Category: Game

  • Five Interesting Characters on a Murder Case—Thimbleweed Park Review

    Five Interesting Characters on a Murder Case—Thimbleweed Park Review

    Two characters scheduled a meeting.

    The scene pans and stops at Willie, a man giving off a vibe like drinking a bottle to its last drops.

    Mr. Boris hurried to the gate only to find a Willie, the drunkard who dozed off asking for one more bottle to which Mr. Boris shuddered a resounding no.

    You can talk to Willie before or after passing the small wooden gate.

    Either way, Willie dozes off to his wonderland without answering Boris’ question on whether he noticed any passerby. Mr. Boris was probably referring to the one with whom he has the meeting.

    He has four objectives before he can meet the (shady) person. He must leave his ID in his hotel room, go to the river down by the Trestle Trail bridge, turn off the light above the Trestle Trail sign as a signal that he arrived, and meet the person at the large entrance to the underground sewers.

    Sounds detailed enough!

    He does all these, only to become a victim of a crime.

    Two agents who got assigned to the murder case came across each other wishing if only they worked alone.

    The atmosphere grows interesting as the characters carry themselves off as lone wolves trying to sort this case by revealing nothing about themselves to each other.

    It is how one agent revealed only a tiny detail about himself and stated that he answered as a “need-to-know,” a purely diplomatic expression.

    Graphics

    Take away the wide-screen, and you will get the 80s and 90s style point-and-click adventure feel. It has a Monkey Island feel, too, except without the overwhelming humor that the other brings.

    Gameplay

    You hover the mouse over an object and use the command ‘Use’ or ‘Open’ to direct the character into action.

    At first, you have the option to go through the casual mode or the hard mode. I would prefer you select the hard difficulty as the developer designed the game to play that way.

    The casual mode also cuts out half of the puzzles and, thus, the gameplay.

    My Impression

    Ron Gilbert, the creator of the Monkey Island adventure, and Gary Winnick dedicated a lot of puzzle-solving delight to this game that has decent voice acting and breathes life into the five main characters.

    However, this slight-comedy-based adventure game solves a typical problem of this genre: a To-Do list for every playable character. This feature could be time-saving for many people, especially those who have a busy work-life as I do.

    The voice acting may not be up to the mark of a great Lucas Arts story; however, the game has many hundreds of puzzles to solve this crime mystery.

    Hence, it’s a simple decision for us adventure gamers.

    It feels great to see that the traditional point-and-click still thrives to this day! I love this game. And I believe so will you!

    Below are two trailers you could check out:

    If you would like to see some gameplay, here’s a link to a walkthrough:

    References

    IGN. (n.d.). Thimbleweed Park Review. Retrieved July 17, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-m-ETqve40

  • How Joey Gives Rosa a Life Purpose—The Blackwell Legacy Review

    How Joey Gives Rosa a Life Purpose—The Blackwell Legacy Review

    Rosa felt alone for some time now. One evening, after writing an article, she felt a pain in her head before thinking of taking some rest.

    Her eyebrow raised out of anxiety as she kept throwing questions into the air about the why on whatever was happening around her. It did not take long before the pain stopped.

    Rosa felt relieved but remained flustered to the core. Suddenly, she noticed the picture of her with her Auntie Lauren standing over the T.V. flashing.

    Rosa peeked at it and saw a ghostly figure appearing beside them. Her eyebrows raised again, body goose-bumped, as she encountered the invisible man, Joey, albeit not from the Friends T.V. show.

    Her world turned dark as she blacked out on the floor.

    Right there, the game picked off a new atmosphere with Joey’s presence as Rosa woke up to have a brief conversation.

    Rosa’s suspense-filled shock drained almost instantly as she shrugged the incident off like it was a tea date, to which she expected Joey to arrive someday, even though she was not inviting it.

    Soon she found her purpose as she got along with her invisible partner as both started a journey of deciphering the investigation of two murdered college students.

