The forthcoming Mystery-Adventure Memento Mori features no less than six different endings. And the player’s decisions alone determine which of the six possible fates the two investigators will meet in the end. The Russian policewoman Lara and the French ex-art counterfeiter Max investigate a mysterious art robbery in Saint Petersburg in Memento Mori.

The ending of Memento Mori depends on how the player tackles crucial tasks: There are several so-called key scenes for the two playable characters Lara and Max. They are spread across the entire game and allow for a number of different solutions. This means that the key scenes are hidden e.g. in puzzles or dialogues.

For example, Lara must prove she is a thoroughbred policewoman who thinks things through before she acts, even in dramatic situations. Even moral decisions such as unfriendly answers can have an effect on the game’s ultimate ending.

“Therefore, the player can’t make wrong decisions” insists Paul Guillaumon, the producer of Memento Mori from the publisher dtp entertainment. You will progress no matter how you solve the key scene puzzles. But the game evaluates all decisions in background. It then determines from the results which one of the six dramatic endings will be shown. “This way we can motivate all those who are curious to see the other endings to replay the game”, adds Paul Guillaumon. And he promises: “The six endings are vastly different with respect to Max and Lara’s future.”

The exact details of the grand finale cannot be predicted right up to the end thanks to the key scene technique. The entire fate of both main characters ultimately depends on the player´s previous decisions. Their life and their future depend on it because one thing is for sure: The Secret Order of “Ikuinen nukkuja” (engl. “The Eternal Sleeper”) is even capable of murder. For centuries, the members have been protecting a small number of valuable works of art that were painted in the face of death.

The alarm system in the famous Saint Petersburg Eremitage Museum was sabotaged during the latest coup. The perpetrator then switched a priceless work for a copy. Police Captain Sergej Vasilievic Ostankovic puts Larisa “Lara” Ivanova Svetlova, expert for art thefts, on the case undercover. At the same time, he has the means to force the ex-art counterfeiter Maxime “Max” Durand to help out. Together they have to track down the culprits. Their investigations take them on an exciting journey across Europe. But Max and Lara do not yet realise which powers they are really facing.

Three paintings from the St Petersburg’s Hermitage have been exchanged with three valueless copies. At first sight, this seems to be nothing unusual, seems to be a typical art theft like it happens everytime. However, Colonel Ostankovic, commander of the 12th department of Petersburg police which investigates artwork theft, knows more. He suspects a Finnish order of having committed these thefts.

The game takes reference of this order, which is pretty unknown outside of well-informed art circles. It’s their duty, as they understand it, to prevent certain paintings from becoming open to the public. They rely on an ancient Latin work called “Ars moriendi”, which dates back to the first half of the fifteenth century. It’s written here, that one can see the Angel of Death when tottering on the edge of life and death.

In history, many painters waited just for this moment, or even tried to exact it theirselves. Their goal: To include the image of the Angel of Death into their paintings.

The members of the secret order assigned themselves the task to anticipate this. If possible, researches discovered, they search the direct contact to the artist and try to argue him out of his intention. The order even doesn’t shrink from bribing, threatening or murdering.

So, the secret society has been managing for centures to spirit away artwork by artwork. With this knowledge, some of art thefts that happened in history suddenly appear in a different light.

Colonel Ostankovic knows about that, and so he sounds the alarm. He orders 32 years old Larisa Ivanova Svetlova, a pick of the bunch, to take over this case. Larisa again contacts 31-year old Maxim Durand, who has been arrested for forgery in the past. He’s in touch with this criminal scene and already assisted Larisa by being an informant a couple of times.

Memento Mori is developed by the Czech team, Centauri Productions and will be released in early 2008 under dtp's Anaconda brand.