Recent reviews by SunlessMeridian

Cayne is an interesting “demo” for The Brotherhood’s previous game Stasis, and with science fiction and horror themes, offers a nice twist on the normal point and click experience. The budget constraints are occasionally apparent, and the puzzling at times becomes frustrating due to a lack of direction, but with its relatively brief play time of around three or four hours, and the bargain price tag, Cayne is worth a try for those looking for an interesting science fiction story.

How much does a price tag influence what you expect from your purchases? Is a triple A game, with its premium price, objectively a better experience than a cheaper Indie game? Obviously not, but sometimes the argument gets flipped upon its head…is something obtained for free of little value because there’s no cost of acquisition?

With its free to play price tag, high production values and unusual setting, Cayne is an attractive proposition for fans of point and click adventure games. Despite ties to The Brotherhood’s previous game, Stasis, and being set in the same universe, it boasts a stand-alone story and a new cast of characters…which means that for someone with no experience of Stasis it can be viewed a bit like a demo for its older sibling.

Cayne is a science fiction horror (think Alien) told via an isometric view point and through the medium of point and click puzzles. Waking into a nightmarish delivery room, our pregnant protagonist Hadley is tasked to explore a strangely deserted and damaged research centre, looking for an escape from the increasingly precarious situation she finds herself in. The story is predominantly told via info dumps in discovered PDA’s, which although captivating lack proper integration into the gameplay. It breaks the show and don’t tell rule of storytelling, relying almost exclusively on narrating the story through text. That being said what is there is interesting, and given the constraints on a free project is far from damning.

The game looks great though, and such is the polish on display, it’s immediately apparent that Cayne could probably have been classed as DLC, and perhaps it’s just the brief play time that held it back from receiving an official price tag. The cutscenes are of a good standard and the sound design is stellar; the voice acting in particular is brilliant, with the main character’s VA standing head and shoulders about performances in other, more expensive, games. The rest of the characters are also good, although in keeping with the setting some are a little odd, with unusual phrasing and inflection.

But the meat of the gameplay is in its puzzle based progression, and it’s here that Cayne feels a little lacking. There’s a fair amount of trekking around the environment collecting items and exploring new locations, but a lot of the time objectives don’t feel clear and there’s no easy way to get back on track if you fall off after a break from play. It also uses a little of the space logic that would be much more obvious if you were familiar with the prevailing technology (although nowhere near the level used in The Dig). Combining and using objects via the inventory isn’t a problem, it’s just that sometimes the puzzle to be solved for ungating progression is more opaque than the potential solution, leaving a player with little clue what they’re supposed to be doing.

Fortunately, with a cost of time only, it’s easy to try Cayne and find out if all those elements work for you. For those curious about a science fiction adventure with hints of horror, Cayne is a definitely worth a try, and as a stepping stone into the world of Stasis is a helpful taster. Would this be a recommendation if there was a price tag there? Possibly not, and to be truthful I’ve learnt enough to pass on Stasis, but the time I spent with the game was enjoyable enough, albeit with the occasional glance to a guide. However, if you’re not prepared to read some of the more interesting story texts you’re going to be missing out on the greater part of the experience, and as a pure point and click journey it’s not quite there, despite the setting and its atmosphere.

Tormentum – Dark Sorrow is a casual puzzler with a relatively brief game length and oodles of character. It looks beautiful, boasts an oppressive atmosphere not commonly seen in this type of game and has puzzles that don’t encourage self-harm. Players seeking an interesting take on a puzzle game won’t be disappointed with the time they spend unravelling the story of the nameless protagonist, although it’s not the longest of journeys.

Genres represent different things to different people. Some may regard a band like Metallica as rock, others as metal or thrash (…of course I acknowledge that this is a stupid example). But in games too we have a divergence in what the different genres might represent. Tormentum - Dark Sorrow is categorised on Steam as a point and click, as too are The Tiny Bang Story, The Secret of Monkey Island and Papers, Please. Let me let you in to a little secret….only one of those games is what I’d personally describe as a point and click game despite all being mouse controlled.

With the foreboding images that accompany the game, the shrouded figure standing silently in grim and threatening environments, it would be easy to assume that this is a traditional point and click adventure. However, Tormentum is essentially a puzzle game, in many respects an analogue to the Room series of games. Much like those games there is an inventory system and collected objects are used to solve specific puzzles in a logical and prescribed way. Instead of the table or zoomed in view of an object that The Room offers, Tormentum allows the player access to a number of chambers each with its own items of interest or puzzles that block the way on. In some cases these challenges have the components required to overcome them within the location itself, but in most examples they require the player to explore, and expose themselves to multiple problems at once.

It’s here that the game gets a little hidden objecty as there isn’t a consistent item glow to highlight objects of interest, nor an action sentence. Also, navigation is via arrows that sit at the sides of rooms, but the boundaries of each room are generally larger than the players view requiring a small amount of scroll. On occasion this leads to frustration as exits that should be clear remain obscured, presenting pseudo dead ends that shouldn’t have caused issue. The puzzles themselves though are all well thought out and have rational solutions, with many in possession of additional instructions in the form of scrolls. Admittedly, the challenge here isn’t high, perhaps similar to The Room games, maybe a little easier, but because there’s much more of a sense of progression and hints at a greater world, this is less of a problem than it would be in the Fireproof games.

