When somebody asks me what kinds of adventure games I like best, I have no problem admitting that I'm a big fan of Sierra's games, particularly titles like King's Quest. Something about the lighthearted feel of those types of games has always appealed to me. That's why I'm always glad when a game like Trumgottist Entertainment's Frasse and the Peas of Kejick comes along.
The game puts players in control of Frasse, a furry blue monster, and his best friend Gurra, a green, armless, frog-like creature, as the duo attempts to recover the priceless Peas of Kejick from the clutches of a fire-breathing dragon. The dual-protagonist approach is the game's most distinctive feature, especially since players usually control Frasse and Gurra onscreen at the same time. A simple click on Frasse or Gurra shifts control from one character to the other.
Each character has his own strengths and weaknesses, which adds a certain amount of strategy to the gameplay. Since he doesn't have arms, for instance, Gurra can't pick things up, leaving Frasse to handle inventory items. At the same time, Frasse isn't a very good communicator, and prefers to leave more extensive, topic-driven conversations to his amphibian buddy.
The game world itself is a little small—as would probably be expected in an independent game—but I never felt boxed in or limited. The game is broken into four or five “stages” that seamlessly blend into each other. Each stage of the game has its own major objective, and once it's completed, players advance to the next part of the game and can't backtrack. The first stage of the game takes place on the small island Frasse and Gurra call home. After learning of their quest to locate the Peas and deliver them to the king of the realm, they must journey across the sea to Kejick Island itself, find a way up the isle's legendary peak, nab the veggies, then deliver them to the castle and claim their reward. Each of these steps in their journey is self-contained, so players always have a good idea what they're supposed to do next.
Of course, it wouldn't be an adventure game if Frasse and Gurra could just accomplish their mission without some snags along the way. Most of the time, they have to help a character reach a goal or remove some obvious obstacle in their path. It may not be too innovative in the story progression department, but the game's major quests are nonetheless fun to figure out and are often quite humorous. Fans of Dr. Seuss, for instance, will instantly notice an appearance by a pair of characters inspired by one of the venerable author's books, who must be dealt with in a very unique way before Frasse and Gurra can continue their quest.
Game information
GAME INFO
Frasse and the Peas of Kejick is an adventure game It has a Stylized art style, presented in 2D or 2.5D
