Top 20 Adventure Games of All-Time!!1!

#2: Crime Wave

Access Software – 1990

In the early 1990’s, a small company known as Access Software created a character that we would grow to love in future years, that would resonate in the hearts of adventure fans forever. He’s a private eye with an attitude, and a heart. And he’s a super crime fighter. His journeys through the dark, fascinating world Access created are well-known to any true fan of gaming.

Of course I’m talking about Luke McCrabe~! and the brilliant adventure Crime Wave. Access made use of one of the more compelling and original plot devices in years–the President’s daughter is missing!–to bring us this story of betrayal, intrigue, redemption, and level after level of blood-filled digitized carnage!

Through it all, we laughed with Luke and the incredibly well fleshed-out supporting characters, we cried with them, and as we guided Luke towards his ultimate goal of saving civilization as we know it, we all knew that the inevitable release of the sequel would be the single greatest day of our collective lives.

Unfortunately, Access badly dropped the ball after Crime Wave and focused on another character they had created, private eye Tex Murphy, who obviously is just a copy of Luke McCrabe~!, and a poor one at that. His games are best left unmentioned as a “dark period” in the otherwise glorious history of Access.

There are rumors, however, of a pending sequel to Crime Wave, now that Microsoft has taken an interest in the adventure genre. The fan community at http://www.unofficiallukemccrabe~!.com/ is keeping the dream alive. Join them!

Superfluous.

(E.D.)