Reah: Face the Unknown
| Industry | Video game development |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Poland |
| Products | Reah: Face the Unknown |
Reah: Face the Unknown (), marketed simply as Reah in North America, is a 1998 first-person puzzle-driven adventure game featuring a non-linear storyline. It is frequently likened to the Myst series in style. Created by Project Two Interactive / Black Friar and published by Detalion alongside LK Avalon, the title was distributed by Erbe in Spain in October 1998 and reached U.S. and Canadian markets through GT Interactive in 1999. In the Netherlands, Project Two Interactive handled its publication.
Initially developed in Polish, the game was later dubbed into English and includes subtitles in multiple languages: English, German, French, Dutch, Italian, and Spanish. Following its success, a sequel named Schizm: Mysterious Journey (also known as Reah II) was released. The game was made available in both CD and DVD formats.
Gameplay
Presented from a first-person viewpoint, the game emphasizes puzzle-solving within an adventure framework. Its mechanics have drawn comparisons to titles such as Myst, Riven, The 7th Guest, The 11th Hour, and Zork Nemesis. The experience encompasses more than 150 unique scenarios, enhanced by an eerie musical atmosphere and a non-linear narrative structure.
Plot
Set on the planet Reah, players find themselves at a human settlement established to study an enigmatic alien relic. The mission centers on uncovering findings and ultimately securing a return journey home.
Conception
The project was developed in Poland through a collaboration between LK Avalon and Detalion. The founders’ partnership began in the early 1990s during work with LK Avalon, leading them to pursue more ambitious ventures. The design philosophy behind Reah focused on creating a non-violent experience aimed at appealing to a wider demographic. The primary development team included six full-time members, supported by actors, scriptwriters, and sound engineers. Subsequent titles expanded their workforce by outsourcing localization and animation tasks to external studios to balance quality with budget constraints.
Production
The production employed the V-Cruise engine for gameplay mechanics and integrated the QMixer sound engine licensed from QSound Labs. The DVD-ROM edition incorporated MP3 audio files encoded by the Fraunhofer Institut. After internal teams completed gameplay programming and scriptwriting, specialists took over further development phases. Recognizing the importance of narrative coherence, Detalion later instituted a policy where the sci-fi story writer also crafts gameplay elements.
During this period, Poland’s gaming industry was still emerging, with skill acquisition primarily occurring through hands-on collaboration with experienced professionals. Small teams working on projects like Reah benefited from efficient communication channels and minimal administrative overhead compared to larger studios.
Release
Initially slated for an April 1998 launch, The Computer Show anticipated Reah as a potential breakout success. Later forecasts from PC Action suggested an August 1998 release; however, by January 1999, PC Zone had yet to receive review copies, indicating possible postponements or uncertain release dates.
In May 1999, Project Two Interactive announced that the DVD version would be available in June via GT Interactive’s affiliated label program. The DVD edition stood out for its substantial size—10 gigabytes with approximately 50% compression—contrasted with the six-disc CD-ROM version’s 3.6 gigabytes at around 80% compression, making it one of the largest games launched on June 16.
Author Terry Dowling, who played Reah during this time, was subsequently invited by Detalion to pen the science fiction narrative for the sequel Schizm, an offer he accepted.
In October 2017, digital retailer GOG.com reissued both Reah: Face the Unknown and Schizm: Mysterious Journey, releasing them without digital rights management after years of unavailability.
Critical reception
According to the review aggregator GameRankings, the game garnered a range of opinions from critics. While its richly detailed and visually striking environments were widely praised, many reviewers found the narrative and storyline insufficiently developed and lacking in drive. Opinions on the puzzles and gameplay elements were mixed; however, the majority agreed that the overall experience was enjoyable.
When compared to Schizm, Cindy Kyser of Just Adventure highlighted Schizm as a notable advancement beyond Reah, which she characterized as "a visually impressive yet disappointing title in terms of design and writing," placing it among her top genre letdowns. Tap Repeatedly pointed out that Reah suffered from "three excessively difficult final puzzles" that resulted in an unsatisfying ending, a criticism they felt also applied to Schizm. By the year 2000, IGN observed that the game had mostly slipped from public awareness.