Ben Jordan: Paranormal Investigator
Encyclopedia
Ben Jordan: Paranormal Investigator is the main title of a planned series of eight amateur adventure games made by Francisco "Grundislav" Gonzalez with freeware adventure game engine Adventure Game Studio
. To date, there have been seven games released in the series, each game being a separate "case" investigated by Ben Jordan, the protagonist and player character. Each game features the main title and a subtitle, usually relating to the plot of the case. The series distinguishes itself from other games about paranormal investigation in that many of the paranormal phenomena are taken from real-life legends and folklore.
There were originally nine games planned, but one was dropped because of a weak plot.
everglades
, where he investigates the murder of a ranger who was another victim of a serial killer who rips the liver out of his victims’ bodies, and the murders are connected to the local legend of the skunk ape
. The game was re-released in a deluxe version containing new puzzles and a speech pack and new graphics.
to a small desert town called Dunesberg near the Salton Sea
. There he is called by a woman to look for her disappeared husband who went to the Salton Sea in search of a lost Spanish galleon
that carried gold and drowned in there. The game was re-released in a deluxe version containing new puzzles and a speech pack and new graphics.
, to investigate the death of two little girls and prove the innocence of young woman named Mary Blaine. But he discovers secrets in witchcraft about the village. In this case he meets a detective and an Oxford professor named Percival Quentin Jones who helps him in later cases.
, Japan
to investigate the mysterious deaths of important company managers, while there are leads that indicate that they were murdered by zombies.
for their vacation. In the airport, Ben learns from a woman about the sea people and the turmoil they’re causing in a place called Agia Anna. So Ben agrees with the taxi driver to take him there without telling his true intentions to his friends. There he investigates incidents connected to the ancient Greek mythology.
. The game was added with a speech pack and maker commentaries by Francesco Gonzalez.
at the AGS meeting known as Mittens to make a Ben Jordan film called Le Chateaux Macabre. Although the pattern of paranormal investigation follows suit, the movie was much more bleak than the original Ben Jordan games. It is unofficial and able to be watched on Youtube
.
The Plot:
Ben Jordan is in France, after the events of the series. By chance, he meets a man staying in a hotel haunted by a ghost that makes people commit suicide (falling into the swamp, falling off a balcony, etc.). He decides to investigate it and has a few suspects, like the Janitor, the Manager, and several people who die throughout the film.
Trivia:
There was a reference to AGS Forums, referring to the program that designed the games, but AGS in the movie stood for Abnormal Ghost Society.
The sequel "Ben Jordan: Must Die" has been in production since August 2010. It stars Grundislav as Ben Jordan and takes place in two main locations in Italy and England.
A spinoff movie, tentatively titled "Das Banshee" was filmed in Rosslare, Ireland during the last week of August, 2011. It is expected to be released shortly after the final game.
It was a runner up in the adventuregamers.com 2004 underground awards.
Adventure Game Studio
Adventure Game Studio is a free software development tool that is primarily used to create graphical adventure games. It is aimed at intermediate-level game designers, and combines an Integrated development environment for setting up most aspects of the game with a scripting language to process...
. To date, there have been seven games released in the series, each game being a separate "case" investigated by Ben Jordan, the protagonist and player character. Each game features the main title and a subtitle, usually relating to the plot of the case. The series distinguishes itself from other games about paranormal investigation in that many of the paranormal phenomena are taken from real-life legends and folklore.
There were originally nine games planned, but one was dropped because of a weak plot.
Case 1: In search of the skunk ape
In Jordan’s first case, he is called to the FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
everglades
Everglades
The Everglades are subtropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large watershed. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee...
, where he investigates the murder of a ranger who was another victim of a serial killer who rips the liver out of his victims’ bodies, and the murders are connected to the local legend of the skunk ape
Skunk Ape
The Skunk Ape is a hominid cryptid said to inhabit the Southern United States, from places such as North Carolina and Arkansas, although reports from Florida are most common. It is named for its appearance and for the unpleasant odor that is said to accompany it. According to the United States...
