• Log In | Sign Up

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Top Games
  • Search
  • New Releases
  • Daily Deals
  • Forums

Adventure Gamers - Forums

Welcome to Adventure Gamers. Please Sign In or Join Now to post.

You are here: HomeForum Home → Gaming → General → Thread

Post Marker Legend:

  • New Topic New posts
  • Old Topic No new posts

Currently online

Support us, by purchasing through these affiliate links

   

Intense Degree’s AGS gaming journal

Avatar

Total Posts: 317

Joined 2008-07-14

PM

I think this is a great idea, Intense! Eagerly looking forward to more. It’s a great way to find new games for free. (So are Stepurhan’s Freeware articles, but some people who will remain nameless forget to check the main website’s articles… Shifty Eyed )

     

Favorite Adventure Games-Lost Crown, Longest Journey, Dark Fall 1&2, Barrow Hill, Black Mirror, Blackwell games, Riven, Myst
Favorite Other Games-Kings Bounty, FTL
Currently Playing-Barrow Hill:The Dark Path
Looking Forward To-Last Crown/Braken Tor

Avatar

Total Posts: 334

Joined 2003-10-16

PM

I remember playing The Oracle back when it first came out. I remember being impressed by the quality of the photography. I was even more impressed by the way the creator managed to avoid crude photo manipulation to add interactive elements.

     

No Nonsense Nonsonnets 44

Quest for Knowledge

I’m hoping to find name for game that I played long ago
The people here so well-informed, someone is sure to know
A time machine, grandfather clock, I give it to myself
Oh never mind, the box is sitting there upon my shelf

For real retro gaming nerds, name that game.

Avatar

Total Posts: 1350

Joined 2009-04-28

PM

Barn Runner - The Armageddon Éclair

This is the first in a series of games which has one of the oddest numbering systems on the planet!

Disclaimer  - right off the bat I have to confess that I am a fully paid up Barn Runner fanboy. This is probably my favourite series of indie games ever made (and continuing to be made!) and they are also the funniest games I have ever played. I may not, therefore, be the man to come to for a balanced review.

This game was created nearly 10 years ago, but for various reasons was only properly released in 2005. Being the first in the series, it is not the best by a long shot but is still, despite its faults, right up there with my favourite games of all time, indie or commercial. However, I won’t address the rest of the series here, just the first game.

The Not-so-good

To be honest, there are lots of things in this game that are either odd or not so well done, which isn’t surprising for a first in the series. For instance, the game is released in two “chapters”, being two separate zip files, the second of which is password protected. (you get the password at the end credits of the first part). Why? I have no explanation.

The graphics are “simple” and unappealing in places, although certainly not terrible.

The game is fairly short and the puzzles are not particularly challenging. There is a good deal of variation in the puzzles which includes two action style shooting sequences, however, these are VERY simple (even for me who hates shooters etc.) and if you’re completely against any action parts there is an official patch to deal with it for you.

The really good

What makes this game stand apart from the crowd is the writing, game world and over arching plot of the series (or at least what has been released to date!).

The game is a sci-fi comedy set in the not too distant future where Earth has largely been reduced to a desolate wasteland with the few remaining strongholds of humanity based in giant Arcologies, huge enclosed cities where man is served by robots in almost all areas of life. However, as any sci-fi enthusiast knows, robot servants can only mean one thing; robot rebellion!

You play as Prick Peckard, head of the robot crimes division in the Arcology 17 police force, trying to prevent robots rebelling and escaping the city, where rumour states they are able to find a lush and verdant paradise, denied by the government but of which tales are told in every bar, in which humanity continues, outside the arcologies. The game world is very interesting and compelling as a very bleak and serious future is effortlessly mingled with humour and a light touch that propels the game well beyond, well, what it probably looks like from the screen shots!

The humour is very much in the vein of Leslie Nielson’s Frank Drebin in the Naked Gun films (no small praise as this is one of my favourite comedys) with the dialogue being highly entertaining, Prick’s monologues often being hilarious, and the characters themselves being perverse, believable (given the premise of the game) and much less one dimensional than, for instance, those in the recent remake of total recall!

