This game is very much like Link's Awakening, if you lightened up the combat and focused heavily on sliding block puzzles. If you dread the sliding block puzzles in Zelda games, turn back now, because that's 90% of what you'll be doing in this game. That said, the puzzle designs are actually pretty clever. It can be quite challenging, especially if you are trying to do puzzles the hard way (most puzzles don't require your full set of equipment to solve, but you can come back when you've found more tools to make it easier). Personally, I think the art style of the game is quite charming. It's quite surreal, but also cute, with things like flying moai heads, purple-faced women in animal pajamas, and old men made of straw. The dialogue and story aren't deep, but they're amusing if you like a bit of weird humor. Ultimately, I would have given this game five stars if it only had more of everything. It is one of the shortest video games I've played. I managed to nearly 100% it in 3 hours. While that's absurdly short, I can't say I regret buying it at a discounted price.
This game's actually pretty frightening for the most part. The atmosphere is creepy and the scare moments are well timed. However, I am ultimately disappointed with this game for a few reasons. One is the quality of the puzzles. While there were a couple of the typical Adventure gaming goofs of making puzzles which have solutions that don't make sense, it wasn't a huge issue. The main problem is that almost all of the puzzles were so easy that they felt more like inconveniences than actual gameplay. My second problem is that the game's ending left much to be desired. It just felt like they put a huge amount of effort into pushing you towards playing their upcoming "season" of the game. In fact, by the end, that seemed to be their only goal. Sure, there was a reveal of sorts, but it felt more like a setup than a resolution.
I'll be honest. I've never played the original game on the Playstation or SEGA Saturn. I've only had the experience of playing this game AFTER playing Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends. So, I'm coming from a less nostalgic perspective than many others might be. This game can be summed up with three adjectives: fun, colorful, and brutal. Playing this game is interesting, especially to someone who has been bedazzled by the newer titles in the series. It looks great. You won't find yourself in want of a better graphics. It's got some enjoyable platforming, both slow and fast paced. But the major problem I have with the game is why it's hard. It's the kind of difficulty that puts fairness in the back seat. The game doesn't ease you into difficult situations. It throws you into them like a hurricane. While playing I couldn't help but feel like the game was just thrusting me into situations which are only conquerable through trial and error. Both obstacles and rewards will appear out of thin air almost constantly. Slides will lead you to your doom without any indication. Enemies sometimes will seem to take many more hits than usual to kill. But even with all that, I still feel compelled to go through this game. It's an enjoyable experience, if you can keep your cool in the midst of seemingly unfair losses.
While they're very simple in terms of graphics and gameplay, these games have a charm of their own. I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for something challenging. I'd say even a kid has a good chance of beating these games. But if you want a light experience or want to show kids what classic adventure gaming was like without giving them something impossible to solve, I'd say go ahead and buy this.
I really never grew up playing this game, but I knew it from a vague reputation. I'm also quite fond of any kind of adventure game. Because of this, I had an interest in playing the game and seeing what it was about. I'm sorry to say that I was disappointed. There are a couple big problems I have with the game. The first is that this is less of an adventure game per se and more of a puzzle game with a hub world. There's nothing wrong with the puzzles; some of them are actually pretty clever. I was just expecting more of a fluid mystery to solve than a bunch of isolated puzzles. The second problem I had with the game is the horrible acting. It may be purposefully campy; I can't say either way. However, it got on my nerves after a while how terrible the actors are. Sure, the cinematic scenes were quite impressive back in the day, but I can't say that it's aged well. It doesn't help that the game will sometimes pause in the middle of puzzles so that the villain can deliver some quips about how stupid you are. In short, if you're looking for a bunch of unique puzzles to solve, this is your game. If you're looking for a real adventure, I'd advise against this one.
I'm not going to say that this series isn't good; it is. However, it is very different from your typical adventure game in that it plays more like a simulation instead of a puzzle-solving game. In order to play this game successfully, you will need to check the manual often while playing. It simply is not possible to beat this game without doing so (mainly you'll be looking up police procedures and violation codes). Most of the "puzzles" consist of not forgetting how to act like an officer as opposed to using your wits. That said, there is an undeniable charm to this series that raises it above a straight police simulator. The writing is believable and interesting, with only a few annoying moments. Essentially this is best for those who'd like to play an adventure game with a great story, but don't mind a real-world setting as opposed to a fantastic one. Like most people, there is a particular complaint I have with this package: It includes the Police Quest 1 vga version, but not the original (though from a story standpoint, this is unimportant).
