Harvester is an engaging 3rd person point and click style adventure game with a very dark and disturbing plot. It is definitely not one to play with your ten year old. In terms of graphics, audio and gameplay it is very typical of the mid 90s adventures that often combined hand drawn background with full motion video characters. (much like Return to Zork, Under a Killing moon...) Good points: Traditional point and click interface that is easy to use A decent set of actors. Very intriguing plot Non player characters that have some depth A set of of optional side scenes that are dark but enjoyably quirky. Scrap quirky, I mean totally mad. Points that appeal to some but not others: Minor elements of the plot change depending on your character's actions. There is a combat element to the game. You can attack almost anyone you meet but you are not obliged to until late in the game. Bad Points: Despite the interesting plot, both of the possible endings are disappointingly weak Combat suddenly becomes obligatory during the end game. You can choose to avoid it until then but when it kicks in it is actually quite difficult and annoying. To summarise, I enjoyed this game and thought it decent value for money. I'd recommend it to people who enjoyed 'Cat Lady' and/or the 'Black Mirror' series or any point and click adventure fans who also enjoy psychological horror fiction.
Without a doubt this is a faithfull and expertly executed remake of a game that already holds the highest esteem in its genre. The locations are recogniseably the same but even more beautifully rendered, the puzzles are mostly the same with a few extra thrown in, the voice acting is really, really good even though big names aren't involved this time. The music in (what I assume is) its first imagined form is gorgeous. I loved the game the first time but with this fully orchestrated soundtrack and the improved graphics I can't deny that this production has got it nearly perfect. I'd leave out 'nearly' if there weren't a bug or two. They seem to be not a minor problem and likely will be sorted out soon. For those new to the game: Anyone who has developed a liking of point and clicks should give this a go. Jensen's writing is exceptional in all of her games and this is was her best known work. The plot is mature, mildly dark and completely engrossing, the puzzles are sensible without feeling too easy and the characterization is perfect. Throw in an excellent production team and a soundtrack that John Williams perhaps might have felt a bit jealous of... what would you rather spend your gaming time on? For those who have played the original and aren't sure about getting this: The game has been made more linear. For example you can't visit Gabe's Grandma until day 5. It isn't a bug. You just have mildly less control over the order when you do some things. One or two locations seem to have an extra screen. This seems to be to make the puzzles more complex or make the puzzles more sensible. Seriously, the voice acting is good despite some of our heroes no longer being avaiable for the roles.
Quick summary -This game is an enjoyable old school style point and click with a detailed but not overly impressive fairy tale plot. The gameplay is mostly based around inventory and conversation based puzzles. I think it is worth its price but it's not one to write home about. It feels like it should be a game aimed at the (very probably) few children that play point and click adventures. The good - This game is excellently produced. It has great graphics, a nice soundtrack and a well designed simple and intuitive interface. I think the voice acting was fairly good although I understand why some of the other reviewers found the main character's voice a bit whiny. If you don't hate the voice you can enjoy a good 8-10 hours gameplay of a beautifully rendered story. The bad - The puzzle quality is very mixed. Most are logical but there is a scattering of the thoroughly mad. You will almost certainly need to look at a walkthrough three or four times. The plot itself is also bland and childish. I disliked the ending even though i saw it coming. It's just a bit too childish and predictable. Overall I felt that Whispered World is a game I enjoyed playing to wind down for a few hours. I would most recommend it to someone who's looking for a family friendly game. I'm glad I bought it but there are better games to try first.
Structually this game has much of what you'd expect from a traditional point and click. The interface is similat to oth3er recent adventure games (such as Resonance or Primordia by the same publisher). You point and click to look and interact and have object or conversation based puzzles to advance the plot. The puzzles are a touch on the easy side but it will still take around 6 hours of gameplay time to finish. The game authors have gone out of their way to create something that reflects the atmosphere of the time. The script and music are well written and the voice acting is very good. Several prominent figures of the 20s are NPCs in the story. Sadly the plot of the game was just too mundane for me to truly enjoy it. It is a fictional biography of someone who really never achieves anything special. About three quarters of the way through you think that a plot might develop and then it quickly fizzles out. In short, if you like point and click adventures and the plot isn't your main motivation, this game is perfectly adequate. If you are the type that hangs on for the next revelation in a story, perhaps leave it until you're properly bored and lacking other options.
Wadjeteye chooses extremely well every time it publishes. This series has little to criticise. In each Blackwell game we have intriguing plot, very likeable characters, basic but sufficient graphics a very enjoyable soundtrack and the kind of interface we grew to know and love in games such as Grim Fandango and later Monkey Islands. The puzzles aren't quite as hard as the 90s masterpieces but everything else is just as good if not better.
A point and click fairy tale archetype. We have a young and naive protagonist fighting a horribly evil villain in a unique fantasy universe with a puzzle stlyle similar to (but considerably easier than) the classic LucasArt games. Good things: It's a sweet story with some great side characters and a lovely soundtrack. A good mix of easy, medium and hard puzzles. A few things to criticise: It's a little on the short side. One or two voice actors are throughly dreadful. The art style may not be to everyone's taste and the main character can be irritating. I would certainly recommend this to fans of the kind of 2D point and clicks that were around in the early and mid 90s.
Fans of old school point and click adventure games will find this an enjoyable way to pass the time providing they aren't too easily disturbed (my partner is easily disturbed and wasn't keen to play past the first forty minutes. If you feel uncomfortable killing anything cute and fluffy, even in 2D pixel land, this isn't one for you). I am not easily disturbed and so I enjoyed the game but it didn't leave me particularly wanting more. Positives: The soundtrack and artwork are very atmospheric. Puzzles are enough to make you think without being overly difficult or illogical. The interface is intuitive. Negatives: The interesting elements of the plot are revealed in the first 10 minutes and the last five minutes of gameplay. The middle has some not particularly interesting detail and gory horror shock scenes. I'm sure many people who try this game out will guess the overall story arc before the bulk of gameplay starts. This isn't me favourite modern point and click but its worth it's price for 3 or 4 hours of entertainment, paticularly if you're a fan of psychological horror.
Another fantastically funny, charming and witty game from this series. I find it hard to see how anyone who likes this genre of game could play this without laughing. While the story isn't as complex as that of the original it has as much wit and feel good factor. The puzzle quality hasn't suffered despite it being a bit shorter. It has a more restricted set of locations and a smaller soundtrack but is still just so much fun while being engaging in its puzzles and plot. Another game from King Art where i almost felt sad when i finished it.
