Runaway 3: A Twist of Fate

I enjoyed the Runaway series more than the Broken Sword series. There, I said it! Because let's face it, if you are going to compare Runaway with another game, that would be Broken sword. And while the Broken Sword series started with a bang, they felt to be going lower with each release, while Runaway kept the bar on pretty much the same level throughout the trilogy. Mind you that, although a trilogy, they are three complete games, meaning there are no cliffhanger endings here, just three adventures with the same protagonists in the same universe. If I had to name the weaker of the three I would say the second (Dream of the turtle). It's plot does tend to be a bit all over the place, but the title alone should prepare you for that. But man, what a cinematic adventure feeling each title has! Gangsters, conspirators, money hunts, flamboyant characters, travels, exploration, twists, all wackiness is there for our entertainment! The graphics speak for themselves through the images and trailers, and the voice overs and music are well above average. In conclusion, play the first (wait for a discount if need be), and if you like what you get, proceed to the rest without fear!

Well, let me start with the good: the graphics are great, and... yeah, the graphics look great. On the other hand... well, for one, this is the first adventure game (actually no, the second - Runaway 2 was the first) where I found it impossible to tell when a scene has further areas one can walk to - which is frankly beyond ridiculous because a) they included a "hotspots and exits help" (which shows all visible exits but helpfully offers no clue whatsoever that YOU CAN SCROLL FURTHER SIDEWAYS if you go to the edge...) and b) after getting burned multiple times by this in both Runaway 2 and Runaway 3 and starting to specifically look out for this sort of thing I was STILL getting regularly fooled, again and again. Secondly, some of the puzzles (or more explicitly, the specific conditions they hinge on) are flat-out moronic - *minor spoiler alert* are they seriously suggesting that an ash urn (presumably made of some sort of stone and therefore conducting heat quite well) is a more appropriate "thermos" (really?!?) than a wooden box (which would insulate incomparably better) while out here in the real world NEITHER OF THOSE would be needed to transport large chunk of ice a short distance without melting, even if the game would play in Africa, which it's not?!? And you better believe it, there's loads more where that came from. Also, in line with the glorious tradition of its prequel, following some progress the game occasionally modifies a scene you thought you already surveyed to include the item you can't progress without that wasn't there before - so be prepared to constantly second-guess yourself and keep returning everywhere hoping to find that elusive... who knows what. And third, the plot - oh, so you thought that following the cut-in-half prequel you'll now get to finish all that exciting backstory? Tough luck, pal. You can kiss any Epic Grand Adventure goodbye (you'll only see it as a few short flashbacks), what you're in for is your run-of-the-mill police procedural thriller - mixed with some of the kind of restricted and de-powered gameplay I personally hate the most: being held captive in an institution / prison (scarce inventory, no freedom of movement) which in this case manages to depict the sort of bleak, utter hopelessness and terminal failure one's life ends in in such a place that will leave you a mere half a hair away from depression...

The third installment improves greatly on the second one in including Gina and a more cohesive plot with MUCH less pixel hunting. Though the game still has irritating glitches here and there (sometimes the cursor disappears after an action and occassionally the game doesn't register your click to go somewhere) it has improved overall. I didn't have to install another program to run it properly or find workarounds. The comedy is in full swing with the charming stereotype characters, paying homage to many a beloved classic film. My favourite jokes were poking fun at adventure games and the Runaway series as a whole! I also give props to the fun addition of profiles. You make your own profile with a username, password and avatar of one of the characters. I don't know why it was added but it's cute. Another pro is the upgrade of the controls to make it a bit smoother to go between inventory, main menu and gameplay. Really the only cons I have is aside from the minor, yet still irritating glitches is what I've had overall of the series; the comedy relies on stereotypes, and not all of them are harmless. There are a characters and comments about mental health, women... just the general grating things you'd find in comedy of the 00s and earlier that wouldn't be made now. The misogyny is pretty grating, especially the way most of the women are talked about or depicted (Gina literally has the braless, constantly apparent nipples lmao.) BUT! Those last two gripes are ones I have of a lot of older games, movies and books. I still enjoyed this game IMMENSELY and found it a fun little diversion from the everyday. It's just something I think is important to add if any potential new gamers are interested in this series and browsing reviews - it's good to prepare yourself for it or avoid buying :) ALSO: I'D LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT BRIAN CHEATED ON GINA IN RUNAWAY 2 AND IT WAS NEVER BROUGHT UP AGAIN AND I'M STILL ANGRY. Thank you.

A lot of fun, and the price is certainly right. I haven't played the first 2 games yet, but the game worked perfectly fine as a standalone adventure.

The graphics are more beautiful than ever and it's the first one in the series to get widescreen treatment. The writing is pretty darn good, and there are once again tons of fascinating characters, but I was a little disappointed that the cliffhanger from the first game wasn't thoroughly cinched. I mean, it was *explained*, but there are certain nagging omissions (due mostly to Brian Basco's mental trauma, I guess) that left me feeling pretty dissatisfied. Also, it's a bit short compared to the other two installments. Runaway 3 is an amazingly good-looking and quite well-written game, but the flaws set it a step below the bizarre and shockingly large Dream of the Turtle.