There is a narrative, albeit one that is slightly ethereal, with an amnesiac protagonist kidnapped and imprisoned in an ominous castle and tasked with escape and self-discovery. The story such as it is, is presented through inner monologue, the dialogue of other characters and through snippets of text within books and on notes scattered throughout the world. It’s not the deepest of stories, and the grandest character of all is the oppressive world in which we find ourselves, but it conjures a dark atmosphere that warrants exploration. The player is also able to make choices as they make their way through the game which impact upon the game ending.

Obviously the game’s graphical style is a big contributor to what makes Tormentum stand out and it’s true that it looks great. In fact some of the artwork is beautiful, real desktop background material, although some of the best images are saved for the final sequence of the game. The grim and dark images echo the tale being told, and whilst the music is not memorable it certainly sets the scene with atmospheric pieces that perfectly complement the setting (although the music used in the bad ending is somewhat incongruous to all that has come before). There’s no voice acting, which may detract from the enjoyment of some, but it’s really not a problem given the potential for error in tone that might have occurred.

With two endings possible, and achievements dependent upon route chosen (or save scumming) Tormentum encourages a replay. The puzzles whilst not overly hard are well thought out and consistent with the game world, and there’s only a minimum of pixel hunting for objects because of the absence of item glow. The biggest frustration, obscured exits, is easily avoided once the problem becomes apparent which leaves only the game’s length and relative ease of passage as a potential caveat. It’ll take the average player perhaps 3 or 4 hours to make their way through the game on their first run, and although there is that choice of endings there isn’t really a great deal of replayability once everything has been seen. Tormentum is an enjoyable experience for those who are looking for a more casual puzzle solving challenge, but perhaps isn’t as deep or complex as it might first appear.

Kathy Rain is a brilliant first game from Clifftop Games and is a fun and at times captivating adventure, with excellent voice work and attractive pixel graphics. With its strong and personable, albeit tough, protagonist the game offers a good helping of logical point and click puzzling and an interesting narrative. It’s a little short, but the overall quality is very high and aside from being a little easy at times (which is no bad thing!) earns a definite recommendation in the annals of point and click adventures.

Was Scooby Doo a detective show? Did the Mystery Machine randomly breaking down somewhere where strange things were happening show that the gang actively sought out the unexplained? Or were they just nosey? It’s a question that I wondered as I played Kathy Rain, the Scooby Doo’iest of point and clicks, as Kathy found herself involved in a mystery that came out of nowhere…attending the funeral of her grandfather she gets drawn into a mystery that has had a multigenerational impact upon the town in which he lived.

Kathy Rain, an AGS point and click adventure from indie developer Clifftop Games, could be mistaken for being a Wadjet Eye release at times. With its lovely pixel artwork, character portraits that require a bit of imagination to match up with the lo-res faces, and somewhat sombre tone it bears all the hallmarks of what we’ve come to expect from those masters of the point and click revival. The real question is whether something so deceptively retro is worth your time today. And with no prior expectations the answer is most resoundingly yes.

As mentioned above, Kathy Rain has all the characteristic traits of a typical AGS adventure. Its pixel artwork is lovely however, with bright colours and distinctive character and location work that bring the game to life. Kathy is a distinctive protagonist, and despite the potential lack of detail that can come from pixel art, is a nice change from the typical main characters we see in these more sombre games. In fact every aspect of the game seems lovingly rendered, environments, inventory items and puzzles included, and it’s a rare case of a point and click where the dreaded pixel hunt doesn’t become a common occurrence.

Perhaps the UI is part of the reason for this, with a large cursor that readily picks out objects of interest and indicates how they can be utilised by the player. It’s refreshing to feel unhampered in this regard and with the dynamic interactivity options (if an item has special properties a small tab appears in its display) interacting with puzzles and the environment itself is never a sticking point. Of course Kathy has a standard inventory bar that expands and contracts as required, and you’ll often find yourself combining objects or showing them to people, but the novel controls are easy use and self-explanatory in their operation, never hindering gameplay.

Puzzle difficulty is something that can be a contentious issue. Kathy Rain has some original conundrums that are enjoyable in their novelty, and of course the typical combine and use problems. On the whole this is not a particularly challenging experience, although there are one or two chokepoints that most will run into towards the end of the game (I bruteforced a somewhat cryptic puzzle involving a poem, which seems to be a common problem). The puzzles are logical in their application, taking a refreshing real world approach which may be in part why the game feels slightly easier than some of its fellows. Of course many will play these games to enjoy the story, and as a result I personally felt the difficulty was perfectly pitched, never requiring a guide but still having some head scratching moments that required Kathy’s assistance to solve.

And hearing Kathy speak was a wonderful experience, largely matched by the entire cast. Of special note is Arielle Siegel, Kathy’s voice actor, who is once again brilliant. She brings Kathy’s dialogue to life and creates an attachment that can be difficult for some protagonists to achieve. Of course the dialogue has to be of an equally high standard to allow the voice work to shine, and thankfully there are no clunkers although a particularly zealous priest can get a little annoying. If asked I’d have trouble recalling any of the game’s themes or musical motif’s, but whilst playing I wasn’t troubled by a poor atmosphere or misuse of music, so whilst not memorable it plays a more than adequate role in fleshing out the tale.