. The game was re-released in a deluxe version containing new puzzles and a speech pack and new graphics.
Case 2: Lost galleon of the Salton Sea
Jordan goes to southern CaliforniaSouthern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
to a small desert town called Dunesberg near the Salton Sea
Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is a shallow, saline, endorheic rift lake located directly on the San Andreas Fault, predominantly in California's Imperial Valley. The lake occupies the lowest elevations of the Salton Sink in the Colorado Desert of Imperial and Riverside counties in Southern California. Like Death...
. There he is called by a woman to look for her disappeared husband who went to the Salton Sea in search of a lost Spanish galleon
Galleon
A galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries. Whether used for war or commerce, they were generally armed with the demi-culverin type of cannon.-Etymology:...
that carried gold and drowned in there. The game was re-released in a deluxe version containing new puzzles and a speech pack and new graphics.
Case 3: The Sorceress of Smailholm
In his first case out of US, Jordan goes to a small village called Smailholm in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, to investigate the death of two little girls and prove the innocence of young woman named Mary Blaine. But he discovers secrets in witchcraft about the village. In this case he meets a detective and an Oxford professor named Percival Quentin Jones who helps him in later cases.
Case 4: Horror at number 50
Jordan goes to London as he is called by a house owner with a group of different paranormal investigators to look into weird events in the house that is connected to a horrific incident that happened in the house about 150 years ago. In the case, he meets Alice Wilkins and Simon Booth, who became his friends and accompanied him in later cases.Case 5: Land of the rising dead
Jordan, accompanied by Wilkins and Booth, goes to OsakaOsaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to investigate the mysterious deaths of important company managers, while there are leads that indicate that they were murdered by zombies.
Case 6: Scourge of the sea people
Ben, Alice and Simon go to GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
for their vacation. In the airport, Ben learns from a woman about the sea people and the turmoil they’re causing in a place called Agia Anna. So Ben agrees with the taxi driver to take him there without telling his true intentions to his friends. There he investigates incidents connected to the ancient Greek mythology.
Case 7: The cardinal sins
After spending the Christmas with his family in Philadelphia, Ben is called to Rome by an actor who killed a priest and claims that he was possessed by a demon, and on the way discovers a secret organization called the knights of St AnthonyAnthony of Padua
Anthony of Padua or Anthony of Lisbon, O.F.M., was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. Though he died in Padua, Italy, he was born to a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, which is where he was raised...
. The game was added with a speech pack and maker commentaries by Francesco Gonzalez.
Ben Jordan Unofficial Movie
Shortly after the creation of case 7, Grundislav teamed up with filmmaker Mark LovegroveMark Lovegrove
Mark "Mods" Lovegrove is a British born film-maker & music composer. He has written music for many successful independent point & click adventure games since 2000, including many made with Adventure Game Studio & several by the popular writer Ben Croshaw . In 2003 Mark was awarded an Excellence in...
at the AGS meeting known as Mittens to make a Ben Jordan film called Le Chateaux Macabre. Although the pattern of paranormal investigation follows suit, the movie was much more bleak than the original Ben Jordan games. It is unofficial and able to be watched on Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
The Plot:
Ben Jordan is in France, after the events of the series. By chance, he meets a man staying in a hotel haunted by a ghost that makes people commit suicide (falling into the swamp, falling off a balcony, etc.). He decides to investigate it and has a few suspects, like the Janitor, the Manager, and several people who die throughout the film.
Trivia:
There was a reference to AGS Forums, referring to the program that designed the games, but AGS in the movie stood for Abnormal Ghost Society.
The sequel "Ben Jordan: Must Die" has been in production since August 2010. It stars Grundislav as Ben Jordan and takes place in two main locations in Italy and England.
A spinoff movie, tentatively titled "Das Banshee" was filmed in Rosslare, Ireland during the last week of August, 2011. It is expected to be released shortly after the final game.
Critical reception
Games of the series have been reviewed by specialized websites as well as a mainstream magazine.It was a runner up in the adventuregamers.com 2004 underground awards.