I subscribed to GOG recently because I wanted to get the Crusader series. After buying them I noticed that I had some free games to download. Most of the games are from 94, some even older (Ultima IV, 1985) and I thought it was neat to get free games, but I wasn't particularly interested in any of those. Then I found Treasure Adventure Game, and boy was a pleasantly surprised! Don't let the ultra generic game fool you. Treasure Adventure Game (TAG) is a love letter to oldschool Metroidvania games, and one that does enough to stand out on it's own. I believe this rare little gem deserves a spot with some of the best indie games out there. Being a huge fan of games like Cave Story, La Mulana, and Spelunky, I can certainly say that if you are into the indie scene, you owe it to yourself to give this game a chance. Heck, even if you're not into the indie scene, you should give this game a chance! After all... IT'S FREE! Story: As with other titles in this type of genre, you get a back story at the beginning of the game. Not particularly complex, but it sets the mood for the rest of the game. It involves the quintessential fight between good and evil, in this case a Demon who hated magic and wanted to obliterate all magic users. A Hero named Huayin, with the help of 12 magical artifacts slayed the Demon, but not before the Demon struck the planet dividing the land from one huge continent to hundreds of islands. Out story takes place in modern times with a group of archeologists who are trying to track the 12 magic relics used by the ancient hero in order to put them in a museum for the benefit of humanity. I don’t want to give much of the plot away, but all of this will be explained on the very first cut scene. Graphics: All the graphics in this game are retro style. While the characters themselves can be a little simplistic, the game world itself is absolutely gorgeous. With different lighting depending on the time of the day, random weather effects, and completely different backgrounds depending on which island you are on, this game does a great job of keeping things fresh and varied throughout the whole experience. The game world itself is mostly an aquatic world with little islands which you are free to explore. Our hero has a little boat (which he can conveniently stuff inside of his pocket when he reaches land) in which he can travel from island to island at will. This setting reminds me a lot the world in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The scenery in this game is awe inspiring. From sailing through open water in the middle of a lightning storm, to watching a beautiful sunset and the rising of two moons, you will never get bored with the art direction in TAG. Sound: The sound direction in this game is also done on a retro fashion. The sounds themselves are appropriate. Where this game really shines though is in its music. The music changes depending on the area you are in and the time of the day it is. While you are in the over world the music is upbeat and inspires adventuring into the unknown. In desert areas the music has a more ethnic/Indian type of style. And while you're inside caves it has a darker and mysterious tone. No matter where you are in this game, the music will do a perfect job of complimenting the adventure and helping you immerse in this beautiful game world. Controls: The controls in this game are really simple. You have your d-pad, your fire, jump, action, and menu buttons. That’s it. No need for complex tutorials on how the gameplay works. As you gain new abilities and progress in the game, you will be instructed on how to use the new ability. For the most part the controls are responsive, but the movement of the character can be a little tricky at first, especially while getting the hang of timing your jumps and grabbing to ledges. Apart from that it’s very intuitive. One thing that is worth mentioning Is that one some parts of the game you will gain control over a parrot. The movement of said parrot consists on tapping the jump button in order to make it flap its wings, or else the parrot will land on the floor. These scenes feel really clunky for the most part but usually don’t last very long, so it won’t detract much from the general experience. Gameplay: The scenery is beautiful, the music is great, but were TAG really shines is in its gameplay. As most open ended game worlds, from the very beginning you are free to explore wherever you like. This is not to say that there is absolute freedom. Some areas are not accessible until you find certain ability or item that will help you progress further in the game. Once the game starts you will be sent in a couple of quests in order to get you ready for your big journey. Once you complete those quests and have the main items you need (a compass, sails for your boat, and a map) that’s when the real exploring starts. The goal in this game is acquiring 12 artifacts from a legendary tale. As you progress throughout the game, you find maps with coordinates for finding the 12 artifacts. The compass will have an arrow pointing towards the location of the artifacts. Traveling towards an artifact usually means that you are going to have to visit many islands among the way, each one with its unique caves, denizens and quests. As you progress you gain new items and abilities that will help you reach previously inaccessible areas and continue your main quest. One thing that I think is important to note is that sometimes it can be a little confusing where to go next. This happened to me specifically after finding the second treasure. I went as far as I could to the east and the west of the map and had no idea of how to progress, until I found out that there was this one island where I could climb some vines and move on with the game. It might have been an oversight on my part, but I believe that it wasn’t all that obvious that I had to do that. But for the most part, you have a good idea of where to go next. Speaking to the NPC’s is essential, as they will give you many clues about locations, items, and the back story. They will also have quests in which they need help with something in particular and reward you if you help them. The combat in this game actually takes a back seat to the exploring. For the most part, the hero’s attacks are pretty weak and involve hitting the enemies multiple times. Also in some enemies the AI is programmed in such way that once you hit the enemy, it starts walking away in the opposite direction. This can be a little frustrating at times because it forces you to chase the enemy and hitting it can be somewhat of a pain due to the hero’s really short range. Fortunately, this is remedied later once you get a ranged attack. Another thing that can be frustrating at fist is the boss fights. In this game boss battles for the most part involve a weak point or a gimmick in order to defeat the boss. Our hero is not the usual badass “chosen” adventure hero, but a little boy, making him quite fragile. This means that for the most part, a boss can kill you with a few hits. You have to learn the pattern of attack of the boss and sometimes figure how to use the environment to defeat it, and this involves a lot of trial and error. Don’t be surprised if you have to die a couple of times before you figure out how to win. On the plus side, though, there’s usually a save point right before a boss fight, so if you die you can just continue and try again. Overall Score: 10/10 TAG is a game that deserves many accolades. While it’s not perfect in some areas, especially the simplistic combat the rest of the game more than makes up for its shortcomings. When so much love and attention was put into every single detail in this beautiful open world, it’s hard not to become completely immersed in it. You can tell this is a game made by a gamer, for gamers. Why a perfect score? Because the level of polish in this independent game puts a lot of “big” releases to shame. There is nothing not to like about Treasure Adventure Game, and there is no excuse for not playing this game, especially considering that it is free. But don’t take my word for it. Give this game a chance and you might just find yourself falling in love with this little adventure.