So with an interesting cast and good puzzling, can the narrative match the standard and elevate the game to something special? It’s here that I feel Kathy Rain stumbles a little, and whilst it’s a shame that it does so, it certainly isn’t ruinous. For the first half or perhaps two-thirds of the adventure the plot has a slightly chilling effect, with hints of mystery which could veer off in almost any direction. There are leads and questions posed that seem to indicate the direction of the story, and this serves as a brilliant spur to push the story on. However, the exploration of character’s pasts, and the resolution of all the loose ends is unfortunately unsatisfying and somewhat vague. It’s not an open ended disaster, which would indeed be frustrating, but equally the wrap up ends with a fizzle and not a bang.

That being said, Kathy Rain is a very enjoyable point and click game that I’d recommend to anyone without hesitation, with a quality that easily surpasses some of the output of more experienced publishers. The “Detective is Born” subtitle can go some way to explain away loose ends, with potential revelations to follow, but sometimes it’s nice to have the potential options for explanation a little less vague. As it is the denouement becomes somewhat forgettable which isn’t a tragedy but is a little disappointing. With its 5 to 8 hour play time it’s not the longest game (I finished in two sessions) but it doesn’t feel overly short and there’s definitely room for more of Kathy’s adventures in the future. Play it. Enjoy it. Then watch Twin Peaks.

(...and if you already own the game what are you waiting for?!!)

Ben There, Dan That and Time Gentleman, Please! Are adventures in the classic point and click mould. That being said they are thick with humour, sometimes lewd, and anyone unprepared for a bit of British “banter” is in for a rude awakening. The puzzles are generally good, although comparable to some of the more confusing 90’s offerings at times, and if you can tolerate the graphics and repetitive sound, and would like something a little different, these two games are unlikely to disappoint.

Humour is something that can be difficult to get right…we all have a sense of it, though more often than not it merely tingles rather than erupts. And that’s obviously because different people find different things funny, and so going pedal to the metal towards a comedy point and click adventure is rolling the dice. And to be completely honest with you, I almost abandoned these two games because of all the funnies…and this coming from a Brit with an understanding of the injokes and fourth wall breaking references.

Ben There, Dan That and Time Gentleman, Please! are peas in a pod, the former effectively serving as a more basic demo of the latter, setting the stage for Ben and Dan’s real adventure. They echo the old school style of point and click from the 90’s (Lucasarts not Sierra) rather than the more modern take we see today from the likes of Wadjet Eye. In practice this means at times the puzzles stray away from the more logical solutions that are more common in later games. In fairness this isn’t really a problem in BTDT, and only becomes particularly frustrating and skewed near the last section of TGP where, for me at least, I was pulling my hair out trying to work out what I should be doing. However, it’s the clever puzzle design that kept me playing. Hat’s off to Size Five Games here, because by the time I’d become sick of the comic interplay between the characters it was the strength of the puzzling that kept me going.

Both games use an unusual interface where the left mouse is the tried and test action or walk button, whilst the right rotates a mini menu between options that activate with left click (walk, talk, examine, item use or Dan use). It took me a while to get used to, but it works well enough with the more standard inventory system in which your items get stashed. And a stash is indeed what you will accrue in TGP, as the game has a habit of not tying up puzzles or items, leaving a multitude of options and potential confusion. This isn’t helped by the common problem of being left in the dark about what to do or where to go next. Both games have an overarching plot but at times don’t really break this down so well into objectives, leaving a player a little reliant on eureka moments.

It’s that tortuous puzzle structure that at times can feel like a little too much of a throwback, and admittedly made me reach for a guide once or twice. They’re generally fun little brain teasers that make sense, but certainly those coming from more modern games are likely to feel frustrated at times, and whilst Dan does offer advice on occasion, a more formalised hint system would have been nice. Again, these problems tend to be limited to the later parts of the second game, and at that point the humour will likely have worn you down, so it’s not an egregious problem and it left me more disappointed with myself but not recalling my old moon logic skills.

The graphics are definitely going to be a barrier to some people, in that they're most definitely a retro project. However, they’re both nice looking, stylised games with a unified aesthetic and generally once past that initial bump won’t be a problem at all, with TGP crisper and better looking than its predecessor. The music does get a tad annoying though, with prevalent repetition and simple themes. Personally however, the biggest issue for me was the walk animation for Dan and Ben…their spidery legs flip flopping around as they moved was like nails on a blackboard for my subconscious. There were however two problems that the graphics and UI caused. Firstly, there are going to be one or two pixel hunts, especially if you’re playing in the standard small window, which is expected but no less irritating.

However, what was incredibly annoying was the occasional inability to select something with the cursor, either not highlighting at all or selecting the wrong thing. More than once was this a problem and held up several puzzles due to missing small or hidden objects that might be assumed to be background art.

So the big one that we’ve so far skirted around….the humour. These games are thick with British pub humour, old references and swearing. To start with it’s endearing, but over time it can become a tad cloying, with almost every exchange quip laden, every sentence some kind of joke or comic aside. On the whole the humour is good, and there aren’t any obvious dips, but the quantity of jocularity can become fatiguing, and at times it’s just too much of a good thing. This could certainly be thought of as the unique selling point of the games, and what with the generally good puzzle design and dialogue makes them stand out. But be very aware that you’re in for machine gun jokes and bad language…something that whilst might be normal in a pub environment really isn’t in an average game!

