THE CITY OF THE CHILDREN WALKTHROUGH
=====================================
By: Mike Strife
mike_strife@hotmail.com
Platform: PSX, PC
Developers: Psygnosis, UGC
Based On: The Movie "The City of Lost Children"
CONTENTS
========
1.0 Misc Info
1.1 Intro
1.2 Copyright info
2.0 Game Info
2.1 Intro
2.2 Characters
2.3 Controls
3.0 Walkthrough
3.1 Part 1: Rob the lighthouse watchman
3.2 Part 2: Rob the Loan shark.
3.3 Part 3: Escape
3.4 Part 4: Get to the oil rig
4.0 Trapped?
4.1 Cellar
4.2 Warehouse
1.0 MISC INFO
=============
1.1 INTRO
I first saw this game at a EB in my town. It was in the pre-owned section
for $7.99 (Canadian) I thought it looked pretty good though, I was a huge
fan of the Alone in the Dark series and it looked alot like AITD. So I
bought it and played for a bit. While playing I learned a few things about
this game. 1) The story which could be amazing is told so vauge in the game
you wouldn't know there was one at all. 2) Sometimes it's really hard to get
past a part even if you know exactly what your supposed to do 3) but you
never know what your supposed to do. The game is based on a movie which I
haven't seen but intend to soon, cause the story sounds like it could be
really interesting. The movie is in French with english subtitles, which not
only makes it hard to watch but even harder to find being a forign film. Now
the games itself is really, really hard, I mean incredibly hard, I had so
much trouble getting though it, so I looked for a walkthrough on the net. I
went to tons of sites and only found one walkthrough. But it was the worst
walkthrough I'd ever read. Absolutely horrible. The walkthrough itself was
more vauge than the games story. That why I decided to write my own, this
isn't even close to the best game ever made, but it's a good game and needs
a good walkthrough. Anyway I hope this helps someone. Thanks for reading.
1.2 COPYRIGHT INFO
This document is not meant to be used in a for-profit manner, and nobody
may reprint /reproduce/distribute/post it without first obtaining my express
permission, and giving me credit for it.
2.0 GAME INFO
=============
2.1 INTRO
There are strange things afoot in the city. Vans drive through the narrow
streets by night, screeching to a halt so burly men can throw children into
the back, then they vanish at high speed leaving only shadows behind. There
used to be lots of children here but now, it seems, only a handful remain.
In the city's grim orphanage lives Miette. 12 years old and forced to steal
for a living, she's as cunning as a cat and twice as nimble. She gets
everywhere she shouldn't and drives grownups mad, but when you live in a
city as big as this there's just so much out there to explore.
On a lonely oil rig, lost in the swirling fog of an unknown future, there
is a sad man called Krank. Aging prematurely because he can't dream, he
kidnaps young children, hoping that eventually he will find a way to steal
their sleeping thoughts and restore his youth... In the city, a brave and
honest man named One searches for his little brother, Denree, who has been
kidnapped. As he adventures, One is befriended by a young girl, Miette, the
leader of a wild bunch of orphans. Together, they adventure through
post-industrial dangers and bizarre encounters.
The opening cutscene begins with a man telling his younger brother to be
careful. He says lots of kids have been disappearing recently so he must be
careful. Suddenly a a strange old man with a wierd mechanical mask comes
around the corner and chases after the kid. Eventually the old man corner
the little boy. another man with the same mask as the first grabs the boy
and throws him into the back of a truck that drives away.
2.2 CHARACTERS
Miette: A young girl who has lived in an orphange all her life. She is
forced to steal for a living.
Peuvre: Actually Peuvre is two people. She's a set of siamese sisters (Two
sisters joined together/permanantly attached) She runs the orphanage and
orders the kids to steal.
One: A circus preformer, not very educated or bright, but very strong. His
little brother was kiddnapped and he's out to find him, using Miette's
help.
Denree: One's little brother. He was kiddnapped by a cyclops.
The Diver: Lives in a cave under the Ocean, he has very vivid nightmares
which are the result of the guilt of something deep in his past. Something
related to the kidnappings.
Cyclop: There are actually six cyclops, they see through the one eye covered
by their mechanical masks. They were made by Krank for the sole purpose
of kidnapping children. Their weakness is loud noises.
Krank: No one knows where Krank comes from. He is a mysterious mad scientist
who lives on a oil rig near the city. He can not dream and because of this
he is aging prematurely. He kidnaps young children so he can find a way to
steal their dreams for himself.
2.3 CONTROLS
PSX
Triangle: Pick stuff up/Drop Stuff/Select stuff in Inventory.
Square: Talk to people.
X: Action/Use Inv item selected.
Circle: Open Inv/Put selected item away.
R1: Run.
R2: Bend Down.
Select: Bring up Menu. Options/Save/Load.
PC
PgUp: Pick stuff up/Drop Stuff/Select stuff in Inventory.
PgDn: Talk to people.
Enter: Action/Use Inv item selected.
CTRL: Run.