    An invisible man like Joey could frighten just about anyone, but he had a different effect on Rosa, except for the blacking out part to which Joey offered a pun, with the charming characteristics that he brings.

    Image Credit: Wadget Eye Games

    Story

    The Blackwell Legacy shows us a young would-be writer Rosangela “Rosa” Blackwell as she was scattering the ashes of her last remaining family member off the Brooklyn Bridge.

    What awaits her next is meeting the family ghost Joey Mallone who said that she could live a different life than her predecessors. This came as a relief to Rosa, who thought she would get the same hereditary dementia as her aunt.

    However, she figures out a way to aspire for a better life, or according to what she heard from Joey.

    Graphics

    The game boasts the use of pixelated graphics, especially how it was used numerously around that time, somewhat resembling the VGA graphics used in the 90s.

    Image Credit: Wadget Eye Games

    Controls and Gameplay

    The player can interact with the characters and objects in the environment by clicking on them. The left-click enables conversations or directs Rosa where to go, whereas the right-click lets you analyze items.

    You can collect items in your inventory, all of which are useful for your investigation. Rosa also has a notepad where she writes down important keywords where she can connect two people or people with an object to complement her findings.

    This game has great voice acting and the tone of characters make it a delight to invest in the conversations.

    The Impression

    This was developer Dave Gilbert’s second game after his previous release “The Shivah,” which was a hit. The Blackwell Legacy is the first in a series of five games as we follow Rosa and her journey with her invisible partner Joey.

    This is a unique story and one of a kind, a premise we can rely on some delightful story with the traditional controls from a point-and-click adventure.

    After trying out a human and ghost teaming up to solve crimes, I feel much more excited to follow the series as it has four more games following up.

    Where to buy?

    If you’re interested to try this out, please check this link on Steam. If you are still on the fence, this trailer might help:

    Or try some gameplay videos to make a decision:

  • Playing a Plague Adventure Amidst the Pandemic—Unforeseen Incidents Review

    Playing a Plague Adventure Amidst the Pandemic—Unforeseen Incidents Review

    The dying woman got her wishes respected and rightfully by none other than the shabby-looking jacket-and-jeans-clothed Harper Pendrell, who is the lead character.

    Indeed, this guy from Yelltown did not think his day would go about helping someone other than repairing laptops for his fellow citizens as a handyman, let alone stumbling upon and accepting a dying stranger’s request who’s struggling in a life-and-death situation.

    Astoundingly, his concern grows much more as he figures out that she already caught the much-talked-about virus around Yelltown. The virus, namely the Yelltown fever, turned the neighborhood’s attitude by frightening even the friendliest of neighbors to open doors for people they know, let alone help, probably how we went through the beginning of the pandemic.

    The Meaningful Encounter

    Image Credits: Backwoods Entertainment

    Harper may not be the sharpest character in this wonderfully crafted game, but his heart is at the right place.

    He decides on a person’s life-changing situation, and he wanted to stay on the right side of things; he went on to look for an honest reporter named Helliwell, as per the request of the ailing woman.

    As he embarks on what we call an otherwise evil conspiracy, Harper faces many interesting characters that do not just go by but also stick to us as we play the game, making the characters’ presence respectful.

    The Gameplay

    The gameplay may seem like any traditional point-n-click adventure where you use the mouse and combine items to form something meaningful with the character’s inventory system.

    The pen-n-ink-styled visual makes it even more remarkable to the eyes.

    The character’s self-puns on the run would make it all a worthwhile and enjoyable treat, especially for people like me who tend to like talking to themselves.

    Image Credits: Backwoods Entertainment

    The Impression

    Backwoods Entertainment, the German developer, introduced a flashy game with the gloomy title ‘Unforeseen Incidents’ in a rather hand-sketched graphic-styled outlook.

    I came upon this game during the pandemic and started enjoying this incredible hand-sketched adventure. This exciting graphical delicacy includes compelling characters as the game progresses.