Not only is the dialogue funny, but even the timing of some of the in game conversations and cut-scenes is impeccable almost beyond belief. If you have ever even cracked a smile at an airplane or naked gun film then you really need to play this game!

As I have said, the game is split into two chapters and you may find it takes just a little while to get going. However, it isn’t long before we hit our stride. Don’t miss the “last time on barn runner” cut-scene before chapter 2 starts, it is just a re-cap but with new dialogue and scenes that are well worth watching.

When I first played this game, the introduction for chapter 2 made me literally cry with laughter. When I recently replayed this game (not for the first time) for this review, there were tears in my eyes once again.

I’m sorry to gush about this game, but every once in a while you find something, a book, a film, a game, a TV show etc. that just connects with you so perfectly on some kind of deep level, whether it’s funny, sad or just brilliant. As you can probably tell, this series of games does so for me. I can’t guarantee it will for everybody, but from other comments I have seen elsewhere I know it will for some at the least!

So, this game is all about characters, story and dialogue (also: see how many robots you can recognise from popular sci-fi!). The puzzles are not childishly simple but will not present a serious challenge to the experienced adventure gamer. If you can enjoy a game on this basis and want to have a game make you laugh in a way that Sam & Max or other comedy AG’s don’t quite do then this is the game for you!

Released 2005 - get it here

     

3.5 time winner of the “Really Annoying Caption Contest Saboteur” Award!

Avatar

Total Posts: 1350

Joined 2009-04-28

PM

Murder in a wheel

This is a lovely little game in the LucasArts mould, with the familiar control scheme and vaguely DOTT style quirky graphics.

The first and most obvious thing about the game is that it looks good. Even if you’re not into the quirky cartoony style of graphics here you cannot help but be impressed by them, these screens would not have looked entirely out of place in a 90’s LucasArts game.

In terms of plot, you play as Lionel Ulmer, a budding investigator currently working as a pizza delivery boy. Somehow, Lionel has been invited to a dinner party at the Mansion of Lord & Lady Blackwin, along with parapsychologist and long term friend of the Blackwin’s, Dr Hadley.

In true Agatha Christie style, a dinner party at a mansion can mean only one thing - Murder! However, in true wacky comedy style, the victim is not one of the guests but Lady Blackwin’s Hamster, Roderick.

You are therefore tasked with the investigation of this heinous crime in which guests, the maid and even the family cat all come under suspicion! I can’t answer for everyone who played the game but I was kept guessing until the end as to the identity of the murderer.

The game was originally made in German but the translation into English is a good one, with only one or two points where the language is a little “off”, but never to a serious extent.

The story is amusing and the puzzles are generally good, to the extent that the game picked up the AGS award for Best Short Game of 2007.

There are some criticisms to be made of the game, in that it is short (under an hour to play through for most people I would think), the characters do lack depth (although as this is a comedy game that isn’t really the end of the world) and the dialogue is a little limited in places, with characters often repeating the same lines over and over to any questions asked.

Overall though this is a good looking and fun little game which is well worth an hour of anybody’s time.

One quick word of advice though, the game’s default language is German, so ensure you run the “setup” program first and select the English translation if, like me, your German GCSE obtained rather a while ago now isn’t going to get you through!

Get it here

     

3.5 time winner of the “Really Annoying Caption Contest Saboteur” Award!

Avatar

Total Posts: 334

Joined 2003-10-16

PM

Or play in German for that extra challenge (unless you are German).Smile

Apart from the length, I always thought this one felt like a lost game from the classic Lucasarts era. Loved the surreal plot, with a thoroughly satisfying final solution to the mystery.

     

No Nonsense Nonsonnets 44

Quest for Knowledge

I’m hoping to find name for game that I played long ago
The people here so well-informed, someone is sure to know
A time machine, grandfather clock, I give it to myself
Oh never mind, the box is sitting there upon my shelf

For real retro gaming nerds, name that game.

