Before you reach for that button to delete this review because it's "not letting the game stand entirely on its own merits" -- crap like this DOES affect my in-game experience, directly. I CAN'T enjoy playing the game associated with this crap. With this being a GOG-exclusive release, I didn't want to mess with GOG's worthless review system, so I went to the forums to see what people were saying about this game. What I found is ANY critical thread of the game was systematically locked or, as I've seen some people claim, deleted: and from what I've seen, I don't put deleting criticism below CDPR anymore. The moderators used reasoning like "this is a duplicate thread, use this other thread instead" -- with the other thread they were linking to also being locked shortly afterwards; or that the thread wasn't "respectful" enough, even though the contests weren't even -close- to being offensive or insulting. I guess there's a couple of lessons to learn from this: even companies you thought were good and respectable can go downhill overnight. And if you see an exclusive release of any sort, save yourself some time and don't even begin to consider it.
But, unfortunately, not much more than that. A forgettable game that's over quickly doesn't leave much of an impression with its gameplay, even with its smooth gameplay. Wasted potential, if you ask me. No real story to speak of, which would be find if the developer hasn't chosen to cram a needless pseudo-story in. Wasted potential, if you ask me. Wouldn't buy again.
Several heads and some shoulders above its prequel and its sequel, the second Kyrandia game is arguably the very best graphical adventure there is — second only to perhaps the Monkey Island series. Although for me, even Guybrush can't beat the wonderful charisma of Zanthia and the world she's in. The puzzles are all good, fun and challenging, the characters are fun, the story is fun, the world is fun, the voice acting the great, the game is funny, atmospheric, and detailed: any action you try will get you some sort of response, even if it won't help you progress through the game. There's even a built-in hint system, and even that's not obvious from the start and you actually have to find it before you can take advantage of it. Would recommend to everyone.
Many people will like this game because of its immersive and interesting psychedelic setting. However, gameplay-wise, it's simply not challenging enough. The puzzles are easy and the solutions are mostly as clear as day, so I'm afraid that overall this game is pretty average — perhaps this was done intentionally to assure that the game will flow from scene to scene seamlessly. But for me, the lack of challenge bugged me more than anything, so I can't really give this game anything more than three stars. Would recommend to those who play adventure games for the story and the atmosphere, though.
It might be pretty and beautiful and atmospheric and set in a very curious settings with fun characters with good voice acting, but gameplay-wise it's not a very good game at all. The logic is sometimes ridiculous and the story itself is pretty bad here and there, making the game not immersive at all. Still, it is worth its money on GOG, so get if you are a massive fan of the genre. If you're just looking for great adventure games, there are many better choices.
This is a must-have for those players who always click through all the available dialog options, just to see what the characters might say. A mix of good voice acting and colorful characters will make that process even more enjoyable — in addition to the excellent storywriting and a fascinating world this game has to offer. It's still atmospheric and even beautiful, even with the by-now outdated graphics, and no matter what you try, you will get some sort of often humorous response, which shows the attention and dedication the developer put into this classic gem.