Alt: Bend Down.
TAB: inventory.
** The run button can also be held down while climbing boxes or stairs to
make Miette move faster.
3.0 WALKTHROUGH
===============
3.1 : PART 1: ROB THE LIGHTHOUSE WATCHMAN
We become in control of Miette, an orphan who is made to run illegal jobs
for her owners. A pair of Siamese sister called Peuvre. While talking to the
sisters you will learn that your job is to steal money from a hut. The hut
belongs to the lighthouse watchman. Peuvre tells you to get the key from the
man outside the orphanage sitting in a chair. (If you stay in the orphanage
too long you'll get thrown in the cellar. To see how to escape the 'cellar'
see the trapped section below.)
Go out and talk to him, he'll give you the key and tells you to get lost.
Go past the man and dog and exit at the top of the screen. Go right on this
screen and follow the path to the very bottom of the stairs, going to the
left you should see a small alcove below the steps you just came down. Go in
and pick up a brush thats in there. Go back to the bottom of the steps. To
your right there is a path heading up. Take it. Go right on this screen and
you be at a pier. On you right is a pile of skids. Get on top of them and
you'll find a metal bar. Pick it up. The follow the docks down/left to the
light house. Use the bar on the control box to the left of the door. The
light will go off and the guard will come running to find you. Get behind
the barrels and boxes on the right of the door and crouch down. (You must be
facing away from the boxes and barrels to crouch, it's kinda tricky) When
the guard comes he won't see you and after inspecting the box he'll enter
the light house. (If the guard catches you you'll be forced to work in the
warehouse. To see how to escape from the wareshouse see the 'trapped'
sections below!)
Run back to where you got the metal bar and go up the stairs to your left.
Follow the path to see the small house. Use the key on the door to unlock it
then enter. Turn on the lights the switch is on the wall to the right of the
door. You'll see the safe but there somekinda electric current running
through it. Needless to say you can't get the money. Open the cash register
and put the brush inside. The register drawer won't shut. This stops the
electric current in the safe (Don't ask me what sense that makes I have no
idea.) Open the safe and get the coins. The alarm goes off and as you exit
the hut the guard will catch you. A man will save you by knocking out the
guard. This is the older brother from the intro cutscene. He asks you to
help him find his brother but you say you have to get home and run away. You
are taken to the orphanage automatically.
3.2 PART 2: ROB THE LOAN SHARK
Your now back in the orphanage, ask Peuvre about your next mission, your
supposed to break into the loan sharks home and steal whatever you can. Go
to the back of the classroom your in and take a bag of marbles off of the
shelves. Quickly exit. In the alley your now in theres a door right above
you. Go up and enter it. Your now in the kitchen. Here is one of the only
other kids still in town. Talk to him, then try to take a bottle labeled
'potion' off the table. After he says he'll give you the potion if you get
back his marbles, give him the bag of marbles. Take the sleeping potion and
search the kitchen on the counter near the table you'll find a chicken leg,
pick it up. Go back into the alley. In the alley you'll see a staircase
going down, and one going up. The one going up leads to the home of the guy
sitting in the chair. The one going down leads to the cellar. In the corner
by the stairs leading to the cellar you'll find two empty wine bottles pick
them up. Now go past the dog to the north exit of the alley, before leaveing
the alley go into the corner on the right, in here you'll find a marrow
bone, pick it up. Exit the alley through the north entrance on your left.
Follow the path, go all the way down the stairs to where you got the brust
from the alcove in the wall. Go past the alcove to the end of the path and
you'll see a drunk man, talk to him until he says he's hungry. Give him the
chicken leg. Then he'll offer you some wine, go to the barrel to the left of
him and use an empty bottle to fill it up with wine. Go all the way back to
the orphange alley. Give the sleeping potion to the man in the chair. He'll
fall asleep. There's a basket hanging in the air the the right of him. It's
tied to the stairs using a knob. Turn the knob to lower it a little bit.
Then grab the sausage and door handle inside it. Go up the stairs to the
right of the man. Turn on the light using the switch to the right of the
door. Go down, and keep going straight as far as you can, you should find a
pair of keys there, pick them up, then leave the home. Back in the alley you
can't get to the loan sharks home because the dog is blocking the way. So
give the dog the marrow bone. Then go into the door to the right of the dog
house.
At the bottom of the steps you can go left or right. The loan sharks home
is to the left. Go left and talk to the guard. He won't let you past. Go
back to the bottom of the steps then go right this time. You'll see a man
working on his truck. Talk to him, then when he looks into the engine grab
the pliers off the ground by his truck. Go up a bit and you'll see a bell
attached to the wall. Use the pliers on it to cut it loose, then pick it up,
go back down the left path to the guard. Use the bell on him. Hmm? See the
effect. Aparently the guard doesn't like noise. How can you make it louder?
