Full disclosure that I have not played the first in the series. I got turned off these 'classic' games recently having played a few that were just annoying and hopeless "try everything in my bag together" style. Reviews suggested this title was solid and they could be played in any order so, I went for it! No regrets. This was a humorous game that had me smiling and outright laughing throughout. Not quite on par with Monkey Island, but pretty darn close. The protagonist is very likeable and her sassy commentary was a highlight. There were a few lags or skips with the voice acting but everything can be repeated with clicking so that wasn't a problem. I did not encounter any other bugs or glitches. While you can die, the deaths are quite funny, and you're always well warned ("this looks dangerous"). You do have to load from a saved game so if - like me - you decide to seek out the deaths for fun, make sure to save first or you'll lose your progress. In fact, just save frequently in general because a lot of this game was trial and error inventory puzzles. If you don't want to hike back to gather radishes again, you better have various save files so you can try different things out stress free. Good news is no timed puzzles except sort of the last one which, again, can be played again and again till you get it right. I have a low stress threshold and didn't break a sweat. I only used a walkthrough for two parts (once because I just didn't see something clickable), so on the whole the puzzles were usually well plotted and followed the same zany logic throughout. Once I got in the groove, I was flying along. All in all, this was a super fun point-and-click with few frustrating moments, solid animation, surprisingly large scenes to explore, and satisfying puzzles. I would strongly recommend this to fans of the genre.
It feels weird giving 5 stars to a game that only lasted about two hours, but I must say that I enjoyed every minute of them. This is a neat puzzle/picture game that's entirely point and click. Though there's no tutorial, text or dialogue, the game somehow manages to show you what to do. The mechanism of manipulating the images felt intuitive and there were enough variations as the chapters progressed that each one felt unique. Though there's no "plot" per se here, I liked that there was somewhat of a story which could be interpreted in many ways. As others have gushed before me, the art is stunning. I got this on sale for $5 and for that price I definitely feel it was worth my time. This is the perfect game to play in an evening. It may not last long, and there may not be a huge amount to it, but what it does... boy, does it ever do well. There's a reason for the high rating on here - if you like puzzle games, relaxing games, or, you know, any kind of art...you won't be disappointed.
Five stars is perhaps generous given this is easily one of the weirdest games I've ever played... but it was almost one of the most fun. I bought it on a whim to play with my nephew and was surprised at how hilarious and therapeutic it was bobbing around as a cheerful, psychopathic turnip whacking things with various garden implements. Without spoiling the story I'll say it has a silly but engrossing COVID/post-apocalyptic plotline, so it feels like pandemic-fatigue-therapy. The controls were super simple, the fetch quests enjoyable, and the bosses were challenging without being too difficult for an amateur like myself (except Liz the Mutated Human whose afterlife is hopefully filled with pain and suffering for what she put me through). It took me 3hrs40mins to get 97% completion (at my usual snail speed) so it's by no means a long game, but I actually liked being able to play it through in one sitting. For the sale price (3.50) it was an absolute bargain and the final bonus train level adds a bunch of content that I didn't bother to finish but probably would have run me another hour. If you like ruining peoples' lives, spreading toxic waste and ripping up important documents without any consequences whatsoever - all set to a chipper score - then this is the game for you! It may be short, but I guarantee you'll have a hard time keeping a smile off your face throughout.
I love scary movies but for some reason horror survival games just stress me out. This game was a perfect compromise for someone like me. From the first moment of the game, you're totally immersed in the setting - a creepy old hotel and station - but there are no timed events, no in game death (at least not that I encountered) and essentially no jump scares. The whole thing takes place in one night (I actually played most of it in one rainy evening for ambience) and in the one location. For some that might be a drawback, but for me it really helped set the tone and I liked getting to explore the rooms in any order and at my own pace. There are only a couple rooms that are initially locked so you have the run of the place almost from frame one. The puzzles are a combination of object related, finding clues and solving riddles with only about seven useable items in the whole game. I'll admit I used a walkthrough for a couple runes I was stumped on, but they were always something I probably could have gotten if I'd been a bit more patient, rather than one of those "I NEVER would have gotten that" moments. The absolute best part of this game for me was getting immersed in the lives of the various characters (aka trapped souls). I loved reading the old letters and journals, hearing their voices, and gradually teasing apart what happened on that fateful night the Dark Fall was released. I have a really hard time finishing games but this one kept my attention for the whole 7 hour runtime. I never heard of this when it came out, so playing this through non-nostalgic 2022 glasses I can say that the graphics are decent, navigation is straight forward (mouse clicks) and I had no trouble running it on a modern gaming PC. There is the expected pixel hunting but no frustrating moments. If you like spooky games, point and click, or old fashioned mysteries with lots to sift through and the need to take your own notes, then you will love this title. I know I did!
This is a nicely designed mystery title that is entirely point-and-click. I clocked in around 10 hours at the end, and the game generally held my attention the whole time. The starting premise - you play as a Swiss constable helping a London detective guard a mystery safe on a train - was gripping and the characters vivid. As others have said, the second half is a bit less interesting but I still played to the end and found it a satisfying closing. I only played the original version, but did open the new one just to ensure it would run. Pros: -There are no timed sections and there's only one section where you can "die" - the section automatically loops until you get the correct sequence of actions so it's pretty low stress -The music - I seriously cannot rave enough about the soundtrack which was fantastic -The characters - while some are given a bit more screentime than others, I was definitely attached to all of them by the end and the voice acting was quite good -No moon logic moments - you use everyday items to perform (generally) reasonable actions Cons: -The animation in the original is definitely patchy in parts (given there is a remaster I would imagine this is probably corrected in the newer version) -Very few true puzzles - there were maybe two spots that required some sleuthing to figure out... otherwise it's a lot of finding the right objects and then combining them in pretty obvious ways to move forward. I wouldn't say it was as straightfoward as a walking simulation, but it wasn't much of a challenge either for true puzzle enthusiasts. -Repetitive by the end - you essentially play through the whole game a second time from different vantage points which is a bit dull at times -Some odd dropped plot threads - in one section you spend 20 minutes solving the combination to a lock that you never actually get to open, some characters are sort of forgotten about at the end, etc. Overall this was an enjoyable point and click mystery for fans of the genre