BTDT and TGP could be considered lost gems from the heyday of the genre, and certainly fans who want something a little different are unlikely to be disappointed. However, the overall narrative is somewhat shallow at times and can lead a player to head scratching moments of confusion…Hitler and his Nazi Dinosaurs must be stopped, and coat hangers erased from history (yep you read that right) but what am I supposed to be doing next? This is made more problematic by the multitude of locations available and inventory items to use, something which tends to be more streamlined in modern games.

Go in to these games for a good time, don’t be too scared about reaching for a guide (though please do try first as most of these problems are cleverly constructed) and there’ll be very little to disappoint. Offering 6 to 8 hours of gameplay it’s a bargain, more so during any sales. And for the record this is exactly what British people are like….exactly….to think we used to have an empire!

As an enjoyable cyberpunk point and click adventure with satisfying puzzles and an interesting and original narrative, Technobabylon succeeds. Offering around 8-10 hours of gameplay spread across 10 chapters, and with three different characters to control, it weaves an interesting story of murder and deceit. Its world feels a little flat however, and once or twice objectives are not immediately clear, but as a complete package Technobabylon is a fun ride for those who enjoy dystopian tech-noir adventures.

There’s a distance to travel between idea and finished creation, and the transformative process that bridges those points is crucial in achieving the designer’s goal. Can the greater idea be broken down into its component parts and reproduced into exactly what was originally intended? Consider a simple sentence that can be understood in two different ways (It was the least I could do to give a small example). The writer immediately knows how to interpret that sentence, but if additional texture is added by stressing a word with italicisation, the meaning is clearer to all. In a game where detail and atmosphere is critical, does Technobablyon match its ideal form?

Technobabylon is a point and click adventure in the cyberpunk mould, occupying a dystopian future in which an electronic overseer known as Central shepherds the populace of the city of Newton. With the help of a human police force (CEL) and technology that allows direct interface with machines in a virtual environment (the Trance), life should be relatively easy for the people. Unfortunately for Central, a spate of killings by a Mindjacker (a murderer who literally steals a person’s mind killing the in the process), a rise in the number of biological terrorists (humans genetically engineered to explode) and a potential CEL agent gone rogue, indicate that there’s a bigger picture to be revealed. Plot wise it’s an interesting mix and certainly encourages the player’s curiosity.

The game plays out through the viewpoint of multiple characters – Latha Sesame, a young woman seemingly addicted to the virtual world of Trance space, Dr Charles Regis, an experienced CEL agent with a background in genetic engineering and an extreme dislike of technology and Dr Max Lao, a young newly promoted CEL case officer with no such prejudices. Control is handed to each as the story dictates, with only a very brief section that permits hotswapping between the three, and this division roughly splits the plot into two converging tales. The characters are generally likeable, with Max far and away the most endearing of the trio, but with only snippets of background information on Max and Latha, and with Regis seemingly disconnected from his past, it becomes very hard to care for any of them. This drains the story of dramatic tension, which is a shame given the course of the narrative...it’s hard to care for these people we barely know.

There are echoes of Blade Runner in the mix of shabby run down environs and gleaming high tech labs, with a soundtrack that delivers on the premise of each location, be it industrial ambience or electronic bounce. The pixel art is also neat and expressive, although on occasion certain hotspots don’t seem as obvious as they could be. The music also serves as a suitable complement to the game, but sadly is not memorable beyond those confines.

However in terms of world building, we see very little of the Technobabylon’s city, and only a tiny cluster of people; Newton feels unpopulated with the omnipresent Central markedly absent unless called upon. The assumption would be that the world is supposed to feel dreary and oppressive, dystopian in a cyberpunk way, but it doesn’t because we never really see enough of it working outside of the confines of the story. As a result the environment never feels alive, never captures the essence of the tech-noir it strives to emulate.

The voice acting is admirable though, each voice different and effectively reflecting the personality of the character speaking. Once again Max’s VA is a highlight, but across the board it’s solid with generally believable scripting and despite not being overtly humorous, at times there’s a dark satire bubbling under the surface. It’s also a nice touch that whenever a character is talking a lovely pixel art style portrait is displayed, giving a more detailed representation of that person, complete with a range of different expressions. There’s also an excellent developer commentary feature which provides a lot of interesting insights about the development process, although there are some small spoilers in those tracks so beware listening to these before a full first run.

But a game like this lives or dies on the strength of its puzzles, and thankfully on the whole they’re good, bordering on excellent. Technobabylon boasts a standard inventory system allowing item combination and examination, and generally most of the obstacles that the player will face on their journey are logical and frustration free. There are a couple of irritants however, where important items are not readily visible against the background or when the player is assumed to have knowledge that the characters who inhabit the world may have (the rules of Wetware hacking still seem muddled to me…). This is worse towards the end of the game, but whilst it’s unsatisfying that there are a couple of choke points, as a complete work the point and click logic is generally good. Less satisfying are the more action oriented tasks, such as evading a guard by hiding behind moving crates or a version of future pong (although admittedly the game intends for you to cheat). Perhaps the most egregious sin that Technobabylon commits is occasionally abandoning a player to stumble upon the next story beat, which once or twice left me wandering around in circles with no idea what I was supposed to be doing next.

