Shardlight

Disclaimer: I've been forever spoiled by Primordia, so my grading might look a little too harsh. But if you compare Shardlight to Primordia, you will see the difference for yourself. WadjetEye is known for delivering good oldschooley point-n-click adventures that remind you of the good old LucasArts point-n-click games. Shardlight is a good contender, but I think it lacks a bit in terms of story and characters. One of the best-developed characters in the game, IMO, is the old man in the Fripp Square. His role in the game is very subtle, but he delivers the best representation of how the life in Shardlight has changed the society. Denton and the Minister, on the other hand, are just two extremes, and, I think, are too cartoonish. That's why I chose neither of the two in the end. The world of Shardlight doesn't seem very convincing to me either. We know the bombs fell, but there are no clues in the game about why it happened and how the world ended up like this whatsoever. This leaves a lot of unanswered questions which ultimately are let to rot after you finish the game. The last act seemed a bit rushed, especially the train part. I wish there was more to Shardlight's story, I really would. It is always an interesting experience to see how humanity survives in the wake of a nuclear conflict, but without knowing how things ended up like this the game loses a big part of it attractiveness. I would still say this is a good game, especially if you long for a good point-and-click game like one you played in your teens. I cannot say I recommend this title to everyone, but a fan of WadgetEye games would defintely like this.

Yeah, 5 stars is a bit high for this, but there are waaaaaay too many negative comments. I've played Gemini Rue and Technobabylon from Wadjet but IMHO this is better! The previous ones are overrated, while this is underrated. The main heroine is likable and nice. Just a plain girl trying to get by, one can easily relate. While the situation where people are walking in masks on the streets, while "pandemik" rages. Does it remind you of something *cough* *cough*? ;) It has a retro, 90's feel about it. One of the coolest adventures games I've played. And it's very mature. Thumbs up!

While the post-apocalyptic setting is quite interesting, as is the general tone of the game, unfortunately the chatacters and the story fall flat and are both rather shallow and two-dimensional. Which is a shame, as the puzzles are mostly logical, dialogues are mostly well written and voiced, and the graphics and sound/music are pretty neat. Some annoying things regarding the UI: 1. There is no key to highlight all hotspots on the screen. This results in some need for the dreaded pixel-hunting (aggrevated by the issues mentioned below). 2. No fast-travel. Not a huge issue as screens are not that large, but still. 3. When you click on a hotspot that action is done no matter what, and you cannot "undo" your click. Instead you need to wait until the character has done what you told it to do.. That's particularly annoying when you need to watch the character stroll to the exit of the screen where you have clicked by accident (see 2.). You would think that by this day and age adventure game developers would have accepted these as standard quality of life features, but you'd be wrong. Overall, a welcome addition to the genre, but does not stand out. Play Whispers of a Machine instead, much better. PS.: A technical side note: One thing that made the game harder for me is that it is pretty dark. This goes so far as that some elements are barely visible, resulting in the good old Indy3-style "find that pixel in the dark" action. A good example of this is the fan control in the very first room, which is hardly visible. This seems to be a problem on the Mac, as the screenshots here on GOG are much brighter. A brightness control would have fixed this.

This is a real nice indie gem that showcases WadjetEye's signature style. The pixel art is great as always, pulling you into its dystopian world, while the richness of the story keeps you hooked from start to finish. The voice acting is top-notch, bringing the characters to life and enhancing their development throughout the game. Gameplay is pleasantly straightforward, making it accessible for newcomers. However, some dialogues can feel a bit too long, potentially testing the patience of players looking for quicker pacing. I found myself scratching my head a few times, but that’s likely just my own n00b thinking. Overall, Shardlight is another enjoyable title from Wadjet Eye. I'm becoming a bigger fan with each game I come across!

Last night I completed my second game for 2024: Shardlight, by Wadjet Eye Games. As usual with Wadjet Eye Games, this looks like an old school point’n’click game despite a quite recent release date (2016). It can even be played using ScummVM — @scummvm@corteximplant.com — so you can enjoy it on Linux even if you only have access to a Windows build. The game itself takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting, 20 years after the fall of the bombs, and tells us a nice (but not very original) class struggle story. Beware that they take their setting seriously, and you should expect graphical depiction of violence that the pixelated nature of the game does not attenuate. I really enjoyed my ride for what I think is my only my second Wadjet Eye game played through the end (surely not the last), and will probably try another one soon (Technobabylon is close to the top of my list). But before that I might give a try to one of the Clifftop Games adventures based on the same engine: Kathy Rain or Whispers of a Machine. Get your copy from Humble Bundle (using the link from the game website) to ensure the devs gets the highest cut, or from GOG if you want to get access to a native Linux build. Don’t waste your money at Steam for a game that is available DRM-free in other places. — https://www.wadjeteyegames.com/games/shardlight/