Nerds That Geek Gaming Flashback: ‘The Dig’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Growing up, gaming was a big deal to me, specifically PC gaming. At the time, the best games were only available on a computer since my gaming choices were limited to a PC or a console. Granted, some would likely say the better games were on the consoles, but for me... the best games were the ones that told an incredible story and immersed you completely and I didn't find a game on a console that ever did that for me.

During that era, there were two companies in my opinion, that made computer games that blew you away every single time, Sierra On-Line and LucasArts. Both brought incredible characters and stories to the table with every game that they released, but of all the games that I played back in those days, there is still one that sticks out in my mind as one of the finest ever made, LucasArts' incredible sci-fi adventure, The Dig. 

The plot was fairly simple. An asteroid known as Attila is heading toward earth on a collision course, forcing a handful of astronauts to head up to the rock and detonate nukes on its surface to move it into a safe orbit around the planet. But instead of finding solid rock they discover that the asteroid is hollow and filled with technology from another world that transports the landing party to an unknown and deserted place. Now they are stranded on a planet far from home, and their only hope to survive is to investigate the relics of a civilization now gone in the hopes of finding a way to get back to earth.  

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​At the time this was by no means a graphically stunning game, even though it was designed for the PC. In fact, the graphics were simply okay, but the story made up for any visual flaws because it stood out above everything else. It was epic, sweeping, sad and gentle all at once. Giving the player a glimpse into a world that manages to actually look alien as you sift through the ruins of a species that let technology bring about their demise.   

But the engrossing story was only the beginning. Legendary science fiction writer Orson Scott Card handled much of the dialogue and Steven Spielberg himself had a hand in a game that featured vocal work by Robert Patrick and it even managed to add some pretty heavy themes, specifically how we face and handle death. Sadly the game was not a runaway commercial success as some expected it to be, and in my opinion, this is due to the fact it was ahead of its time with an engrossing story that I firmly believe would see incredible success if it were released in this day and age.  

Thankfully, this ancient gem is still available to play thanks to the wonder that is Steam, and I absolutely recommend you give it a try. It harkens back to a different era in gaming where risks were taken by developers on a regular basis, the stories were always rich and stunning and the rewards for the players were endless as we were whisked away to incredible places that captivated our imagination and completely took our breath away.

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