Since word of its existence was first leaked almost a year ago, The Dig has been the subject of much speculation. A popular rumor at first was that Stephen Spielberg was going to be involved in its development, but that turned out to be untrue. What IS true, however, is that the game will be the first to employ digital effects created by movie special effects giant Industrial Light and Magic.

	The Dig is the story of a group of astronauts swept away to another galaxy by an alien booby-trap. To find a way back home, they must keep from killing one another long enough to work together to decipher the secrets of a long-dead alien civilization. Not only is the plot intriguing in and of itself, there's an added appeal in that the script was originally written for the television series Amazing Stories, which is how Spielberg's name got dragged into the whole thing.

	LucasArts, the publishers of the game, haven't said much about it yet, but it appears that the game's engine, at least, is complete. A playable version of the early part of The Dig was available at the Summer CES show in Chicago. What they were showing demonstrated a mature gaming interface combined with what looks to be a very compelling story.

	At the beginning of the game, you are placed in command of a space-shuttle mission to stop an asteroid which is on collision course with the Earth. To accomplish this, you must detonate two nuclear devices on the asteroid's surface. You begin in space, floating outside the shuttle. First, you must tell the right crew member to release the "flying pig" a toolkit designed for use in freefall. After maneuvering the pig to the surface, you must plant the explosives in the right places.

	After kicking the asteroid into orbit with the nukes, you and your team return to the asteroid's surface for further study. No sooner do you reach it, however, but the asteroid transforms into an alien starship and departs for a distant galaxy. Thus, the stage is set for the rest of the game, spent trying to return the team to Earth.

	Throughout all of this, digitized speech provides a background chatter that really lends an authenticity to the experience. The visual effects, such as the alien starship's transformation, are amazing. LucasArts has also created some effects of their own, such as a fascinating "flashlight" effect while travelling through a narrow tunnel.

	There seems to be no question that LucasArts is pulling out all the stops on this one, looking to surpass their previous achievements in the adventure game genre. Given their track record, and based on what we've seen of The Dig thus far, bet on them doing it. In the meantime, we can all look forward to being swept away to a far-off planet sometime during the second quarter of 95.