Gamer Tips: Montague’s Mount

In my last post, I reviewed the Indie adventure game Montague’s Mount, & in said review I wrote about how difficult a few of the puzzles were.  So difficult, in fact, that at I actually had to stop playing the game because I was so frustrated.  Find decent help to the puzzle was a pain, so I thought I’d post a guide for anyone interested in checking the game out.  This isn’t intended to flat-out tell you the answers, but rather to give you a guide on how to find the solution.  I’m only going to be doing this for three of the puzzles that gave me some difficulty, because as I mentioned in the review, most of the “puzzles” are just locating items to put in a complicated contraption to open the next door.

So let’s begin!

Puzzle #1: Spinner Bridge Code

This is actually the first major puzzle of the game.  In the first section of the island, you’ll eventually reach a bridge that can only be lowered by putting in the right color sequence to four wooden spinners.  The only really difficult part is interpreting the Morris Code pattern from the buoy.  I suck at Morris Code, & it took me a couple of tries to figure out the sequence.  Of course, you can always just randomly guess the code, but that takes a while.

1. When watching the buoy signal, wait until the light flashes red.  This indicates the start of the code, but isn’t part of the code itself.
2. There are four sequences, & the lights pause for a longer time between them.
3. The aim is translate each pattern of short & long flashes into a single letter from the alphabet.  This letter indicates the first letter of the color.  For example, if the letter is B, that means turn the spinner to blue.
4. There are only three possible letters the codes could translate to: R(ed), B(lue) & G(reen).

Puzzle #2: Lighthouse Beacons

This was the hardest puzzle in the game for me because I completely misunderstood what I was supposed to be doing.  In this puzzle, you’re supposed to turn the compasses on three dials to match your position in relation to the lighthouse.  The image the game gives for how to solve it made me think I had to match the compasses up with the positions shown on the image, but in reality you’re supposed to line them up with your position in the game.  It’s pretty simple once you know what you’re doing, but the game’s explanation clearly confused a lot of people.

1. Find the lever near the generator.
2. Use the lever on the well to get the key.
3. Use the key to unlock the gate & get the gas can.
4. Use the gas can to power the generator.
5. Go back to where you got the gas can & flip the power switch to power the beacons.  The game also tells you (poorly) how to solve the puzzle.
6. There are three beacons around the lighthouse in a triangular pattern.  At each beacon, stand on the metal plate with the footprints.
7. Face the lighthouse & bring up your compass (default is Q).  Read the direction it says you’re facing when looking at the lighthouse.  If you’re unsure on how to read a compass, the arrow points in your direction.
8. Your exact direction is what you need to turn the compass on the stand to so that it’s under the metal bar close to you.  For example, if the compass says you’re facing N, then turn the podium’s compass so that N is under the metal bar.  Repeat this for all podiums.
9. The puzzle requires you to be perfectly accurate.  To check if you have it in the right position, look towards where you got the gas can from.  There’s a tower there with three lights.  The lights turn red when you have the compasses in the right position.

Puzzle #3: Beach Code

I think it was just because this is the last puzzle in the game & I was so tired of wandering around looking for things that I overlooked the solution to this puzzle.  You’ll eventually come across a box with four dials that you have to move to the correct sequence.  Again, you can randomly guess, but I hate doing that.

1. When you reach the overlook tower, go to the far end where the railing is bent & look down.  There’s a four-digit number spelled out in rocks.
2. The plaque where you get the key to unlock the gate down to the beach shows different patterns for each number.  Translate the numbers you found.  For example, if the first number is 1 & the cipher shows that > means 1, then you’ll move the first dial to match that symbol.

I hope this helps if anyone gets stuck on the puzzles.

– GamerDame

Game Review: Montague’s Mount

Continuing on my urge to play some adventure games, I decided to purchase the indie title Montague’s Mount… with some hesitation.  One of tags players gave it on Steam was “walking simulator,” which was one of the descriptions also given to Dear Esther.  But since I was in the mood for a game where you wander around, exploring and solving obscure puzzles, I still gave it a shot.

