7 Days A Skeptic
7 Days A Skeptic is the second game in the Chzo Mythos series, but the last game chronologically. It was developed by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw using Adventure Game Studio and was released on July 22, 2004. Taking place nearly 400 years after 5 Days A Stranger, it chronicles the story of psychiatrist Jonathan Somerset and the other five crew members of the spaceship Mephistopheles as they face the same being that haunted the characters of 5 Days A Stranger.
Gameplay
The controls of 7 Days A Skeptic are similar to its predecessor. One major improvement to the interface is the ability to choose how to interact with an object after right-clicking on that object. This eliminates the need to switch between the look, walk, touch, and speak icons in 5 Days A Stranger. Movement is achieved by left-clicking.
The story is spread out over seven days in an identical fashion to 5 Days A Stranger. Dream sequences make a reappearance. According to Yahtzee in the author commentary of the special edition, seven days may have been stretching the plot a little thin. Overall length of the game is comparable to 5 Days A Stranger.
Another gameplay feature not present in 5 Days A Stranger is the actual presence of surviving. At some points of the game, Barry and the Welder will chase Malcolm, and when on close proximity, he will be killed, without any option to continue except by loading previously saved games, prompting the players to save often, while adding psychological horror and challenges. In addition, Malcolm may be killed by other scripted events, for example, thrown into the space.
Story
The year is 2385. Man has long since left Earth to explore the stars. In an attempt to preserve resources, the Earth Federation navy has retrofit the scout ship Mephistopheles, first built in 2328, to return it to active duty. It is assigned to chart the Caracus galaxy under the command of Captain Barry Chahal as his last act of service before retirement.
The game opens with veteran psychiatrist and ship counselor Johnathan Somerset listening to the concerns of the ship's doctor William Taylor. Worried about being on his first assignment, William describes nightmares he has had recently of being stare at and told he does not belong. Jonathan suggests he try to relax, as William is not expected to do anything more than his duties, of which he is certainly capable. This appears to reassure William, who thanks Jonathan and takes his leave.
Soon afterwards the entire crew is called to a meeting.
...
Special Edition
In addition to the normal edition, which is distributed free of charge, there is also a special edition of 7 Days A Skeptic, along with others games in the series, available only by donating. However, after sometime, Ben Croshaw released it free.
In addition to the features found in the normal edition, it also contains:
- Author commentary
- Access to the "Birthday" easter egg
- In-game music MIDI provided in the download
- Warning when chase sequences are going to happen