Avatar

Total Posts: 1350

Joined 2009-04-28

PM

Anna

Long before Sughly’s fantastic Anna’s Quest, the world of AGS knew another Anna, a different game made in very different circumstances.

There are 2 key factors which have to be understood before considering this game:

1. This game was created by Vince Twelve (of Resonance fame) back in 2005 and is (I think) his first released game. It is, of course, free to download.

2. The game was made under extraordinary time constraints.

As some of you will know, the AGS website runs informal competitions to encourage game makers to create and get something done, whether it be artwork, writing, music or whole games. You may well have come across MAGS, which is a monthly competition which anyone can enter. A theme is set and contestants have one month to make an entire game (a short one obviously!) around the theme. All elements of the game must be original and made specifically for the game, except music/sound which can be sourced from elsewhere. Entries are voted on by anyone who cares to play them and the winner sets the theme of a future contest.

However, if a month to make a game sounds pretty hardcore to you then prepare to be astounded by the occasionally held OROW competition!

In this, participants have ONE WEEK to make a game which consists of 1 room (hence One Room One Week) to the best of their ability. If you like sleep, friends, family and dislike caffeine, this is not the competition for you! The requirement for “one room” is a loose one and therefore you are not limited to literally one screen for a game.

So, now we know the background, I can tell you that in the circumstances of an OROW competition in 2005, and courtesy of Mr Xii, Anna was born.

Anna is a futuristic sci-fi tale set in space in which you play as “Hero” a technician on a deep space outpost station charged with the maintenance of the onboard systems, including Anna, the intelligent computer system that runs the station. However, suddenly during Hero’s shift, disaster looms and it is up to him to save the day. To avoid spoilers I won’t say any more than that on the story.

The burning question then is, “Can a game made in 7 days by one man really be any good?”

I am pleased to say that the answer is “Definitely, yes!”

The level of polish on this game, given the time constraints, is extraordinary and clearly visible from the title screen onwards.

From the start screen, you are given the option of starting the game with the short intro, or the long intro, estimated at 15 minutes! The long intro is well written so it is not a chore to sit through and is important for setting the scene if you want a proper understanding of the game world. Having said that, if you opt for the shorter intro you will still understand enough to be able to play the game and know the objectives etc.

Graphically, the game is mostly in black and white (or probably more accurately greyscale) but this is used as a feature rather than a constraint and, as the screenshots show, it is a good looking game, simplistic but stylish.

The control scheme eschews the use of a mouse, opting for keyboard controls of arrow keys and space bar as elegantly demonstrated by the title screen. The look and feel of the whole game is minimalist but very pleasing and you get the feeling that a professional company taking months to try and achieve the same thing would not have done a lot better.

The game play is really a series of mini-game puzzles of varying nature and complexity, some familiar and some not. I am not always a fan of this sort of thing, but in the circumstances of this game (which I won’t spoil by explaining) it makes perfect sense and works very well. None of the puzzles are at the difficulty level of some of Resonance’s finest (I’ll be honest, I just went through the front door of the lab on my first playthrough!) but the game is still challenging and you can tell that it came from the same mind as the puzzles in Resonance.

As you would expect, the game is a short one (maybe 30 minutes to play through if you don’t get too stuck). The dialogue between Hero and Anna is well written and quite a complicated game world is well established in a short period and through “one room”! There are some quite heavy themes dealt with too in the game including free choice against pre-destined actions. Quite a lot to fit in to such a short game!

To be honest, by almost any standards, this is a good game and worth playing. Considering it was conceived, designed and executed within 7 days it is honestly exceptional. It looks great, the story and puzzles are satisfying and leave you wanting to find out more about the game world. There is even a slight twist (although this won’t come completely out of the blue to all) at the end of the game.

Definitely worth 30 minutes of anybody’s time!

Released 2005 - get it here.

     

3.5 time winner of the “Really Annoying Caption Contest Saboteur” Award!

