Innocent Until Caught
| Industry | Video game development |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1993 |
| Products | Innocent Until Caught |
Innocent Until Caught is a graphic adventure title released in 1993, created by Divide By Zero and distributed by Psygnosis for the Amiga and MS-DOS platforms. Its sequel is the game Guilty.
Plot
The storyline unfolds in the year 2171, centering on Jack T. Ladd, an interstellar thief who must settle his taxes within 28 days to the Interstellar Revenue Decimation Service (IRDS) or face termination. After becoming stranded on the planet Tayte, Jack consents to complete three assignments: obtaining a Giant Kahoula egg, stealing Quargian Pleno-credits bonds from CitiCitiBank, and securing an art collection by Renato Spangle. Upon fulfilling these missions, he is deceived and captured.
With assistance from a mysterious ally, Jack manages to break out of Alkaseltz Prison alongside his companion Narm N'palm. He is then transported to a Federation spacecraft where he learns about Grand LordMaster P'PauD'P'Pau, the autocratic ruler of Shmul who invented the Transatron—a device with the capability to annihilate entire star systems. Jack’s objective becomes stealing the Transatron from the Research Laboratory.
During his journey, Jack develops feelings for Ruthless P'PauD'P'Pau, the dictator’s daughter. In SkyCity, where the Transatron is stored, Jack uncovers that it is actually an inter-dimensional gem granting access to IRDS databases, allowing him to erase debts and accumulate wealth. The Federation’s interest lies not in its destructive potential but in its ability to cancel financial obligations. Ultimately, due to an error by Narm, both SkyCity and the Transatron are destroyed; however, Jack escapes with Ruth after having cleared his debts.
Reception
Innocent Until Caught garnered varied critical responses. Hyper assigned it a score of 70%, while PC Gamer UK rated it at 80%. Electronic Entertainment awarded it a 4 out of 10.
Charles Ardai from Computer Gaming World acknowledged numerous bugs but highlighted the compelling narrative, inventive puzzles, and overall entertainment value despite technical flaws. Andy Butcher of PC Gamer praised its visual design and presentation but felt its humor was uneven and less sharp compared to genre exemplars such as Sam & Max Hit the Road. James V. Trunzo of White Wolf gave it a "Fair" rating, appreciating its comedic elements and roguish main character.
The game’s fusion of space adventure themes with innovative debt-management gameplay provides a distinctive experience within the early 1990s graphic adventure genre.