I finished "Old Skies" and yes... this is instant classic to me!

Sadly I had a different view when I visited Washington Square Park...

If you are a fan of Wadjet Eye Games, your zeal will be transformed into divine adoration after playing Old Skies. I reached the end in 15 hours!

Since last time, I finished chapter 4, which was basically an example of the proverb while two dogs fight over a bone, a third runs away with it. It was a very fun chapter, almost to the silly side.

"Old Skies" took me on a rollercoaster ride, alright!

Next came chapter 5. Oh man, this one brings back memories. Real life memories. It takes place right before (and after) an event a couple of decades ago of which I still remember where I was at the time (and always will; it was Disneyland in Paris). This case is a corporate conspiracy story. I felt some John Grisham vibes there. And just like with chapter 1, I had to make a very difficult decision. Which doesn't really affect the outcome, but it's more of a moral decision you carry with you. That's a very strange feeling, especially for people used to more straightforward games with obvious causes and consequences.

Chilling on the beach...

Then finally it was onto chapter 6, the last chapter. For some reason this chapter makes me think of Stephen King. Both him as a person, as well as his novel 11.22.63. And yet again Dave Gilbert succeeds in introducing a new gameplay aspect: yes, even in a time-travel story, you have to race against time once in a while.

Credit where credit is due! These people are artists indeed!

Wow. What an experience. There are many games from the 80s and 90s I've replayed often. I never really felt that urge with modern titles, moreso because there are way many more games to play these days, there's always a backlog, new titles coming out. But Old Skies? I have a feeling that's one I'll return to as well. This is just instant classic to me, and it should be instant buy for anyone who's serious about playing adventure games.

You can find Old Skies here.

I'm 10 hours into "Old Skies" and the game isn't afraid to mix drama with comedy!

This subject definitely has a peacock attitude

Chapter three of Old Skies brought me to August 18, 1923. A museum curator wanted to verify whether a favorite painting of hers was indeed painted by this famous painter. Color me impressed with the artwork that went into creating these in-game canvases!

Ah, young love...

Of course some more things went wrong, I got caught up in a type of Bonnie & Clyde scenario, and witnessed a twist in the story I definitely didn't see coming! Let's just say Old Skies isn't just a series of standalone time-travel missions... There's an overarching story as well, because... you know, butterfly effect and all that...

From the distant past to the... not so distant past...

I'm currently into chapter 4, in which two people are vying for control of a company. There's a change in tone in this chapter, and it seems to aim to tickle your funny bone after a more dramatic halfway-point event. It's another take on the time-loop gameplay, but at least here you're not repeating the same tasks over and over again. Instead, you take on more of a stealth role...

The further I get in this game, the harder it becomes to remain spoiler-free. Hence the shorter post this time! Rest assured, this is a story you really want to discover for yourself!

You can find Old Skies here!

"Brassheart" - my Adventure Game Hotspot review!

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: "Brassheart is a game of layers. It’s instantly and obviously brilliant on the surface, but just below that veneer are enough minor glitches, bugs and mistakes to take off some of the shine. Fortunately, beneath those are lots of fun character interactions and puzzles to make it well worth looking past its shortcomings. The story is interesting enough to keep you entertained, and the gameplay experience is classic point-and-click adventuring but with a thoroughly modern hi-definition look. It would be even better with a bit more polish, which prevents me from giving it a higher rating it would otherwise completely deserve. But I very much appreciate what it’s trying to do and believe most adventure fans will have fun accompanying Pola and Pascal on their world-saving journey."

I'm 5 hours into "Old Skies" and time is getting loopy!

Back to the Future taught me this headline will probably change...

I'm five hours into Old Skies by Wadjet Eye Games and I've just finished chapter 2!

You won't collect many inventory items in Old Skies!

After catching up with the guy that went awol in chapter 1, I returned to the present to prepare myself for the next assignment. This time, a famous boxer wants to travel back in time to the guy who inspired her, to ask him a question. That sounded simple enough, but it turned out to be anything but.

A cozy night to prepare for the big fight!

So we traveled to the year 1871. First of all we had to track him down, then he turned out to be a completely different person than we'd anticipated. Very different. So different, in fact, we had to activate an emergency protocol, rewinding time for a short period so I could try something again. But rest assured, these are short scenes and not as annoying as other time-looping games where they have you replay entire sections over and over again. I really don't like playing those, and I can honestly say I never once felt like I wasn't having fun with Old Skies!