Avatar

Total Posts: 1350

Joined 2009-04-28

PM

5 Days a Stranger

Arguably the most famous name to come from the AGS stables is Ben “Yahtzee” Crowshaw. You may well have seen his “Zero Punctuation” reviews on the Escapist Website and played some of his games or read some of his work as a gaming journalist.

Although not by any means the first game released by Mr Crowshaw, this is probably the one he is best known for. Coming out in 2003, this is one of the games that first put AGS on the radar of a wider audience (not in any way to belittle Pleurghburg, KQ2 VGA remake, Rob Blanc and others that came in the years before).

5 Days a Stranger is the first in a series of games referred to by a surprising number of names including “The Chzo Mythos”, “The Trilby Series”, “The Defoe series” and “The x days a y series”. However, for now we shall only concern ourselves with “5 Days a Stranger”!

You play as Trilby, a “gentleman thief” who receives a tip off from a fence that a large English country house, Defoe Manor, now stands empty following the recent deaths of its inhabitants, and is rumoured to contain rich pickings there for the taking. Without further ado, Trilby drives out to the apparently empty manor.

However, having broken in, it quickly becomes apparent that all is not as it should be within. Although getting in was easy enough, our mysterious hero finds himself trapped in the house and not alone either.

The game is stylistically within the horror/suspense/psychological thriller type genres. Without saying too much and spoiling the story, strange things start happening to the trapped strangers, is one of them a killer or is there something with them in the house?

This game is well written. The enigmatic main character, known throughout the game only as Trilby, is a joy to play as, you get the feeling that there is a great deal of depth to this character behind an apparently shallow criminal exterior. The other characters are also well formed, believable and vulnerable, ranging from a teenage schoolboy to a hard-nosed journalist and other more “interesting” people.

Probably what this game does best is the atmosphere. Relationships between the characters are tense and there is a real sense created that there is “something” in the house. Each character has their own personality, vices and weaknesses and reacts to events in their own way.

Some have referred to this as a survival horror type game, but although there are one or two sequences where you need to act quickly or face the consequences, there can be no question that this is a traditional adventure game, there is really no need to worry if you are put off by action sequences. Think more Gabriel and the snake in the voodoo museum rather than shooting/running/jumping etc.

The graphics are simple but effective, drawn in MS Paint with a generous helping of photoshop effects. It is a triumph of the game that much of the atmosphere for the house does not come from the graphics (i.e. no dark, dusty, eerie rooms), or scary music/band shocks, everything is in plain sight and appears almost cosy. However, the writing and the story make the house feel dirty and tense, you won’t feel like relaxing on the sofa or swimming in the pool! There is a real air of suspicion and suspense throughout the game.

The puzzles, whilst not too taxing, are varied enough not to be boring and you will need your brain in gear to make it through the game.

In terms of the horror side of things there are one or two “scares” within the game which should keep you on your toes and some of the facts which Trilby uncovers concern some fairly serious and horrifying events in the past of the house, including some “gore” or “horror” type images and situations.

In terms of gripes, the most obvious thing is the control scheme. It isn’t “broken” as some put it but is slightly ungainly, especially at first. Left click interacts and right click brings up your inventory and a menu from which you can select the usual look/use/talk/walk icons. Not disastrous, but not necessarily the best and quickest interface either.

Any game with this level of emphasis on story (and quite a cult following) is going to come in for some criticism with “plot holes”, and it has done, but these are really limited to “but what did they eat while they were in there” style questions and is really just nitpicking. Try replaying it with the commentary for more on this and other things.

Length wise, the game is probably around 2 hours or so to play, unless you get stuck on something stupid, like I did! Just remember, if you feel like you don’t know what to do just walk around a little, you literally do not know what you might find.

All in all, if you like character-driven story games with a psychological horror/thriller feel and aren’t afraid of a puzzle or two then this game is seriously worth your time.

Released 2003 - Get it here.

     

3.5 time winner of the “Really Annoying Caption Contest Saboteur” Award!

