La Croix Pan

Year - 2007
Length - Short
Engine - AGS
Suitability Factors - Strong Violence

Ok, so it's back to AGS today with something refreshingly different from The JBurger.

Story

The story told in La Croix Pan is a simple one. As a lone American sniper in World War II, you enter a small deserted town which you must defend until reinforcements arrive.



Atmosphere

The game does a really good job here. The overall impression the game gives is one of dreariness and loneliness. To say this is something I really liked about the game may seem a little strange and probably needs an explanation. I guess my point is that it's refreshing to see the game doesn't try to glorify war in any way, nor does it try to glorify the actions of the main character. By not depicting the main character as a hero, the developer is able to show the horror of war, not through the eyes of civilian suffering, but instead through the apparent emotionless and almost routine way the protagonist conducts his horrific task of killing enemy soldiers.

I know I know, it's only a game - no need for me to get so analytical.

Moving on, I must admit that as I stared out at the town I was defending, the game actually made me await the possible arrival of enemy soldiers with quite a degree of trepidation. I was impressed with the way the game managed to do this especially given the short amount of game-time.

The backgrounds are impressive despite the intentional dreary nature of them. There's no bright colours on offer and rightly so - the game does just fine without them.

Lastly, the soundtrack is excellent. Some of the music is borrowed whilst some is the work of Nick Dangerous and Steel Drummer. Am not sure who is responsible for what but it all worked very well. In particular I liked the end game music and felt this fitted in perfectly with the tone of the game.



Gameplay

There are very few puzzles included, however the few that you will be required to solve have logical real-world solutions. You do have an inventory although only one object is ever added to the Springfield Sniper Rifle you carry throughout the game. This was quite a nice change from the 'pick-up everything' type approach.

The main part of the gameplay however may be a turn-off for some adventure gamers. The player is required to shoot approaching enemy soldiers in an arcade type sequence. This isn't too hard though and despite being completely rubbish at it I did manage to proceed without any real hassle.

The game is short but the fact that you can die does prolong things. A well implemented aspect of the game is the autosave feature which comes into effect before the more dangerous parts of the game.



Summary

La Croix Pan provides a different experience to most adventure games. The choice of subject matter alone makes it unique in the adventure genre, the way it deals with the issue increases this uniqueness. For anyone that wants a change from the more common comedy, sci-fi, or horror adventure game stylings, I would definitely recommend La Croix Pan.

Pros
- Different
- Great atmosphere
- Nice graphical style
- Great soundtrack

Cons
- Few puzzles
- Arcade sequence might put off some players
- Short

Download for free;

La Croix Pan

Casebook Episode 0: The Missing Urn

Year - 2009
Length - Short/Medium
Suitability Factors - N/A

For the first time in my short blogging career I'm reviewing a non AGS game. "Traitor" I hear the returning visitors cry. Well not to worry (as if you did) the next review will be of another AGS title. As for this review...

The Missing Urn is a free mini episode in the Casebook series (by Areo Cinematic Games) aiming to showcase what the series has to offer in an attempt to entice people to splash their cash on the full-length commercial episodes. I think the developers deserve plaudits for making this in the form of a whole self-contained episode with its own story rather than just releasing a short demo of one of the proper episodes.

Story

So, the game contains a complete story, but is it any good? Well in truth it's pretty lightweight stuff really, although to be fair it doesn't really claim to be anything other than this. The player must help a colleague investigate the disappearance of an urn containing his uncle's ashes after his aunt shows understandable concern when it goes missing. Various other objects belonging to the other residents of the house (another aunt and an uncle), have gone missing too and with no-one owning up to moving the items it's up to you to find out what's going on.



Atmosphere

Although the game is cinematic, the overall atmosphere is very melodramatic - it feels like a made for T.V afternoon movie. The acting whilst certainly not horrendous is very much in this mould and the music seems quite depressing given the nature of the story.

Graphically, the FMV sequences are very clear and the locations are just about right for the type of game. A nice touch is that the camera can sometimes be manipulated in cut-scenes which gives the player more of a sense of actually being present in the scene rather than just a mere spectator.

I think the general melodrama feel however prevents the game from providing any real genuine sense of atmosphere or immersion.



Gameplay

And matters aren't helped by the casual gameplay either. The player collects evidence by taking photos of items that may be of importance. There is a limited albeit fairly high number of items that can be photographed however many of them serve no relevance to the case.