    We do not see that many as captivating as this game, the price of too stands at a mere $8.19 on Steam, thus giving us the chance to enjoy the atmosphere it brings to the world of us adventure game-seekers. I love this game!

    Where to Buy

    If you’re interested, you can buy it online from any store below. Please click to redirect to the site:
    Steam, GOG, and Humble.

    If you need some time to decide, please watch the trailer below:

    Here’s a link to a walkthrough:

  • Apple Arcade’s New Adventure in Antarctica—South of the Circle Review

    Apple Arcade’s New Adventure in Antarctica—South of the Circle Review

    There is not much gameplay as there are emotions in this game. John Lau, Creative Producer, in one of his interviews compared it to a Netflix drama. This game is more palatable for the audience who likes to enjoy the story while playing less.

    Stranded after an aircraft crash, Peter wanders around the cold to find help for his pilot and himself. He finds astonishing details along the path during the Cold War. The player’s apparent struggle and the strong whooshing wind give most of the scenes a survival delight. Throughout his journey, we ride back and forth between his Cambridge days as an academic struggling with his research and fighting the cold in Antarctica. We could see how his Professor and his colleagues used to view things the way people used to in the 60s and stark contrast to how Peter thought.

    The gameplay is pretty basic. Whether you are playing on an iPad or iPhone, you need to tap on the screen when the dialogue prompts you. The player can pick one of two or three options—each has a different emotion that triggers further replies from other non-playable characters.

    Bringing in the 60s was a challenging feat. However, this narrative story-driven game between Peter’s past and present is something I found pleasant trying. Love, memory, and survival—this Apple Arcade’s new adventure game has them all. And I loved playing it.

    If it sounds like a game you would want to try, head over to Apple Arcade now from an Apple device and give it a try:
    https://apps.apple.com/us/app/south-of-the-circle/id1477077753

    SotC_0003_AppStore_3.jpg
    South of the Circle, Image Credit: State of Play
  • A Unique Take of a Preacher on Life—The Shivah Review

    A Unique Take of a Preacher on Life—The Shivah Review

    Suffering. Questions. How could God let this happen? A Rabbi at a poor synagogue wondered for a moment. It is daunting to see no support from the people to whom he means to deliver his speeches. Perhaps, delivering a successful lecture depends on the person’s speaking skills—how well his/her words can lift someone’s spirit. It is also imperative to empathize and putting oneself in different shoes. It seems the Rabbi seeks some answers himself.

    The Shivah opens the scene with Rabbi Russell Stone, delivering a sermon at his synagogue to a tiny audience—an old lady who’s asleep, the cantor, and himself. Interesting how small the audience is. We find out that the people stopped going to his place for some reason—perhaps, they wanted to see some life but ended up listening to a frustrated preacher. It leads us to question whether the irregular attendance was because of his faith crisis or was it the other way around?

    Patience is a virtue in life; however, we need to understand perspectives here when the going gets tough. The opening scene gains traction soon as a detective comes by questioning the Rabbi whether he knew anything about the murder of one of his past followers, the reason being the lumpsum amount of money the deceased left for the synagogue runner. Sounds both interesting and befuddling as the Rabbi scratches his head to this one as I did mine.

    Image Credit: Wadjet Eye Games

    The Shivah presents a mystery that will keep us engaged. We follow a preacher trying to make sense of why things turned out in a certain fashion. This game will let us think, and I felt genuinely involved.

    If you’re interested, please check this out on Steam.

    Or, this trailer might help. Please note that the characters in this trailer are much more refined in the actual game:

  • A Fight for Being Free—Detroit: Become Human Review

    A Fight for Being Free—Detroit: Become Human Review

    Have you ever come across a narrative where discrimination follows people belonging to a particular race? Unfortunately, that’s daily news. Well, replace those discriminated against with androids, perfectly capable of thinking beyond what we call is machine-like, and we get Detroit: Become Human.

    Here’s the catch, though! It’s not just androids receiving harsh treatment from humans, but also because they see injustices around them. Although programmed to serve humankind by performing tasks efficiently, androids start developing a conscience and act for what is right.