Avatar

Total Posts: 334

Joined 2003-10-16

PM

I always find the One Room One Week competitions astonishing. It is amazing what people can come up with in that ridiculously tight framework. The MAGS (Monthly AGS) games offer more time, but usually involve more areas and more complex game-play so are still impressive feats.

Anna was quite something. Having stand-alone puzzles that felt part of an integrated whole takes some doing. Mind you, Vince Twelve has an impressive record. Anyone who enjoys Anna should definitely check out the “other games they’ve worked on” link at the bottom of the About the game section of the AGS page.

5 Days a Stranger was the game that converted me to AGS as a source for good games though. Possibly the retro look helped (I have been playing Adventure Games for quite some time now) but the atmosphere is really well done. The plot hole that most people seemed to pick up on was the way the other trapped people seemed to vanish on you until the story required you to meet up with them. I did once prove with a map that it was theoretically possible (the main staircase has 3 exits. If you enter by one and leave by another, that leaves a third avenue where everyone could be hiding) but that was the only real flaw that concerned me.

     

No Nonsense Nonsonnets 44

Quest for Knowledge

I’m hoping to find name for game that I played long ago
The people here so well-informed, someone is sure to know
A time machine, grandfather clock, I give it to myself
Oh never mind, the box is sitting there upon my shelf

For real retro gaming nerds, name that game.

Avatar

Total Posts: 1350

Joined 2009-04-28

PM

...stand-alone puzzles that felt part of an integrated whole…

That’s a very good way of describing it, and I wish I had thought of it!

Regarding 5 days; I think the biggest plothole for me was the fact there is a whacking great tree in the back garden which clearly gives access over the back wall so they could have got out! Laughing (there is a rather tongue in cheek explanation of the wall in the commentary though)

The “where is everyone hiding” thing I think is easier to explain away with the generally weird things going on in the house and therefore things not really being as they seem.

Still it’s a great game in despite of one or two flaws.

     

3.5 time winner of the “Really Annoying Caption Contest Saboteur” Award!

Avatar

Total Posts: 334

Joined 2003-10-16

PM

Intense Degree - 31 October 2012 05:56 AM

Regarding 5 days; I think the biggest plothole for me was the fact there is a whacking great tree in the back garden which clearly gives access over the back wall so they could have got out! Laughing

It has been a while, but I thought there was an in-game explanation for not using the tree. Something about a big drop the other side?

     

No Nonsense Nonsonnets 44

Quest for Knowledge

I’m hoping to find name for game that I played long ago
The people here so well-informed, someone is sure to know
A time machine, grandfather clock, I give it to myself
Oh never mind, the box is sitting there upon my shelf

For real retro gaming nerds, name that game.

Avatar

Total Posts: 1350

Joined 2009-04-28

PM

It is mentioned in the commentary and there is apparently an unexplained huge drop on the other side of the wall, but the flex from the TV room and some bedsheets as a rope could have overcome that in my book!

Anyway, that is only nitpicking on my part.

     

3.5 time winner of the “Really Annoying Caption Contest Saboteur” Award!

Avatar

Total Posts: 1350

Joined 2009-04-28

PM

Shifter’s Box

A lovely little game this time, in the shape of Shifter’s Box.

This game is by AGS semi-celebratory Ben Chandler, or Ben304 on the forums there. You may not have heard the name but if you have played Blackwell Deception you have seen some of his artwork. Mr 304 has worked on and released himself a large number of games and Shifter’s Box was one of the earlier ones.

As is readily apparent from the screenshots Ben304 has a unique and distinctive art style (and see his later games for how well this has progressed) for backgrounds and his character art is really rather good too! Graphically this game is very easy on the eye and the backgrounds are stylistically consistent although varied throughout the game to fit the story.

You play as Sally, a young lady out for a walk who comes across a mysterious box, apparently just left out in the open with no discernable purpose or owner. Sally decides to investigate…

Naturally, this is no ordinary box and Sally finds herself transported to other strange worlds with a backstory of war, robotics and almost magical pseudo-scientific power. Can she discover what the box is and find her way home?

