Good game, nicely done followup to the first game. Kathy Rain herself is just as enjoyable, cool and refreshingly badass as she was in the original game. The game is mostly more of the same - the graphics have improved a bit, the puzzles easy-ed up a bit, but the writing is on par. I enjoyed the game, especially the ending, but I did feel occasionally that I was mostly clicking along with Kathys story, instead of actually participating in the game...
The story really carries this game, with it slowly unfolding touching emotional impact. Some pretty wonderful character development and a prime example of world-building, as each chapter adds new levels to both the characters and to the impact time travel has on the world. The actual game elements sometimes felt less well-polished, and sometimes I wished I could just sit back and consume the story without being forced to deal with the limited interaction the game requires of me. Not that this game is puzzle-less—by no means. The puzzles are actually both creative and somewhat hard to solve. It is more that in some cases they seem to detract from the story a little bit, instead of adding to it. Nonetheless, this is a great game!
Lucy Dreaming is a tribute to old-school point and click adventures, like the Day of the Tentacle or Simon the Sorcerer. It has some good puzzles, is full of silly puns and really enjoyable light hearted adventure game fun. I did find the game to be a bit too linear for my taste, and occasionally I was stuck trying to figure out what the next thing the game wanted me to do. Generally, just remember to select all menu options in all the conversation menus, then you will do fine.
Very old-school parser / graphical adventure game. Sort of similar to Sierra's early AGI adventure games (like Kings Quest) but set in a much more surreal world. The best thing about the game is its wonderfully imaginative world and the great pixel art used to show it. This must be some of the nicest EGA graphics ever. There's a lot to explore, but getting through it requires real persistence. I made a serious attempt to complete the game without any hints, which meant spending a lot of time and effort on the puzzles. It took me weeks, but I managed to solve most of it on my own. For the last parts I had to 'cheat' and consult the hint book — and I’m glad I did. One puzzle relied on such obscure phrasing that I would never have come up with the solution myself. Another challenge seemed nearly impossible, and in hindsight, it may have been a form of copy protection, as part of the solution was hidden in the manual’s tutorial. In conclusion, this could have been a small gem. Unfortunately, it felt too unpolished and, quite frankly, too difficult to be really enjoyable.
Timequest is a classic open-world, puzzle-filled text adventure set across six different regions of the world and nine distinct time periods. With 50 different areas, each containing a handful of accessible locations, it is a very large game. It took me several play sessions over the course of a month to complete it. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, which evoked that old-school feel of working through puzzles and making meaningful progress each time I played. On the Zarfian Cruelty Scale, this game is classified as "nasty," meaning you can encounter unwinnable situations. However, the game always informs you when you’ve made a critical mistake, which makes for a surprisingly pleasant experience. I always had a clear sense of what I was supposed to achieve in each area and what to avoid. The puzzles are challenging, but they never felt unfair. As I explored more of the enormous world, I naturally solved more puzzles. Generally, the puzzles weren’t too hard, but they were clever enough to require creativity and thought. If I couldn’t solve a puzzle immediately, it was often because I hadn’t yet explored the areas necessary to solve it. Since there were always plenty of other tasks to focus on, I never felt stuck.
Most of the puzzles are easy, enough of the jokes are fun. You will get through this game pretty fast, but you will have fun time while it lasts :-)
These are great classic games. I played a lot of Sierra Quest games when I was a kid, but I missed Kings Quest 2 & 3 back then, so I got them on GOG and played through both games over the last weeks. It is a rough experience compared to modern games, but I was actually able to complete both games without using hints (didn't get all the points, though) and I had fun playing them. As long as you stay alert, examine everything, save often and keep your savegames around there is a good, classic gaming experience to be had here!
I love the 8bit-inspired graphics and music, and the dark and moody story. A wonderful RPG that reminds me playing the old gold-box and Ultima games as a child
