Opera Fatal is a 1996 educational graphic adventure puzzle video game developed by Ruske & Pühretmaier Design und Multimedia GmbH and published by Heureka-Klett. The game's plot follows maestro Angelo, the orchestra director, on the night before the premiere of Beethoven's Fidelio. A mysterious thief has stolen the musical scores; to retrieve them, Angelo must solve a series of music-themed riddles that have been scattered throughout the opera house.[1][2]

Opera Fatal
French cover art
Developer(s)Ruske & Pühretmaier Design und Multimedia GmbH
Publisher(s)Heureka-Klett, index+
Platform(s)Mac OS Microsoft Windows
Release
Genre(s)Graphic adventure, puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player

Gameplay

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The gameplay of Opera Fatal consists of first-person exploration as Angelo finds his way through the opera house. The player can interact with some specific objects by clicking or dragging them. Some items can be carried by Angelo to be used to solve a puzzle elsewhere in the opera house. The primary goal is to find the numbered questions left by the thief and to write down the correct answers in a book in the office. As more sets of questions are answered, more parts of the opera house become accessible. To aid the player in answering the questions, an interactive virtual library on music theory, musical instruments, the lives of several composers, and music history is available inside the game itself.[3][4]

Reception

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Opera Fatal was first released in German in 1996; later versions were released in Italian, English, French, and Dutch.[3][5][6][7]

Opera Fatal won several awards, including the 1997 Digita award for educational games[8] and the 1996 Macromedia People's Choice Awards. It was also nominated for the 1997 Milia D'Or in Cannes.

References

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  1. ^ Ruske & Pühretmaier Design und Multimedia GmbH (1996). Opera Fatal (Windows). Heureka-Klett. Maestro Angelo has a problem. Mysteriously, important scores and his personal notes have disappeared. One speculates that a thief is involved.
  2. ^ Ruske & Pühretmaier Design und Multimedia GmbH (1996). Opera Fatal (Windows). Heureka-Klett. Finally, after years of waiting, Beethoven's only opera was to be presented to the music-loving public in a unique production.
  3. ^ a b Jenny100. "Opera Fatal review". GameBoomers. GameBoomers Group. Retrieved 18 July 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "IBI: Projekte - digita 97 - Privates Lernen, Über 10 Jahren". Institut für Bildung in der Informationsgesellschaft (in German). Archived from the original on 12 June 2002. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  5. ^ "Opera Fatal (1996) Windows release dates". MobyGames. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  6. ^ "Museo videogiochi: Opera Fatal". Gharlic Heimli (in Italian). Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  7. ^ Bolling, Ron. "Software". Vaklokaal Muziek (in Dutch). Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  8. ^ "IBI: Projekte - digita 97". Institut für Bildung in der Informationsgesellschaft (in German). Archived from the original on 6 September 2002. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
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