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Old 07-23-2011, 05:37 AM   #1548
terhardp
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Location: Croatia
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A New Beginning

Besides "Portal 2", this was probably the most anticipated adventure for me this year (if we count out "Last Crown" which I've thought it will be released during this year, but this clearly isn't going to happen). But "A New Beginning" was certainly well worth the wait.

Despite the fact that I've played many great titles in last few years, I've rarely came across the game which reminds me so much on my ever time favourites - "Broken Swords" (the first two games). This game has many "magic ingredients" that made BS famous - from graphic style, intriguing story, interesting characters, cinematic soundtrack, exotic locales, clever puzzles, minus the inimitable wit of George Stobbart, of course.

Ever since I've seen the first screenshots of "The Whispered World" I was drooling to play a game in the same graphic style. But the fantasy worlds and characters never quite did it for me, so I didn't played the said game so far. "A New Beginning" is just what the doctor ordered.

Besides the great looks and sound, the main star of this game is the story itself. The topic is relevant and universal and in this game it's used to the full potential. The story development may not be very fast pacing, but it has a more than enough momentum. This is also owing to the puzzles which are typical for this kind of an adventure game (dialog and inventory based with a few clever but not too frustrating logic puzzles).

Characters, even the main ones, may not be an instant likeable and charming as, say George and Nico, but they are certainly memorable and convincing. The voice acting is mostly very good, but there are few quirks in that respect here and there. But the character profiles, especially of the main characters is rather deep with enough drama and history for those who can't be without it.

Soundtrack is typical for this genre: grand-sounding but maybe a bit too bombastic. Definitively it doesn't provide an instantly recognizable atmosphere and memories as the music in "Broken Sword" games, but it works well.

Another nice feature of the game is rather long gameplay, although this may be a bit too subjective remark in my case. When playing the game that intrigues me, I usually try to "stretch" it as much as I can, despite the ocasional feeling of "can't wait to see what happens next". So, I'm definitely not an expert on estimating the exact hours of gameplay. But "A New Beginning" seems like one of the longer adventure games I've played so far.

In the end, I can certainly recommend this title to the most of the fellow adventurers, especially to the fans of "Broken Sword", "Runaway", "Secret Files" and "Black Mirror" game series. I'm sure you'll feel quite at home with "A New Beginning".

Verdict: 4,6 / 5
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Last edited by terhardp; 07-23-2011 at 05:48 AM.
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