I just spent the last 17 hours laughing. Sometimes out loud, sometimes in a head-shaking way, and sometimes a few moments after the dialogue ended, in an 'ohhh!' sort of way. Even the UI is funny, it's as if every single button, every hotspot, everything in this game is packed with meaning—everything in the game is waiting to be found. For example, you can click the "The Phantom Fellows" logo in the load game screen. And click it again. And again. It's a brilliant little gag and a small example of probably a thousand gags like this. There isn't a single inch of this game that wasn't shown love by it's developer. The fact that this game was made by one person is crazy. The two main characters, Oliver and Englebert, have what is the best, most sincere and sharpest banter between them and they are two entirely different people. The game is largely a comedy but there are some surprisingly sweet moments between the characters, especially as the game goes on. You end up with a connection to them and come the final dialogue between Oliver and Englebert I found myself a bit emotional, truly feeling what Englebert felt. The puzzles are fun, they make you want to solve them. The in-game hint system is brilliant, When used, I was able to get just the hint or 2 I needed to solve things in a way that still felt like I did it on my own. The soundtrack (also made by the writer, programmer and artist) is special. I'm not even sure it has business being so good, tucked away in an indie adventure game. To say it has Stranger Things energy is to do it somewhat of a disservice because it's deeper, more complex than just that. I'll be purchasing it. Lastly, when you play, make sure you travel around town during the days you can. I laughed myself into tears over some of these scenes. In fact, when you play, do yourself a favor and take time to just explore the world. "Look At" and "Interact" with everything, because it isn't often that we get comedic writing of the quality.
This is one of the best adventure games ever made. Multiple paths mean you can play this game 3 times and get 3 entirely different experiences (well, a good 60% of the game will be different anyway). It captures the spirit of Indiana Jones that hasnt been seen since the trilogy (or perhaps Young Indiana). I find it aged incredibly well, as timeless as the original movies. Atlantis is the perfect Indiana Jones subject matter, far better than alien skulls or whatever the last movie was. Sophia is the perfect partner to Indy, charming, strong, quick witted. This game is a lot of fun, one of the genres finest moments.