Pictures are taking by clicking the right mouse button which brings up a camera-eye view. When in this view a left click is required to actually take the photo. Despite the mouse-wheel enabling zooming in and out the backgrounds do become blurry and it's sometimes hard to tell exactly what the item is you're photographing.

This method of evidence collection is quite fun although far from realistic and it is from here that things go wrong in an adventure sense as it becomes clear that the game is more aimed at a casual audience. This is something I had no idea of before playing - it being an FMV title I was expecting something more along the lines of Black Dahlia/X-Files. In order to get trace evidence from any items of note, the player must return to the crime van and process the photos into the computer. From here items that contain trace evidence can be manipulated; dusted for fingerprints, swabbed, etc. All trace evidence is collected either by simply clicking on the object or via rather pointless and incredibly easy mini-games that require the player for example to move the mouse in a circular motion. In addition, the evidence found rarely requires any input from the player and the links to suspects are almost always made automatically.

A further clue as to the casual nature of the title is in the objectives. These can be accessed by pressing the space-bar and one optional task asks ' How many food items can you find?' Quite what relevance this has to anything I don't know but it does suggest an attempt to provide some out and out hidden object gameplay.



Summary

I hope this review doesn't sound too negative as the The Missing Urn is well presented and fairly good fun depending on what you're after from it. I can certainly see how this game would appeal to those who are fans of more casual games. As for adventure gamers however, well there is more adventure type gameplay on offer than in the hidden-object games I've sampled and the overall impression I got from the game was that it was trying to bridge the gap between the two genres. Despite this it was still far too casual for my liking.

Nevertheless whilst it's not up to the standards of other very good detective games such as those in the CSI and Law and Order series, anyone who fancies an hour or so of easier gameplay or prefers their entertainment to be very laid back could do worse than give The Missing Urn a whirl...not literally of course, that would just be disrespectful.

Pros
- Good presentation
- Laid back
- Easy
- FMV cut-scenes are very clear

Cons
- Laid Back
- Easy
- Mini Games are pointless
- Overall gameplay too casual
- Close-up camera shots are blurry

Download for free;

Casebook Episode 0: The Missing Urn

Ben There, Dan That!

Year - 2008
Length - Medium/Full
Engine - AGS
Suitability Factors - Crude Humour, Very Strong Language, Cartoon Violence

Ben There, Dan That is a good length comedy adventure by Dan Marshall and Ben Ward. I'd been avoiding this game for quite a while (more on that later) but decided it was time to give it a try.

Story

The player is thrust into the role of Ben who is joined (followed) by his best mate Dan. It is Ben that is controlled by the player whilst Dan is there to provide commentary and generally help (term used loosely) his friend out when needed.

The main part of the story involves alien abduction and wacky alternate dimensions, with the main goal being to return home. Whilst the basic premise of the story isn't wildly original, enough varied locations and characters are encountered to keep it ticking along nicely. A word must go out to the ending however which is surprising and very funny.



Atmosphere

Being a comedy game, Ben There, Dan That clearly needs to be bang on with it's humour, and I can happily say that it is. The game is genuinely funny throughout, mainly due to the banter between the two protagonists. The relationship between the two characters is very much reminiscent of that seen in the original Sam & Max, although I personally found Ben There, Dan That funnier.

The writing is clever and one particular thing I liked is that many actions that take place throughout the game will be mentioned by the characters again later on. The fact that the characters are aware of the environment and their actions within that environment just seems to make them seem more real, as well as creating a better feeling of a game-world.

However, in my opinion there is one key area in which the game lets itself down. The reason I was originally reluctant to play the game was that I'm not generally a fan of needless crude humour or cheap comedy tricks such as pointless profanity. Having read parts of other reviews it seemed that there was quite a bit of this included in the game, so I thought it best to stay away. Having now experienced the game for myself, I can say there isn't as much of this as I feared there might be, although it is unavoidably present. I personally feel that the game is very funny without resorting to such things and my enjoyment of the game would have been greater if this was at least toned down a little. I'm aware that opinion may be split on this issue but for me the game could have done without it. It's not that it necessarily offends me, it's just that I think there are far cleverer ways to get laughs - and the developers are clearly more than capable of this.

Moving on, the colourful and crazy backgrounds and characters nicely fit the tone of the story although in places the graphics may have benefited from being touched up a little. For the most part though they're very good. Also, the spindly legs of Ben and Dan and their subsequent strange walking animations add further humour to the game. There isn't much music included although this didn't really bother me.