These close-up scenes are really gorgeous!

These scenes are actually part of the fun. They are very well written, and Fia's personality really comes to the fore in these extreme situations. They are also part of the puzzles, and usually come down to discovering the right information, which you can then use in the correct dialogue options. It takes some figuring out, and even some time-hopping between two different dates, but it all happens with the right amount of humor and doing so gives a great feeling of accomplishment.

New York museums have always astounded me...

So after a lot of unexpected stuff went down in 1871, I returned back to the present, where I was put on a third assignment which took me to the art gallery. The curator wants to find out if an anonymous painting truly belongs to this famous painter in the 1920's. Yet another era to visit, no doubt with its own challenges!

You can find Old Skies here!

New Game: "Old Skies" playthrough!

New game!

I've started playing the new Wadjet Eye game, Old Skies, and I'm one hour into it!

Got any Belgian beers in this place?

My name is Fia Quinn. I work for a company called Chronozen, which works as a kind of travel agency, only across time instead of across the geographical world. It's my job to accompany travelers and keep them (and the time they're traveling to) safe. Think of me as some kind of Time Police. Of course, this wouldn't be much of an adventure game if things didn't go wrong!

Weeeeeeee!!!!!

After one hour of gameplay, I'm still on my first mission. This dying man - a pretty famous inventor, as well - wanted to go eat at the burger joint of his college days one last time, but then tricks everyone and vamooses for some kind of covert, personal mission he didn't tell us about. So I need to track him down, the slippery git...

A real restaurant would cram THREE tables in that spot...

Old Skies doesn't feel like a game; it feels like a work of art. It's entertainment of a whole other level. Its graphical style doesn't look anything like other Wadjet Eye games. There's a constant jazzy, bluesy soundtrack that's just waiting for the game equivalent of an Oscar nomination. Fia is voiced by the incomparable Sally Beaumont, who also worked as a writer on this story.

Always love search engines in games!

The puzzles feel very much like those in the Blackwell series. It's mostly figuring things out and progressing the story than actually "solving" puzzles, combining items, etc. You talk to people, you look up things in Chronozen's archive system and even on a regular computer if they happen to exist in the time you've traveled to. The first real puzzle in the game is figuring out the combination of a door lock. The story progresses at a natural pace through dialogue and cutscenes, and I'm basically loving this type of gameplay. I'm playing, but it doesn't feel like I'm playing. I'm experiencing, and so far I haven't cursed getting stuck on some obtuse puzzle obstacle or other. Simply put, I'm enjoying the heck out of this game, and I'm having a great time with it!

The map or travel screen, always era-appropriate.

And no, I'm not just saying that because Dave Gilbert honored me with the chance to test it before release. I gave him plenty of feedback of things I thought could be better ;)

You can find Old Skies here!

My 50th Adventure Game Hotspot review: "The Haunting of Joni Evers"!

 

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: "The brief time I spent playing through The Haunting of Joni Evers stirred loads of emotions in me. But then, I am quite susceptible to the feelings of others. I still enjoy reading the occasional young adult novel, which often involve dealing with other people while searching for your own place in the world. And that’s exactly what Joni’s quest here entails. She went through some bad stuff with her family, and because of that has lost track of the good stuff. She doesn’t understand the decisions her family made, because she’s never truly grasped who they are and what drives them. Instead of being just a terrifying boogeyman, the demonic Skull Man is a means to finally open her eyes and see the essence of her parents, sister and grandmother. Perhaps this entire process is meant to be completely symbolic and nothing but imaginary; who’s to say? Either way, it’s real to Joni, and in guiding her through the game, it is good fun to search through her family’s massive house, gather nostalgic items and perform rituals, constantly on your toes for manifestations of the Skull Man. The gameplay is simple and rather formulaic, but it’s more than a simple horror game, with a lot of drama to wade through as well, making this a very intimate-feeling experience that is sure to tug on your heartstrings."

"Rosewater" - my Adventure Game Hotspot review!