    There are also instances where Androids would grow emotional, and we would feel for them. Detroit: Become Human is nothing short of extraordinary.

    Image Credit: Quantic Dream

    My Impression:

    We see the game revolving around three characters— Connor, Markus, and Kara. It enables the player with choices to make and consequences to face— just like in real life.

    Each has a different tale of going rogue and independent, having the same goal in mind. Our choices shape the story; hence, not everyone will have the same outcome.

    This game has a great soundtrack that perfectly complements the scenes. Add to that the fantastic graphics and smooth gameplay, this piece of breathtaking adventure takes us on a ride of how a revolution breathes.

    Throughout its story, I felt the struggle the characters faced; how difficult it must be for people in real life who take it upon themselves to rise above adversity and fight for freedom. This game is spectacular, and I loved it. What about you?

    If you want to buy, please head out here Epic Games or Steam.

    Trailer

  • Experience A Two-Man Prison Break—A Way Out Review

    Experience A Two-Man Prison Break—A Way Out Review

    A Way Out features two main characters— Vincent and Leo, who meet each other in prison. Both share their story of how they ended up there.

    They develop a bond like brothers in arms and go off on an exciting but albeit dangerous adventure in their efforts to escape prison.

    Vincent is a calm and poised character who usually prefers the peaceful way out of a situation, while Leo is more aggressive during a confrontation. Here is the catch— we can choose which approach we would like.

    Image Credit: EA and Hazelight Studios

    It brings joy to co-op adventure lovers and people who enjoy playing with others. The graphics are amazing, and the camera is in third-person.

    We see some emotional exchanges between Vincent and Leo about how they failed to devote time to their family. It helps us realize that giving time to one’s family is precious.

    There are some intense moments when we feel for the characters. The story was incredible, and there is a twist near the end.

    The co-op gameplay is arresting even to people who usually play solo— like me. I sure had a great time playing this with a dear friend. What about you?

    If you are interested, be sure to check this game out on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1222700/A_Way_Out

    Need to decide? Check out this trailer:

  • Enjoy Rania’s Adventure in a Cyberpunk-esque Game—Cloudpunk Review

    Enjoy Rania’s Adventure in a Cyberpunk-esque Game—Cloudpunk Review

    Cloudpunk takes place in a futuristic metropolis whose story revolves around Rania, the main protagonist. After leaving the Eastern Peninsula, Rania ended up in Nivalis, a sprawling city with people from different walks of life.

    As elegant as Nivalis sounds, the city interests us early on with its flashing neon lights, hover cars, and humming noise, making the main character a part of a vast world ready for exploration.

    The city presents both humans and androids working together, albeit with difficulties running around similar to what we have in real life, where people judge each other and treat them based on class.

    Background

    Working for Cloudpunk, a delivery company, Rania works under the leadership of a wise man referred to as Control. He gives her directions about package locations on where to pick up and drop off.

    Of course, there is a catch- Rania cannot ask about the package and its contents, which she will be delivering. Little did she know that the night is young, and it will be a while before she can take a break.

    Image Credit: Ion Lands

    Throughout her journey, she has to make choices when her decision would carry consequences, and the moral complexity would weigh heavily on her shoulders. Indeed, this is an exciting feature of the game.

    Rania would understand that there are no right choices in certain circumstances. She and Control have some fascinating dialogues throughout their journey, and Control would help Rania get used to Nivalis better.

    Impression

    Championing box-shaped objects, the world of pixelated graphics comes to life once we get to know the characters’ exciting persona mixed with intriguing dialogues. This game would help developers see how interesting a cyberpunk-style story can get.

    Perhaps, a future game could make use of this and come up with something better. I would love to try that. What about you?

    Where to Buy

    If you are interested, please check this game out on Steam.

    If you still need some time to decide, this trailer might help:

    Have a look at my next review of A Way Out.

    Cheers!