Gameplay-wise, this may appear to be little more than a series of “escape the rooms” and to some extent, that is exactly what it is. However, it is a long way from the boring “find the key to open the door” type gameplay you might expect from escape the room type games. Each room has one or more puzzles which must be completed to advance and these are varied, imaginative and not necessarily as straight forward as they may first appear. From catching a floating jellyfish is a strange floating mechanical world to fixing a lift to manipulating a note on some strange pipes on an island in a yellow sea, there is no small amount of variation, both puzzle wise and graphically.

Some puzzles will not present too much difficulty, others will have you scratching your head for a while but they are logical and a bit of careful thought should get you through. There is one that requires a little trial and error (unless I missed something obvious), but even still, the mechanics are clear and it is not unreasonable.

Stylistically, the artwork and dialogue do give the game a light tough but it does not become twee or childish and does deal with a rather complicated and sci-fi type theme.

As the game is short, the characters you encounter are not especially well developed, but this is a game more about puzzles and atmosphere than it is story. I would expect that most people will get through it in an hour, allowing for getting a little bit stuck once or twice.

The soundtrack is mostly solo guitar with some delay/reverb effects which compliments the peculiar style of the game well. Sound effects are functional and well chosen.

So, in summary, a great looking short game with an interesting premise, some good puzzles and well worth an hour of your time!

Released 2009 - get it here.

     

3.5 time winner of the “Really Annoying Caption Contest Saboteur” Award!

Avatar

Total Posts: 1350

Joined 2009-04-28

PM

Nelly Cootalot: Spoonbeaks Ahoy!

Pirates have long been a staple of the adventure game diet, and comedy pirate games are almost a genre in themselves. Whilst quite a few Monkey Island fan games have been made (and probably thousands started by enthusiasts over the years) this game does not fall into that category, although there is clearly some level of Monkey Island influence here.

You play as Nelly Cootalot, a fearsome pirate of the high seas, at least in her head! She is visited by the ghost of Pirate Captain Bloodbeard (not LeChuck) who charges her with the task of visiting the nearby Barony of Meeth and solving the mystery of the disappearing Spoonbeaks! Nelly, as an animal lover as well as dastardly pirate, is only too happy to oblige.

You meet an interesting and varied cast of comedy characters along the way, from the mighty Baron Widebeard, to salty seadogs, fashionable ladies, and some frankly very peculiar others, in your quest.

The art is very stylish and the use of colour clever. There is something a little Tim Burton about the look of Nelly herself, but the atmosphere is not at all dark or gothic and the humorous feel and style is maintained well throughout the dialogue and situations you will find yourself in.

The control scheme is a fairly standard verb-coin, holding down the left mouse button over the desired item to choose from the stylish port hole, hook and speech bubble (look, take and talk) to perform the relevant action. Right click opens the inventory. Not my personal favourite control system but perfectly functional and not inconvenient.

The puzzles are not all bog standard and, although there is at least one puzzle involving tattoo design(!) I don’t really understand despite having played the game more than once, most of the rest are more or less logically consistent in the style of the game and fun to complete. Many are amusing and interesting and stand out from “the usual” puzzles you expect from an adventure game. There are one or two “mini game” type puzzles thrown in for good measure.

Playtime is probably not above 2 hours, although this will depend on how stuck you get as not all of the puzzles are straightforward.

The game is a delight to look at and very enjoyable to play. If you fancy a light hearted pirate romp in an interesting and unique looking setting then this is highly recommended.

Released 2007 - get it here.

     

3.5 time winner of the “Really Annoying Caption Contest Saboteur” Award!

Avatar

Total Posts: 334

Joined 2003-10-16

PM

I didn’t realise Shifter’s Box was a Ben304 production. I’ve always liked his stuff so I’ll have to check that one out.

Nelly Cootalot I have but never got around to playing. I shall have to give it another try. I’m sure I can find a couple of hours somewhere.