So, let’s get back to where we started. Technobabylon is an enjoyable experience and certainly a fun point and click adventure. It’s got an interesting story, good puzzles and looks and sounds nice. But frustratingly it lacks a certain something, some atmospheric punch that would bring the world to life and elevate the game to something really special. It’s apparent what the developer was aiming for, and it’s almost tangible given any past exposure to dystopian scifi or cyberpunk adventures, but Technobabylon just falls short of providing a glimpse of the living, breathing world that something like Primorida succeeds in describing. Next time maybe use more italics…

Offering a unique take on point and click adventuring, Loom dispenses with the inventory system entirely and the item juggling that goes along with it. Using a distinctive interface, and offering a musical adventure that presents a darker tone that one might think, Loom is a journey made to be completed and is an experience that every veteran genre fan should have.

There’s a wistful melancholy that permeates Loom’s world. A quiet atmosphere that sits heavy atop our protagonist, Bobbin Threadbare, as he learns the ways of the Weavers and discovers his place in the world. Perhaps it’s the creator’s history up to this point, working in text adventures as he did, and the deft touch that he uses to incorporate a whimsical humour that sits at counterpoint to Bobbin’s abandonment. Or maybe the unique gameplay that was unlike any point and click adventure that preceded, or indeed followed, sets Loom apart. Regardless, this is a game that, thanks to its design, feels almost educational and can be experienced in its totality by all who start it within three or four hours.

There’s no getting away from the fact that Loom is somewhat dated, however the core mechanic is so unique in implementation that it doesn’t feel that way. Possessing only a few of the basic point and click trappings (walk, talk and examine) that’s about all it has in common with its contemporaries, or even within the genre as a whole. Loom does away with the inventory system entirely and instead Bobbin learns spells (drafts) which can impact the world around him and are composed of four of the notes (threads) that he knows. Bobbin can examine objects to learn a little about them and in turn this may yield a new draft – for instance examining a cauldron full of green dye will teach him how to dye things green, and with a little thought, remove that green stain too. With this in mind, and given the fact that Bobbin learns new threads as he progresses through the game, every puzzle that the game throws at you is solvable with a bit of lateral thinking.

In fact there are sometimes multiple ways to solve problems, with drafts that are missable optional in their use in the main storyline. Didn’t examine a certain object to learn its draft? You’ll have a (perhaps) less obvious alternative that is just as viable. It’s this elegant game design and simplicity of gameplay that deftly encourages the player to persist rather than to assume they’ve missed something hidden in pixels. If you’re trapped in a room then you WILL have the means to escape, a liberating concept in a point and click. However, that’s not to say that it’s impossible to make a mistake. The drafts that Bobbin learns are randomised in their composition with each playthrough, and with no automatic notation, if the player doesn’t write them down as he learns them then it’ll be painful guesswork from that point on. Or essentially you’ll be restarting the game…

Loom is also unusual in that it offers three different difficulty settings at the outset. Based upon the player’s musical proficiency, or tone deafedness, the amount of help that the game gives you with regards to hearing, learning and using your musical notes will differ. Essentially you can either go for the hardcore option and recognise the notes being played by ear and where they sit on your distaff, or instead have a little assistance. I’d firmly recommend the easiest option….With each draft made of four threads, and Bobbin gradually being able to utilise up to eight different threads to compose them…well, that’s a lot of permutations.

The game’s narrative is also somewhat heavier than other point and click adventures, and despite the occasional one liner, feels darker in tone than other more jovial jaunts. Bobbin is all but abandoned in the opening sequence of the game, stranded alone on an island and left with little idea what has spooked his village elders so much. Whilst the plot isn’t the most complex, and perhaps might be regarded as having an open ending (two further games were mooted but never saw the light of day), it remains interesting to experience Bobbin’s misadventures as he discovers why the Conclave of Clerics appears to be making preparations for war, and just what role he might play in those ambitions.

Loom came in a variety of different forms, and the format presented on Steam is the VGA version which presents a dilemma for the shrewd gamer. The VGA release boats spoken dialogue and slightly enhanced graphics, but the script was reworked and character close-ups removed because of it. With this in mind, and also following Brian Moriarty’s own advice, it would be sensible to buy the VGA version( to properly remunerate the publisher/distributor), and to play the original EGA with ScummVM. It’s a quality release, with distinct art and sampling Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, certainly a sensible experience for a first play. That’s not to say that the VGA version is without merit, and the voice acting is well performed, but perhaps the true Loom experience is in its original format (although saying that there’s also an FM Towns version that might be the best compromise).

Today, Loom is still a unique and enjoyable experience, and definitely worth playing for those who are fans of point and click adventures. It’s short but unique, charming yet somewhat brooding in its atmosphere and undoubtedly a little different to anything you’ll have played thus far. It’s not perfect, and perhaps some may decry the simplicity of the experience as a whole or the story itself, but that would be ignoring the differences on offer here and the magic that is imbued in the weave of this game. Perhaps Moriarty’s version of The Dig would have surpassed Loom, but as it stands it’s the second best game in the Lucasart’s Adventure Pack. Plus, Bobbin Threadbare is perhaps the greatest name for a protagonist that's ever been conceived! Sorry Guybrush, you're a close second...