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: "The branching storylines leading to alternate solutions is really Rosewater’s ace up its sleeve. If you just want to play through the game once, there’s an abundance of content to experience and always a path that conforms to how you want to behave. But if you’re interested in multiple playthroughs, there are many different decisions you can make that are sure to open up even more to see and do. Either way, it’s a highly entertaining chance to be part of a posse in the Old West – well, an alternate version of it, at least. The rather easy puzzles and mini-games might not exactly strike gold, but the setting is gorgeous and the characters are wonderfully written and acted, making it a joy to spend time with such a diverse, dynamic group. As thoroughly entertained as I was in getting there, I was actually sad when my posse reached its final destination and inevitably rode off into the sunset, so to speak, but it’s great to know that more adventuring awaits when I’m ready to revisit Western Vespuccia once again."

"The Brilliant Coup" - my Adventure Game Hotspot review!

 

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: "While THE BRiLLiANT COUP doesn’t allow you to actively plan the heist of the Arctic Star, playing assistant to Uncle Briggs is certainly a satisfying foray into a life of crime. The game is decidedly old-school in its approach, and still has a few rough edges left to smooth, but it’s sure to steal your heart with its funky music and loads of subtle animations that bring the late-80s British streets to life. And it definitely achieves what it sets out to do: tricking people to get your hands on blueprints, convincing accomplices to join you, and then coordinating them to do their part of the job will keep you busy for a decent eight hours of traditional-style adventure gaming. While there’s never any true sense of danger or getting caught, there is a point of no return that determines how successful you are in the heist. While I didn’t manage to get the most loot, I did make off with a fair amount and was able to escape abroad for some well-deserved time off – hopefully with more irresistible future targets still to come."

I finished "An English Haunting" and yes... I screamed...

I love hiking!

Wow, what a journey! I finished An English Haunting in six hours. I was very much surprised when, after last time, I travelled to a totally different location, and even got to control another character. Immediately it made the game a bit more exotic.

Where's Keyser Söze?

After a kind of Stranger Things event at the end of my first session, I also witnessed a sort of Paranormal Activity event in this last one. What I love is, even though there's this tense feeling that something will happen, the game still surprised me with its sudden violence. And it isn't over the top; it's short and fast, it's contained, it's over before you know it and you get this "did that just really happen?" vibe from it you also get from good horror movies. Ones that don't rely on sensory-overload jump scares with sudden flashes and loud music or sound effects.

Ominous...

But then the ACTUAL jump scares came, lol! And yes, I screamed. There are a couple right after each other. But it was all done so elegantly. It's masterful storytelling, and I totally get why this game won two Agoty Awards. Could have easily been more in my book!

I'd be as frozen as that statue...

I wish I could talk more about this game, but that would spoil so much. There were truly some WTF moments at the end. It's a game you really have to experience for yourself. It's not THAT long, I went through it quite easily though one or two puzzles might have you scratch your head. This defnitely is one of the best games of 2024, and I wish I had played it sooner because it would certainly have made my top ten!

You can find An English Haunting here!

I'm 4 hours into "An English Haunting" and things got creepy...

Let there be light!

Last time, I ended my playing session as I was about to enter the basement of the haunted house my partner was interested in. When I got there, though, the place was so dark I couldn't see a thing. I had to leave again and figure out how to shine a light on this puzzle. Turned out I had to solve a different puzzle at another location first I didn't even realize was a puzzle! I was actually unaware I could do something there...

How revelatory...

After the events in the basement, I finally succeeded in getting in touch with a friend of my partner, who could help me in this investigation. She told me about his workshop I knew nothing about, where we found plans to build a machine. It just needed three more pieces.

These gents appear right peaky...

It took some travelling back and forth, but thankfully once I was done in a particular location, it disappeared off the travel map. I was able to free a man from the local Irish mafia so he could give me one of the pieces. And I was able to collect the second item by reuniting a man and woman, though that didn't exactly end as I had expected...

That ain't Nur-ab-Sal...

With one more item to go, I hope I can now return to a place I already visited but where the man I needed was temporarily unavailable. The game's difficulty level has risen slightly, but it's all still very doable without needing much effort. Everything makes sense, and the story keeps being engaging. I'm especially amazed by all the little details; the extra sound effects when you're out on the streets, all little animations like fog passing by windows when you're inside. All locations are also splendidly decorated. It's actually a bit of a shame I'm moving on at such a fast pace, and I do try to enjoy the setting as well.

You can find An English Haunting here!

New game: "An English Haunting"

New game!

I've started playing An English Haunting by Postmodern Adventures and I'm one hour into it!