Gameplay

Puzzles are of the inventory variety and can get quite tough later in the game when there are several different locations and objects available. The solutions are mostly logical within the game however and it's always fairly obvious what the next challenge is even if how to get past it proves a little more tricky.

And even when stuck the game is never dull. A great amount of time and effort has clearly been put into the different responses given when items are examined, used, combined etc and these do a great job of keeping the player occupied, stuck or otherwise.



Summary

Ben There, Dan That is one of the best AGS games I've played. The only thing that would stop me from whole-heartily recommending it is the aforementioned strong language and crude humour. If you're not unduly bothered by this or can just ignore it then Ben There, Dan That! is a must play for anyone who is a fan of humorous games, it's clever, funny, and one of the longest AGS titles I've played in a while.

Pros
- Very funny
- Great dialogue
- Well written
- Very few generic responses given

Cons
- Crude humour
- Needless profanity
- Graphics perhaps could have been refined a little

Particularly For Fans of;

- Sam & Max Hit the Road

Download for free;

Ben There Dan That

Armageddon Margaret

Year - 2004
Length - Short
Engine - AGS
Suitability Factors - Blood, Mild Horror

Whilst playing through a longer AGS game I decided to take a break and play something shorter. The game I chose was the bizarrely named Armageddon Margaret by ElaineMc, the winner of the February 2004 Monthly Adventure Game Studio (MAGS) competition. A good choice it was too!

Story

In Armageddon Margaret, the player takes control of Miss Felicia Delgado, a 'proper' young lady who resides in a peaceful English village. Upon her return from a neighbouring village, Miss Delgado is attacked by a strange armoured creature from which she manages to escape and run for help. It soon becomes apparent however that her friends and neighbours have gone, and there is more to this than the one mechanical creature that attacked her.

The story is well written, interesting, and kept me entertained for the duration. Being a killer zombie-robot game it would be easy for it to go by the books and be a more manly affair with guns and far more brazen action. Now whilst it's not humorous or whimsical either, the game does have an airy lighter feel to it (the final puzzle is one case in point) which I personally thought was great. It doesn't aim to be macho or gung-ho and is all the better for this.



Atmosphere

With this in mind, it's not going to come as a surprise that I really loved the atmosphere of this game. Whilst the backgrounds are not amazing they do a good job of creating a dark and moody setting. The head portraits which appear when a character is talking are also very good and help to convey the characters' emotions.

The game has some good music accompanying certain scenes and these are interspersed with other scenes which are silent. I'm not sure whether this was intentional but it worked really well.

Felicia herself also adds greatly to the immersion of the game - her old-fashioned lady-like personality covered with a forced independence makes her very likeable and really makes you care about her survival. A brash overconfident lead character just wouldn't have given off the same effect. Making the player actually care about the character and his/her situation can really add to the immersion of a game and the developer did a great job in this respect.



Gameplay

The game consists of inventory based puzzles which are fairly easy and logical. Having said that there is at least one puzzle which seemed completely pointless and actually counter-productive to Felicia's plight.

Furthermore you may find that at times you miss objects or locations and end up backtracking in order to find what you need. This does occasionally result in certain aspects of the story not following a logical progression. For example Felicia may make a comment in one scene enquiring as to what could have happened when in actuality she already knows.

These slight inconsistencies were the biggest downside of the game, although they're not such a problem that they spoil the fun.

It is also worth pointing out that you can die in this game so make sure you save your game.

As for the length, well one sitting will most likely do it although I can see it being played over two perhaps. It is short but nevertheless it still manages to hold together an engrossing story which is fairly self-contained.



Summary

Despite some flaws, this game was a delight to play. Felicia Delgado is a very likeable lead character whom is different from the norm and makes the player care about her and her predicament. I hadn't come across this game until very recently - perhaps it's overlooked due to it being a MAGS game (and an old one at that) however I thoroughly enjoyed playing it the whole way through. Here's hoping a few more people will give Armageddon Margaret a chance.

Pros
- Atmosphere/Immersion
- Likeable lead character
- Well written

Cons
- Some minor possible inconsistencies in story timeline
- Quite short
- Puzzles not great

Download for free;

Armageddon Margaret

Breakdown

Mini Review Time...

For the uninitiated, MAGS is the Monthly Adventure Game Studio competition in which would-be game developers have one month to make a game from scratch (using AGS) based on a pre-defined subject or theme. April's topic of choice was 'Space Derelict', and the winner was OneDollar, who managed to produce a short but funny effort for our gaming pleasure.