An excellent addition to the point and click genre, though sadly not defining in its gameplay, Fate of Atlantis is a fun trip chock full of fun characters, generally solid puzzle design and an enjoyable narrative. With quality of life improvements that put it head and shoulders above The Last Crusade, it’s just a shame that the final act doesn’t meet the high standards set by the preceding chapters. Ends with a bang though!

After the success of The Last Crusade, and with a franchise as ripe for exploration as Indiana Jones, it was inevitable that another game would follow. Free of the constraints that the movie tie in formula forced upon it, and with a new and original story, Fate of Atlantis manages to improve upon its predecessor in every way. And yet, perhaps because of the ties to an existing world, or a rush to meet a deadline, it doesn’t quite reach the peaks of some of its brethren in the Luacasarts library of point and click gems.

Compared to The Last Crusade much has been changed in terms of interface and interactivity. Items are automatically highlighted in the action bar, with applicable verbs lighting up and Indy performing said action on right click. This minor quality of life difference makes an incredible change to player fatigue, and being able to open and proceed through a closed door with one button press (as opposed to three) is joyous in its implementation.

Additionally, the elimination of four superfluous verb buttons further streamlines the experience, and whilst admittedly the game is running on a newer, sleeker version of the SCUMM engine, the comparison to its older brother is night and day in terms of usability.
Graphics and sound are also a huge step up, and whilst you’re still likely to be playing the game in a windowed view, the character models are far more detailed, appearing far closer to the big screen versions they’re aiming for. The environments are also lovingly crafted in pixel art that almost always serves to assist the player rather than hinder them, with only one or two examples of objects blending in to their background and requiring a pixel hunt (sadly this occurs at the tail end of the game, although we’ll get to that in a minute). Voice work too is excellent, with sterling work from Doug Lee as Indy and Jane Jacobs as his adventuring partner, Sophia Hapgood, their interactions and particularly Sophia’s scathing comments always enjoyable to hear. And with John Williams’ original music to work from it’d be difficult to ruin the soundtrack and effects, the atmospheric tracks serving to further emphasise each location.

The story here is particularly good too, certainly not indicative of something that’s been thrown together merely to take advantage of a hot property. With Indy and Sophia in a mad rush to beat the Nazi’s to Atlantis, following clues left by Plato, there are all the ingredients for a globe spanning adventure and that’s exactly what we get, with multiple locations and even a smattering of gameplay types, with fist fighting making a return as well as a somewhat awkward car chase. Of course there’s every chance that you may not encounter either of these things, with the novel midgame opportunity to take one of three different routes to your destination, each path differing depending upon its soubriquet. Take the Team path and you and Sophia will outwit the opposition together, whilst the Wits path sees Dr Jones solving more taxing puzzles on his own and the Fists route opts for a more straightforward approach. The choice adds replayability and each one is dissimilar enough to feel fresh and different from the rest, with graphical changes to environments and of course different puzzles.

And for a while The Fate of Atlantis felt almost perfect, with its brainteasers logical and mostly fair, objectives clear and with a minimal amount of frustration. The interesting plot, variety in tasks and environment and colourful characters all adding up to something special…and then I got to Atlantis, the final destination of the adventure. It’s at this point that the puzzle solving goes a little off the rails, with objectives going from clear to somewhat obscure, and the addition of mazes and rooms scattered all over the place detracting from the succinct design of before. It suffers a bit from The Dig’s failing, in puzzle design that is probably obvious when viewed afterwards, but without foresight can become a little tiresome creating needless backtracking and confused wandering. This is also where the first instance of pixel hunting is likely to occur, and when the player isn’t really clear what puzzle they’re supposed to be solving, is egregious in its appearance creating an unintentional barrier to progress. Of course once the player gets to the end it’s satisfying and fun, but the final third of the game is a little more frustrating than it needed to be given everything that came before.

Viewed as a whole The Fate of Atlantis is still a high watermark in point and click gaming. It’s fun and relatively breezy to venture through, with those alternate routes bolstering its engagement. It is possible to die, although somewhat unlikely if you have any common sense, and once more your performance is graded with Indy Quotient points. Which makes it even sadder that the final section of the game feels awkward and clunky, marring an experience that had the potential to be so much more. Go into it expecting to have fun, but don’t feel guilty that you might have to reach for a guide once you reach that titular undersea metropolis. It’s still the best Indiana Jones game, just not the perfect one.

“You left just when you were becoming interesting.”–Prof. Henry Jones

Better than the action game alternative, yet at times creaking with its age, The Last Crusade feels dated because it lacks some of the essentials that we take for granted in point and click games these days. The puzzles are generally logical, but when combined with the lack of verb auto-selection, seemingly random dialogue trees and incongruous gameplay sections, coupled with a story that most will be familiar with, it’s difficult to recommend.