I'm professor Patrick Moore, of the London University's Metapsychic Investigations Department. Next to lecturing, I research the possible existence of the Great Beyond; ghosts, in other words. One day, I'm interrupted during a class and given the news my partner, Nelson Ward, ran off with a pretty extensive research grant. Not convinced of his guilt, I take it upon myself to search for the truth. The University's Board, however, is planning to shut down the Metapsychic Investigations Department and has given me a deadline: 72 hours to proof the existence of ghosts.

Some "Last Crusade" vibes here...

During the first hour I played, things kind of rolled off on their own. I picked up a couple of items as the story unfolded, and was already able to use some of them. I gained access to several locations on the travel map, and I've visited them one by one. The one-click user interface is very handy. There isn't any voice acting but I don't really miss that. There's a pop-up inventory at the top of the screen.

Some "Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes" vibes here...

I'm quite enjoying the pace of this pixel art game. So far it's not really difficult, but that doesn't mean it isn't interesting. I found a book explaining several supernatural terms, with real photos and everything. To be honest, personally I haven't discovered anything new in there, having a longtime affinity with all things supernatural for decades myself. Patrick Moore's story is certainly engaging, the dialogues are well-written, that deadline gives it some Around the World in 80 Days urgency.

Some other vibes here...

While the trail to find professor Ward has run cold somewhat, I decided to visit the haunted house I discovered he has a special interest in. A shoeshine boy is about to help me get inside. I'm very curious what secrets I'll uncover...

You can find An English Haunting here!

"Tourist Trap" - my Adventure Game Hotspot review!

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: "Tucked between an abundance of fetch quests and peculiar conversations with unusual characters, in essence Tourist Trap is a game about gaming, about escaping everyday life and playing as someone else, pretending to be a character in a story, basically becoming – for a short time – a tourist in a different world. While I do wish there had been more influence from player choice in the game’s finale, maybe even offering alternate endings that way, I was nevertheless left with a satisfied feeling when the credits rolled. It’s a fun game with a good sense of humor and an interesting story, and though it’s short and fairly basic, it does well what it set out to do. Including making me wary of where to go for our next summer vacation…"

I finished "Conquests of the Longbow" in 6 hours!

But what if you're lefthanded?

I finished Conquests of the Longbow in six hours! Well, at least I think I did. I reloaded so often, the timestamps of the save slots weren't really good to keep track of my progress anymore. It could be closer to seven hours in total. Because I restored a lot...

I also feel like a dolt. Last time I was stuck on the riddle part of the game. My wife even offered her assistance with the riddles, but she didn't understand it either. We were convinced some of our answers HAD to be correct, but they still weren't accepted. Finally she looked one of them up, and indeed, it WAS the right answer! So, was this a bug? No, finally we figured it out... After spelling out the correct answer on the hand palm, I clicked in the wrong place on the screen to submit it, making the game think I submitted blank. So after we realized that, we quickly answered three riddles, clicking the sweet spot and submitting them correctly, and finally the game continued! Sigh...

Sensory overload in this place...

Anyways, on with the mission! A lot happened, and it happened fast, so I had to reload a couple of times, both when being overpowered by the sheriff's men, and when I noticed some decisions made my score drop again. But I won the archery tournament, with the famous arrow-splitting scene of course! The fair overwhelmed me a bit, I have to be honest. I think I missed loads of hidden things there, and I got captured twice for talking to the wrong scholar. But it worked out in the end.

Thank you very much, easy arcade settings!

I also rescued Lady Marian after she was accused of being a witch, and bamboozled the sheriff with some fake jewelry, literally stripping him of all his possessions. Then it was finally time for the big robbery. Just as with Lady Marian's rescue mission, I had to choose between all the plans my merry men proposed. With Marian it was obvious what to do, but for the robbery I just guessed at what would be most succesful.

Such gruesome slaughter...

So I collected the ransom money for King Richard, then almost got tricked by a fake knight of the Queen. I had to go back to the monastery to free the real knight, and I finally found a use for one of the rings I acquired. I wish there had been a use for the second ring as well, but perhaps I missed that bit somewhere.

This tower kept me busy for a while...