     

No Nonsense Nonsonnets 44

Quest for Knowledge

I’m hoping to find name for game that I played long ago
The people here so well-informed, someone is sure to know
A time machine, grandfather clock, I give it to myself
Oh never mind, the box is sitting there upon my shelf

For real retro gaming nerds, name that game.

Avatar

Total Posts: 1350

Joined 2009-04-28

PM

How they found silence

The game this time comes with an interesting “philosophical” question (if I can be a little more pretentious than usual) and possibly even a challenge. This is simply, how important are graphics to a game?

To be perfectly honest, when this game was released and I saw the screenshots, I assumed it would be completely rubbish. If it hadn’t been for the enigmatical title piquing my interest I might not have even bothered trying it.

With the utmost respect to the game’s creator, Discordance, the graphics are of a low standard and borderline laughable in many places. There aren’t many games I see where I can honestly think that I would be able to do better graphics without too much effort (I am a terrible artist) but this is among that number. So, with expectations set around zero, let’s have a look at the rest of it.

You play as Rolande, the last of the treasure hunters, a secret guild of mercenaries united by their distrust of one another and their ruthless ability to find treasure by any means and unknown to all except those select few who are “in the know”.

You answer the summons of a Lord Fern who lives shut away on a small island and wants an “expert” to find something for him, long secret and hidden and tinged with the supernatural. Maybe not an original premise, but not an uninteresting one.

It is apparent that this is a first game from a number of simple design pitfalls. The game is set over 6 days but each is very, very short. There is a fair amount of empty space and one or two unnecessary rooms. It is not always apparent what you should be doing, when a day will end and you will need to do some general wandering around the screens, sometimes with no apparent particular purpose, but never for too long as the island where the game is set is not massive. The colour of some of the text can make it difficult to read against the background in places.

However, it is not all bad, not by a long way. The dialogue is good and the puzzles aren’t at all bad, although they are a little thin on the ground at first.  The soundtrack is good and the atmosphere is created well. After a while I found that I almost liked the art style in the portrayal of an (apparently) almost deserted and strange island. A feeling of emptiness and a kind of barren beauty of the island and game itself slowly seeps in to your consciousness.

There is certainly a darker side to the island too and as the game goes on, Rolande comes across strange apparitions and stranger characters, which are not exactly threatening or scary, but somehow sad, forlorn and a little disturbing. I find it difficult to articulate, but there is just something about the game which fascinates and keeps you interested the further you go with it. The lonely, detached cast of characters you meet, the little girl with something not quite right, the increasingly strange things that happen as the story progresses and overall the feeling of seclusion, that whatever may happen no one will see and possibly no-one will ever know. As the game progresses, things become clearer, and an apparently incongruous series of events falls into place into a quite moving and good story.

This isn’t an absolutely brilliant game on any view, but taking it on its own terms and submitting to its style and feel give a surprisingly profound and enjoyable experience. There is something vaguely Dear Esther about the feel (without the incredible graphics of course, but with some actual game!). It borders on dreamlike, surreal, morose and other things in places, but at its heart, is a simple adventure game with one or two pretty good puzzles in amongst some more standard ones and an interesting feel and story.

If you pinned me down, I would probably say that what I really like about this game is that it is clearly one guy’s vision of a game which, despite initial appearances, executes itself well against expectations into a nice little game. Despite the problems, it is immersive and enjoyable, although not upbeat or funny.

So the challenge? Simply this; can you enjoy this game?!  Can you pierce the skin of the poor graphics and small design errors to find the fruity goodness of the interior of this game? If you have a quiet hour or so one evening with no particular plans and are feeling in an “inbetween” kind of mood then I strongly recommend giving this a go as, if you are successful, the reward is worthwhile, if not what have you lost?

Released 2009 - get it here.

     

3.5 time winner of the “Really Annoying Caption Contest Saboteur” Award!

You are here: HomeForum Home → Gaming → General → Thread

Welcome to the Adventure Gamers forums!

Back to the top