A game being old doesn’t automatically mean that it’s going to be bad, or provide a poor experience. Certainly, if that was the case older games would never feature on, or near, the top spots of lists that rank the greatest games of all time. However, it’s probably not unfair to say that certain genres have aged far more than others, with games released before particular milestones suffering the most. Gameplay evolves naturally over time, and when experienced without those subtle, cumulative updates the experience can border on intolerable. Admittedly, the point and click genre isn’t one that would be associated with great changes…and yet small ripples…

When played today, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade suffers due to a variety of factors, first and foremost being the quality of life improvements that we take for granted in point and click games. The SCUMM interface was yet to be streamlined at this point in Lucasfilm Games’ history, and suffers from a lot of options that feel unnecessary or indifferent from others. Whilst “What is” would seem to be the same as “Look”, it doesn’t perform the same function, and in fact it’s almost essential for locating objects of interest. On entering a new screen a savvy player will scan the whole screen using “What is” to identify items that might be easily missed, and this highlights improvements that are taken for granted today. Similarly interaction with the environment feels just as clunky. There’s no auto verb usage and it quickly becomes obvious how much it hurts when this is removed.

Furthermore, The Last Crusade offers a variety of gameplay styles that don’t feel interesting to play, nor congruent with the core gameplay. Indy may well be an action hero on the big screen but here the fist-fighting and biplane flying feel out of place, shoe-horned into the game because of their place in the source material. And yes, no fights are mandatory, but the inscrutable answers that guards require to convince them of your honesty seem to follow no logic, and it comes down to guesswork (ditto the third grail trial, in which there seems no obvious way to succeed without pure luck). Thankfully, the problem solving outside these examples is relatively sound, with only a few places where frustration rears its head (that’s assuming you’re diligently what is-ing). Plus, if you’re familiar with the movie then you’ll have a head start on what you should be doing next.

Of course a game of this pedigree will look a certain way, and this is by no means a bad looking game when judged by those standards. Environments generally look distinct and capture the flavour that they’re aiming for, although they don’t eliminate the pixel hunt that we have come to expect. Audio is sparse with no voice acting, and only the occasional musical flourish or sound effect, so much so that it becomes notable when they do appear. Thankfully though the script is well crafted, peppered with the light humour that we’ve come to expect from this studio.

Should you play Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade? It’s short, has death penalties for failure, somewhat irritating game sections and retells a story you’re probably already familiar with. Lacking implementation of streamlining that should seem obvious (if you have the signed pass why does Indy have to show it repeatedly at every checkpoint? Why not go straight to the famous red line on a map?) and lacking any real story embellishments, there is little reason to follow Indy’s footsteps. Surprisingly though, I probably had a better time with this than I did with The Dig, but taking everything into account your time would probably be better invested in Indy’s second graphic adventure, The Fate of Atlantis.

You see, you can get through a review without stating that it belongs in a museum!

With satisfying puzzles, an interesting narrative and charming characters, Primordia is a wonderful experience for those looking for their next point and click adventure. Seldom frustrating, though perhaps a little brief, Primordia doesn’t outstay its welcome offering six to ten hours of enjoyable adventuring, and suitable for those new to the genre and the grizzled veterans seeking to satiate their addiction.

I’ve redrafted the start of this review four or five times, each time scrubbing out the words I’d written as being inarticulate and not expressing what I’d like to say. And that’s because Primordia deserves to be lauded for what it is and does… for whilst a point and click adventure is a relatively easy thing to create (just ask any HyperCard enthusiast), a good point and click is not. Primordia is a good point and click adventure, and whilst it doesn’t top some of my experiences with the Lucasarts treasury, the fact that I’m placing it on that pedestal close to the classics should be some indication of its quality.

Primordia, despite its post-apocalyptic setting, doesn’t fall foul of some of the easy clichés that might so easily rear their heads. Its protagonist doesn’t really want to ruin his day with bothersome adventuring, isn’t hugely interested in the wider world around him, and, but for a lack of power, would happily remain at home. Sadly with events conspiring against him, Horatio and his robo side-kick Crispin are thrust on a journey which leads them to question their place in the world and the nature of their existence (well Horatio does, Crispin just wants arms). Primordia’s narrative is thoughtful without spreading it too thickly, touching on deeper themes but devoid of the heavy handed storytelling that might mar just its philosophical musings. It’s not perfect, but it explores the ideas it presents in a way that is complimentary to the game, and not in a manner that’s jarringly incongruent to the experience.

Part of what assists this narrative is the presentation, going the Adventure Game Studio route and opting for low resolution, pixelated graphics. Whilst this necessitates windowed play (you can try to stretch the game out but I guarantee you’ll be back to a window within minutes) the game looks lovely when viewed appropriately, with genuine care taken in its appearance. Despite the inherent limitations, the characters are illustrated distinctly, their forms representing the different personalities that each has. What few cutscenes there are fail to disappoint, and but for those playing the game with subtitles, will find place in the screenshot galleries of many a player. The world could perhaps be described as drab, but how better to describe a ruined and decaying world?

But atmosphere is not created through visuals alone and it’s easy to forget the importance sound plays. The voice acting, whilst not necessarily stellar, is solid and Crispin’s quips are especially notable, providing notable light relief in a game that, at times, might become a little dour. Nathaniel Chambers’ soundtrack is integral to the experience, fitfully embodying the dark and oppressive or the sense of wonder and discovery that accompany the journey. If anything the soundtrack recalls Vangelis’ Blade Runner compositions, which whilst I would imagine is intended, nevertheless is high praise indeed – these soundscapes may not be individually memorable, but in conjunction with the world, they enhance the gameplay immeasurably.

