Revisiting Full Throttle | A Timeless Classic

The 'Why I Love' series on GamesIndustry.biz showcases game developers' appreciation for each other's work. This installment is written by Christopher Mathes, the mastermind behind the point-and-click murder mystery Murder On Space Station 52, now available on Steam. Growing up in the early 90s, my family didn't own a PC, instead, we had a neglected DOS machine with a tiny monitor. My knowledge of the system was limited, and our only gaming console was a Super Nintendo. I often found myself in the PC game aisle, admiring the large boxes and shiny CDs. One day, our old DOS machine was replaced with a new Windows PC, complete with a CD-ROM drive. I spent hours exploring the machine, but soon grew tired of Minesweeper and Solitaire. A few days later, I visited the store and browsed the PC game section. With my hard-earned cash and youthful enthusiasm, I stumbled upon a game that caught my eye - Full Throttle. The cover art featured a goggle-wearing, leather-clad man jumping his motorcycle away from an explosion. I purchased the game, eager to experience my first CD-ROM adventure. As I inserted the disc, I was met with a burst of colors and pixels, full-screen animations, and CD-quality music. The voice acting, including Mark Hamill and Roy Conard, brought the characters to life. I was hooked from the moment I punched my way out of the first dumpster. Ben Throttle, the game's protagonist, stands out as a unique character in gaming. His combination of dry wit and brute force makes him effortlessly cool. This trait also allows for creative puzzle-solving, such as kicking in a locked door. This approach to game design taught me a valuable lesson: problems and their solutions should be tailored to the protagonist, not the player. This principle is applied in my game, Murder On Space Station 52, where the main character's skills as a mechanical engineer inform his approach to puzzle-solving. Full Throttle's design is clever and polished, with a chapter-like structure that feels thoughtfully created. The junkyard door puzzle is a great example of this, where the solution involves using a padlock to lock the door shut and climbing the chain to enter the junkyard. This design subverts player expectations while utilizing Ben's unique abilities. Murder On Space Station 52 follows a similar design philosophy, embracing a chapter-based structure with layered puzzle tiers. The puzzles evolve over time, adding complexity without overwhelming the player with items. The motorcycle combat section of Full Throttle is not the game's strongest aspect, but it was a novel idea at the time. The use of the Rebel Assault engine and rock-paper-scissors-like system for fighting gangs makes it more accessible. This section leads to one of my favorite puzzles, where Ben must navigate the Cavefish tunnel and find a ramp to jump a gorge. The solution involves removing reflectors from the road, which only works in the universe of Full Throttle. The game's worldbuilding is memorable, with a Mad Max-inspired wasteland vibe and unique characters. The mystery of the setting drew me in, and I spent hours exploring new locations and meeting the inhabitants. I applied this approach to my own game, designing logos and in-world brands to create a rich and immersive world. Finishing Full Throttle took months, but it was an experience that stayed with me. I believe it changed my perception of what games could be, showcasing the medium's potential for storytelling in a way that movies, TV, and novels cannot. It's possible that I wouldn't be a game developer today if I hadn't played Full Throttle.