in. Talk some more and  go  get  Your
ticket  (it's  left from grand foyer). Just  ask  about
ticket  for Raoul de Chagny and re-enter thru  archway.
Climb  up  through  right door  and  open  Yours  newly
acquired envelope. Give ticket to Madame Giry and Enter
room nine. It's show time, so take a front row seat and
watch  some  animation.  Oh no!  You  lost  her  again!
Discuss  with  Charles and go see Jacques (a  prompter,
remember?). Take a skeleton key from him and hurry back
to  the  room five. Unlock lock and climb to the lowest
level. Wow, You're reached catacombs. It's very dark in
the  catacombs so turn on Your gas lamp and dive to the
dark labyrinth.

    These catacombs are Very difficult to cross and  it
seems, that they are also somewhat different every time
You  play,  or  maybe they differ accordingly  to  Your
level.  I'm going to give some directions, that  worked
for  me (I played it on 'challanging' level). Maybe You
are  able to use only part of it (sorry). If You'll get
lost, try to draw a map of those catacombs. Don't  give
up, best parts is yet to come.

OK,  here  we go. I'm starting in the first room  after
entering dark passage. You should go :
 up
 right
 right
 up
   check : You should be in large corridor
 up
 right
 right
 right
 right
 left
   check : You should be at the pier of some sort
 left
 up
 up
 left
 up
 left
 left
 down
 right
 up
 right
 right
 right
 right
 right
   check : You should be at the pier's other side.
 right
 right
 up

    If all went well, then you should see a barred door
and an unlucky adventurer. If You can't find them, just
keep looking. They have to be somewhere!

    The  unlucky  adventurer has dropped  his  glorious
sword. Take his sword. Look at switch panel. Hmm,  nice
skulls.  You  remember,  what Madame  Giry  told  about
puzzles  and our friend phantom? It means,  that  every
switch   represents   correspondending   letter    from
alphabet. We should punch in a correct code.  We  can't
ignore phantom's ego so punch in word 'ERIK'. This  can
be accomplished with pushing switches 5,18,9 and 11. Be
sure  to try out wrong combination too, You'll see/hear
some nice effects. Let's proceed to the monster's lair.
This web is blocking Your way? Cut web with the sword.

   Now there comes some more directions that may or may
not match Yours so be patient.
 left
 left
 left
 up
 right

And that's it. Now You should be near the famous abode.
Enter through right door. Now You're in hot room that's
coming hotter all the time. You have to push panels and
make a perfect picture to get ahead. The picture should
look like phantom's mask. When You're do it right, then
the  trapdoor opens. Isn't it a bit too high  for  You?
That's  why  we  are carrying our hooked rope.  Grapple
trap  door and climb up. Now You're in impressive  room
with  nice  little pipe organ. Sit in large  chair  for
some  nice  creepy feelings. When You've had some  fun,
sit  on  organ bench and play something shooting.  Hmm,
nice  fireworks. By the way, 'Little Fugue in G  Minor'
worked  for  me. When door opens go and see  Christine.
Nice  surroundings, huh? Look at skull face to discover
a  keyhole and unlock sarcophagus with skeleton key. At
the  front are some skulls with springs. Push  at  them
until  coffin opens. Christine rushes to You and  gives
away her wedding ring. Talk to her and wear ring. Go to
the  previous room and when phantom appears, attach him
with sword. The monster disappears and You can grab  an
opera  score  from  pipe organ. Let's get out  of  this
creepy place! Go out and grab oar. Lead Your lady  left
through  door. Jump to the boat and here we go!  Go  to
the  room  five and ... What's that? Old foe  does  his
tricks  again!  Follow them through the pillar  to  the
upper  level.  Where could our young lovers  be?  Let's
check  out the chandelier. You'll lose your only  sword
and  have to try some hand combat. Try not to choke and
push  his  cane.  Now take mask from  the  phantom  and
discover his real face!

 Well, that's it. Epilogue is almost automatic.

    Hope  that  You enjoyed 'Return of the Phantom'.  I
most  certainly did. And, yeah, sorry 'bout my terrible
English  (almost forget this one). See ya in  the  next
solve. By.


solution by V&D


This solution was written on late November
ANNO DOMINI 1993