Tex Murphy: Overseer

Tex Murphy: Overseer is the third game in the Tex Murphy series to use virtual world technology. For Overseer, Access Software created a new virtual world engine designed for use in Windows 95/98. Along with the new engine came a slightly modified control system. The virtual world still allowed for full freedom of movement and allowed the user to search for clues in every corner, which by this point had become a staple of the Tex series.

Overseer continued the use of the Tex Murphy series' unique method of dialogue selection. Instead of providing the players with a list of responses showing the exact words that Tex will say, each dialogue choice is given an adequate description. Never knowing exactly what Tex will say when the players select an option helps to keep the dialogue surprising, and often funny.

Like all Tex Murphy games, Tex Murphy: Overseer takes place in post-World War III San Francisco. After the devastating events of WWIII, many major cities have been rebuilt (as is the case with New San Francisco), though certain areas still remain as they were before the war (as in Old San Francisco). WWIII also left another mark on the world: the formation of two classes of citizens. Specifically, the Mutants and the "Norms".

Since the game is told as a series of flashbacks, it actually takes place in two different time frames. The current year is 2043, shortly after the events of The Pandora Directive and as such tensions between the Mutants and Norms have begun to die down. However, the flashbacks take place in November 2037. The Crusade for Genetic Purity is beginning to gain momentum, and tensions are building between the two groups.

In October 1996, Access Software announced plans for a new Tex Murphy project, under the working title Trance. The game continues the Tex Murphy tradition of using some well-known actors to portray major characters, such as Michael York, Henry Darrow, Richard Norton, Joe Estevez and Clint Howard.

Overseer was the first game to ship a version developed specifically for DVD-ROM (although pre-existing games with DVD-ROM versions were on the market earlier). The North American package contained two copies of the game, one on five CDs and one on a single DVD. The advantage to the DVD version was the absence of any disc swapping and the higher quality video files used. They were otherwise identical in content.

Tex Murphy: Overseer received favorable reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings, but many critics felt it compared negatively to the previous two entries in the series, Under a Killing Moon and The Pandora Directive. Key points of criticism centered largely on technical flaws including high system requirements and narrow hardware support for 3D acceleration and DVD video playback. The removal of multiple narrative paths found in The Pandora Directive was also noted. Computer Gaming World's Scorpia considered this game as a step down from Pandora Directive, noting its cliffhanger in the plot and a lack of replayability of the previous games.

Next Generation said, "Die-hard fans of the Tex Murphy games will find more of what they like. However, if you're looking for an adventure game that'll sweep you off your feet and make the hours fly by, look elsewhere."