Move over to the stairs beside him and hit the stairs with the bell. The
guard will fall into the water. Now enter the loan sharks home. Walk to the
center of the house and go up, there is a table here with a small safe on
it. Get the safe. Move left and down, into the corner. There is a large safe
here with a scale to the right of it. Put the small safe on the scale to
open the big safe. Go to the big safe and pick up the gem inside. Leave the
house. As you exit you will be attacked by the cyclops.
3.3 PART 3: ESCAPE
You almost drowned. Good thing the diver saved you. This must be his place.
You'll wake up in a small room, it looks like the basement of some place.
There is one other person in the room with you, the diver, he is on a bed
and looks sick. There is a key on the shelf behind him but when you try to
get it he stops you. In one of the corners of the room you'll find a block
of wood behinds some crates and piles of stuff. (It's the corner to the left
of the wall levers.) Get the pieve of wood and go to the right. There are
two levers on the wall, pull the left one down and use the wood on it, then
pull the right one down and a loud ringing will starts which has an effect
on the guy in the bed. Go past him and get the key from the shelf. He starts
mumbling about how he created a monster named Krank, and its kidnapping
children to steal their dreams because the monster can dream himself. Climb
on the grey box near where you got the piece of wood and look through the
parascope. You'll see a lot of kids get on a boat then it takes off. Use the
key to open the only door in the room and exit.
Go up a small set of stairs and follow the path, theres a grey cement base
of a pillar along the path with a railing infront of it, search the side of
the base nearest the top of the screen to find a lighter. Pick it up and
continue following the path. You'll go up and down some stairs and finally
up a large set of stairs. Climb on the boxes and over the wall, then climb
down. In the corner to the left of the boxes you'll find a candle in the
shadows. Pick it up and go up to the large table. Get the scissors of it and
put the candle down. Use the lighter to light it. It will burn the rope
while you hide behind a door. The rope will break sending a large box throw
a trap door and a women will run out of the house, while shes inspecting you
sneak in. Here you mean the older brother again. He thinks you were killed
by the cyclops. (old men in masks) and is surprised to see you. You tell him
the cyclops is kidnapping kids and taking them away to the oil rig. You
decide to find a way to the rig so you can save all the children. While you
are talking the lady returns and yells at you. The big brother stands up for
you and tells you to run away.
3.4 PART 4: GET TO THE OIL RIG
Outside of the house follow the twisting path until it branches, you will
have two ways to go, a very obvious north path, and a barely visible path
going left, go left off the side of the screen and you'll see a man painting
a boat, talk to him, then head up the large set of stairs behind the boat.
Walk along the long walkway until you see a window ledge with a tin can on
it, get the tin can and continue along the walkway. You'll enter a alley on
your right is a tatoo artist, keep going north past the tatoo artist until
you get blocked by a railing, on the left side on the railing in a pile of
stuff is a atomizer, pick it up. Talk to the tatoo artist, try to grab the
map from the artist's stand, then go back to where the guy was painting the
boat. He should have moved to the right side by now so pick up the paint
brush by his paint can and dip the brush in the paint can. Go back to the
branch in the road and go up the other way. You'll see a path to the left,
one north on the left side of the screen and two stair cases near the bottom
of the screen. Go down the right staircase and talk to the man in the boat,
the go down to the very end of the dock. Pick up a stick from the ground
here. Go back on the stair case and exit the screen to the left. Use the
paintbrush on the guard here and he'll fall into the water, go down to the
end of this dock and talk to the fisherman, keep talking to him until you
ask what he's fishing for. He'll reply he lost his tin in the water. Give
him your tin can and he'll tell you how to get the map from the tatoo
artist. Go back to the screen with all the paths and stairs and go north as
soon as you enter the screen from the left side. Follow this path to the
circus preformers place. On the porch of his place is a bottle of flees. Use
Stand below it, to the left of the preformer and use the stick to knock it
over, then play the music box the the left of you, the fleas will bite him.
Use the Atomizer on him to get rid of the fleas then take his watch. Go back
to the screen with the paths and stairs and exit off the right side of the
screen. Go all the way back to the tatoo artist. Go to the little spot to
the left of his booth and face right. Press the action button and part of
the booth with fall and hit the artitst knocking him out. Take the map from
the front of the booth. No go all the way back to where you got the stick,
by the man in the boat. Give him the map. (Save your game cause this is the
very end, and you don't wanna have to do anything over) Give One the
watch/compass and watch the ending cutscene.
THE END - YOU WIN
4.0 TRAPPED?
============
4.1 CELLAR
It's easy enough to get out of the cellar all you have to do is find the
door, it's in a corner between a open crate and large bookcase. Just look in
ever corner of the room for it, then examine it, they forgot to lock it.
Open it and you'll be right outside the orphanage.
4.2 WAREHOUSE
To get out of the warehouse climb on the boxes next to the entrance, use
the action button on the control box above you and Miette will put the fuse
back in. Then go up the steps to your left and press the switch to the left
of the door, it will be open and you can go back to the game.
This Document Copyright August 2001 Mike S. Maritgnetti
You can e-mail me questions or comments to mike_strife@hotmail.com