I can tell we’re in for a fun time

In Montague’s Mount, you play as an unknown fisherman who washed up on the shores of a small, deserted island.  During his explorations, he learns that the island was ravaged by an illness.  And those who didn’t succumb to the disease chose to end their own lives.  As he explores, he learns that he has ties to the island, & begins searching for his family.

These games don’t make me want to have children

Montague’s Mount is a first-person adventure game.  As you explore the island paths, you’ll come across obstacles that prevent you from progressing further inland.  And apparently these people had a lot of free time, because lock-&-keys simply wouldn’t suffice.  Every obstacle has an elaborate puzzle you have to solve to get past.  You do have a limited inventory, & can only carry five items at a time, but the only things you’ll pick up are things specifically meant for the puzzles.  There are also hidden areas for you to discover.

Narrative: To be honest, I felt the story was a bit on the sparse side.  It wasn’t that the story didn’t make any sense, because it did.  It just seemed like it glossed over the interesting aspects while focusing more on things I didn’t care about.  Based on the quotes that pop up randomly during the game, I suspect the game is trying to touch on themes of mental illness, but aside from the amnesia & the few hallucinations the PC has during his journey, we don’t really see that.  As is typical of these type of games, you’ll slowly learn about the island’s backstory through journal pages you’ll find scattered about, but they’re order is all over the place.  It’s hard to get a cohesive feel.  It’s not until the very end that the game really suggests our character has lost his mind.  And the illness isn’t really explained at all.  Granted, this is supposed to be the first part of a two-part project.  And the ending definitely suggests a follow-up that will focus more on learning about the illness.  But overall it just felt like the game was trying to tell this deep, mysterious story but it just fell flat.  Score: 2

This looks like where my parents grew up

Mechanics: I don’t know if it was because I’d been playing the game for so long because I wanted to finish it in one sitting, but near the end I was getting really frustrated with the puzzles.  The first puzzle involving a beacon and deciphering Morris Code was pretty good.  It took me a few tries, but I felt really accomplished when I solved it.  But as the game progressed,  I realized the puzzles were devolving into “Find X Number of Things to Put in the Machine to Unlock the Next Door.”  I think it’s after the lighthouse puzzle, which was really annoying because you had to be precise, that I really started to get annoyed.  It’s a shame, because it clearly showed potential to have a variety of good puzzles.  But by the end, you’ll be scouring areas you’ve already been to looking for the last item you need.  The game’s also very linear, although there are a few secret areas you can stumble upon.  The path is obviously laid out.  It could also stand to have a proper save system.  The checkpoints are too far between near the end, especially if you have to quit to look for help on a puzzle like I did.  Also, why can’t I run?  So basically everything works, but the puzzles weren’t as good as they could’ve been.  Score: 3

Worst puzzle I’ve come across in a long time

Aesthetics: Montague’s Mount does have some decent atmosphere, but I’m not sure it sticks around for the entire game.  The island is dark & eerily decrepit.  And the further in you go, the worse it gets.  It also rains a lot in the game, which I’m not sure how I feel about.  It’s creepy at first, but as the game progresses it starts to prey on your mind, making you more irritated.  And maybe that’s the goal; to make you feel the frustration the people living there had to live with.  The game comes with an optional film reel filter to make everything look scratchy, but unless you want to go blind I suggest turning it off.  There’s only one voice actor in the game, but his voice fits perfectly with the setting.  Score: 4

Replay Value: Low.  Unless you’re an achievement hunter, there’s really no need to play through multiple times.  Puzzles aren’t as much fun to solve the second time around, & the story just isn’t compeling enough to sit through again.  Score: 2

Breakdown

Overall Score: 3

Final Word: I just can’t recommend Montague’s Mount to anyone unless they’ve enjoyed games like Dear Esther.  It had potential, but falls short.  Hopefully the developers will heed player’s critiques & improve on the next part.

– GamerDame

Title: Montague’s Mount

Console: PC

Rating: M

Developer: PolyPusher Studios

Publisher: Mastertronic

Release Date: Nov. 19, 2013