Of course all this would be for naught if the puzzles were awful…point and click games live and die by this facet of their design. Thankfully Primordia adopts a very logical approach, with potentially real world solutions to the problems that Horatio and Crispin must overcome. What also must be commended is the limitation of inventory junk that might litter lesser games, with our protagonists’ options sensibly limited to prevent frustration or obtuse puzzle design. The puzzle areas aren’t tiny by any means, but are relatively compact and it’s nice that it’s rare to bump into arbitrary walls because an inconspicuous item might be missed. Furthermore, Crispin functions as an in-built hint system providing the player with titbits of help should they be stumped about what to do next. This is a fantastic idea, and something that should be a staple of point and clicks – allow the player the opportunity to progress naturally, but should they become stuck and want help give them the chance to seek it without resorting to a guide.

Primordia isn’t faultless however, and there are occasional bumps in the experience. Once or twice it may be difficult to work out what to do next (and on one occasion Cripin’s advice was out of sequence, giving help with a puzzle that occurred after the current roadblock) and separating the right mouse button into a dedicated look did cause one moment of frustration. However, Primordia has all the elements that go towards making a game that’s enjoyable for everyone rather than just hardcore point and click purists, and it’s for that reason that it becomes an easy recommendation for those looking at games in this genre.

https://bubblepipemedia.bandcamp.com/album/primordia

Effectively more of the same, The Room Two returns with more brain teasing puzzles but this time spread over a wider field of play. Engaging without being frustrating, this is a sequel that is disappointing if only for its lack of ambition. An enjoyable puzzler with hints of hidden object style gameplay, if you have 3 or 4 hours of time to spend within the genre of “casual game” then you’re unlikely to be too disappointed.

Fireproof Games’ The Room was a fantastic achievement, combining atmospheric storytelling with accessible puzzle solving. It created a focused adventure in which the player was presented with a mysterious set of objects, notes from your predecessor, and by manipulating and examining them a series of problems could be solved. In turn this revealed a little more of the story and kept the trail of breadcrumbs ever present. Of course for most players it’s the satisfaction of puzzle solving that sustains their interest, but by adding environments and narrative Fireproof Games did something special. The real conundrum is how to follow that success…

The Room Two is essentially more of the same thing, which for many will be satisfying given the short length of the original game. The player is dropped into an environment and presented with a series of puzzles that must be solved in sequence, each victory revealing another layer to be defeated. Should the player become stuck, or spend a minute or two dawdling without direction, then a clue will become available to provide a little guidance. These pointers, usually numbering three separate hints, generally increase in their explicit instruction, but more often than not if the puzzle appears obtuse a simple prod is enough to get back on the right track. Solve all the puzzles and the pathway on appears…

However, this would be merely replicating the gameplay of the first game, so whilst engaging as it was Fireproof Games have made some changes…which generally don’t feel like positive steps forward. Unlike the focused puzzles of the original, The Room Two offers up multiple locations to explore within each “room”. Whereas you may have a complex table of objects in the first game, in this there might be several areas which might have interwoven mysteries, necessitating the player to navigate between locations. In turn this means that there are several more layers of “zoom” – the central hub, the location of interest, the puzzle of interest at that location and perhaps a closer examination of that puzzle. However, travelling between these spots feels clunky and by diluting the streamlined approach of the first game it highlights the mechanisms in play.

Whilst many of the challenges are puzzling, because of the wider area of play that needs to be utilised, more often than not this results in taking an almost hidden object approach to gameplay. When stumped or confused about what to do next, the solution is generally just to “window wash” the screen in an attempt to find something else to interact with. That’s not to say this type of play wasn’t present in the first game, but because of the laser precision of the objectives there, it felt less egregious. Despite this, the puzzles are seldom repetitive and are rarely frustrating and illogical, especially with the hint system on hand. The narrative is somewhat more strongly presented too, although whether this adds anything is another matter, with the subtle mystery of the first game exchanged for vestiges of other-worldly horror.

What also hasn’t changed is the wonderful atmosphere that the sound generates, with a haunting score complementing the mysterious environments that the player finds themselves in. These environments, whilst often mostly shrouded in darkness save for the various hotspots, are represented with care and attention. The grim gothic aesthetic is pervasive, but never interferes with identifying areas of interest required for progression. It’s an area where change for the sake of it would have been most detrimental and it’s pleasing that this remains as it was.

Perhaps because I was forced to play with my offhand due to injury, the in-game object manipulation felt inferior to the first game. The most difficulty I had with The Room Two was opening a cupboard door, and no amount of helpful hinting would give me a better method to open it. In its mobile touch format this seemed to be less of a problem, but here with mouse controls, swishes and swipes seem less effective at achieving what is intended. Gameplay duration is also similar to the first game, although I felt that I got through this one faster that may be in part due to familiarity with the type of puzzles on offer.

Despite the feeling that the less is more approach of the first game was superior, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend The Room Two to anyone who enjoyed that style of gameplay. In fact because of the hint system and general cohesiveness of the game as a whole, The Room Two is a good recommendation for those who don’t generally play games .To possess that inclusiveness and yet retain interest for a more dedicated gamer, well, it’s certainly worthy of praise. Those expecting great changes in the gameplay are going to be disappointed but for everyone else The Room Two will an enjoyable three of four hours.