Story

In Breakdown, the player controls a lowly ensign aboard a spaceship. Following a mishap caused by the ship's captain, you are directed to deal with the aftermath, i.e. fix the engine and reactivate the Autopilot.



Atmosphere

The game aims to be humorous and it manages to achieve this well. The opening cutscene in particular is very amusing and there are various other in-game moments that will make you smile.

The backgrounds are good, as are the character sprites and animation. Disappointingly the game doesn't have any music however there are some quite cool sound effects.

It is difficult to judge such a short game on it's atmosphere, however Breakdown immerses the player as much as such a short humorous game needs to. The game is good harmless fun throughout.

Gameplay

The puzzles are all inventory based and are easy but fun to solve.

An added element to the gameplay is the digital Employee Handbook you carry around. Although not necessary to do so, this can be used on any object or character to give a more in-depth description to the player of what they're looking at. It's worth doing this as it provides some quite funny extra details about things.

As mentioned, the game is very short however this is the norm for MAGS games due to the time restraints place on the creator by the rules of the competition.



Summary

Overall, this is a solid game which should you fancy a quick laugh and have some free time available is worth the fifteen minutes or so of playtime.

Particularly for fans of;

- Hitchhiker's Guide

Download for free;

Breakdown

Anna

One of my biggest gripes about freeware indie adventure games is that they rarely feel involving enough. Despite the fun I have playing many of them, very few leave me thinking about the game long after the credits have rolled. Well, one game that I'm pretty sure has succeeded in this respect is the latest AGS game I've played through, Anna.

The game was made by Vince Twelve of xii games and although this version has been touched up, the game was originally made in one week - pretty astonishing.

Story

Anna is unlike almost any other freeware game you'll play, no doubt about that. The only other one I can think of that had this sort of depth to its content was The White Chamber, so esteemed company indeed.

To give some idea of the story, you play the role of Hero, a technician on an early attack warning outpost placed in deep-space. The beginning of a new workshift seems just like any other for Hero as he converses with Anna, the station's intelligent computer system. Things take a turn for the worse however, and the actions of both Hero and Anna will impact on the fate, or should that be the destiny, of the planet they are there to protect.

Perhaps what makes Anna so intriguing and that extra little bit more impressive is that despite little information being given about the world outside of the one room setting of the game, the plight and personality of the characters is conveyed so well that the need for this information is negated and better left to the imagination (for now at least). There is a genuine connection with the characters which is rare in any game, let alone a short freeware one.



Atmosphere

And it is the characters that are largely responsible for making the game so atmospheric. Their conversations are interesting, thought provoking, and above all, just incredibly natural.

The characters aren't solely responsible for creating the game's atmosphere though. Visually the style is simple yet more than effective and although the main character is generic looking with no defining features, this actually fits in with the philosophical tone of the story very nicely.

Furthermore the sound is of professional standard, with the sound effects realistic, and the music haunting.



Gameplay

The game starts off by giving the player the choice of either watching the full intro, or a lite alternative. I went for the full one (which takes about 15mins) and was treated to a conversation between Hero and Anna which was more than worthy of the time I invested in watching it. Despite the length of the cutscene, I at no point felt bored in any way.

Once this is over, the player takes control with no clear instructions on what to do to progress. This could easily cause frustration in some games, however here it seems to fit in perfectly with the whole atmosphere and story. Plus, all it takes is a little exploration and meddling and you're soon on your way.

So, what about the puzzles then??

Well the game doesn't contain many puzzles but those it does have are intuitive and great fun to solve. In particular the way the first puzzle was handled really showed great thinking by the developer. This puzzle could quite easily have become tiresome, but the way it doesn't have to be completely solved before the player can progress was a touch of genius in my opinion.

I guess if Anna has a down-side then it's the length of the game. It is short and probably won't require more than one sitting to complete. However, in spite of this it still provides the player with more to think about than the vast majority of longer games probably will.



Summary

This is a must play for anyone who likes their games to have a great deal of depth and atmosphere. The fantastic character development and interaction is a joy to see and contributes greatly to the immersiveness of the game. Add to that excellent sound and fun puzzles - really, what more could you want? Simply put, this game has a genuine touch of class about it and deserves to be played by a lot of people.

Particularly for fans of;

- The White Chamber

Download the game for free;

Anna

April Reviews

Hey,

Here's a quick summary of the games that were reviewed in April. Will be back later with the first review of the new month.

AGS Games

Coyote Episode 1: The Mexican
Dance 'Till You Drop!
Heartland Deluxe & Unbound
The Murran Chronicles 2: Talons of Terror

JD