After all, I finished the game with only  6815 points out of a total 7325, but I did get the good ending - freeing King Richard, him absolving me and my men, and he gave me his blessing to marry Lady Marian. So everything I missed should only be some little extras here and there. What I like about this game is that, whenever you do something wrong, you hear a bad jingle and your points are lowered. So a quick restore and a change of tactics remedies that. I was also surprised the number of outlaws always remained constant, but I think that's just due to being very lucky and choosing the right strategies in the battle sequences. It's a very narrative game and not as punishing as other Sierra titles. I was always surprised how quickly a day ended. Usually there were very clear goals, and most puzzles made sense. Whenever I was stuck, it turned out I had to check the manual for something. I'm glad I've played this game now, but I'm also a bit sad I didn't get around to it earlier. It's a great balance of tension and humor, lots of dangerous places and game-over screens but very manageable and with funny writing.

The Kingdom is saved! Huzzah!

You can find Conquests of the Longbow here!

"Slender Threads", my Adventure Game Hotspot review!

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: "Slender Threads immediately immersed me in its weird tale of spooky shadow creatures threatening the protagonist’s very existence. Even with its plethora of locations, the town of Villa Venata is easy to get around. Moving from place to beautiful place and character to quirky character is fun, though never all that challenging except for some small gameplay hiccups that could have used some finetuning. The moody orchestral soundtrack is a perfect companion, and the natural-sounding voice cast fits the bill perfectly. It’s a compact game but with great attention to detail, really filling this world with surprises and even some light jump scares. When you dread the need to click on something, out of fear of what might come next, you know you are experiencing a captivating story. And when you can’t help but laugh at a comically lethal plot twist, you could feel a bit guilty, or you could just appreciate this perfect blend of horror and humor."

"The End of the Sun", my Adventure Game Hotspot review!

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: "The End of the Sun deserves to be played at a leisurely pace to fully take in the amazing surroundings. The slow walking speed is remedied by the run button, but it’s a shame to hurry through this magnificent world. The scenic valley quickly feels a real place, especially when you experience it through the various seasons and observe its inhabitants in different periods of their lives. The majority of fetch quests and puzzles might be a tad too easy for experienced adventurers, but each puzzle is unique and very much rooted in the legends, folklore and rituals of these Slavic people. The drama of human relationships and the mystery of the firebird Rarog and its regular apparitions are sure to ward off any boredom that might otherwise occur because of all the backtracking between locations. Dramatic events are leavened by humorous episodes in a narrative coated with a layer of love and romance while displaying a deep respect for traditions and one’s ancestral roots. Clearly nothing was done half-heartedly in the development of this game, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. It definitely sparked my own wanderlust, and is sure to kindle the interest of anyone who appreciates exploring other historical cultures."

3 hours into "Conquests of the Longbow" and breaking my head over some riddles...

Aww, soulmates...

I'm 3 hours into Conquests of the Longbow and breaking my head over some riddles...

Lots has happened since my first playing session. First I finally found a disguise to venture inside Nottingham. The local cobbler gave me a silver comb, which I had to show to Marian to pledge my allegiance to the cause of gathering King Richard's ransom. Apparently there's a treasure passing through Watling Street, so I'll have to prepare to take possession of it. But the cobbler is going on a reconnaissance mission first, and will inform me about it later.

Really hope this isn't the river Styx...

Then Marian sent me undercover into an evil monastery to retrieve a stolen scroll. This was actually a pretty fun part, and the map of the building reminded me a lot of the map of Camelot in Conquests of Camelot, only more graphically advanced. This felt as a first real mission in the game. But the Sheriff had also arrested three peasant brothers, and I had to get them out of jail before they were hanged. I had to choose what I would do first, so luckily I still had time the next day to go rescue the brothers.

I really wanted to snoop through all bedrooms for some reason...

I was able to procure myself a monk's habit, so I could enter the castle and see the brothers, but the guards were keeping a close eye on me so I couldn't really do anything. I also met the evil abbot, who sent me on an ale-fetching quest to the local pub. Then he invited me to drink with him, after which I had a game-over screen since they recognized who I was when I had passed out drunk. So after a reload, I refused his invitation, but this angered him and he threw me out. So had to reload several times and finally I found the correct order of doing things, which all had to do with winning a game of Nine Men's Morris first - which took me several attempts before I learned a good strategy.

Quite a fun game once you get the hang of it...

At the moment I'm stuck answering a couple of riddles by the Great Green Oak Man, Guardian of Sherwood Forest. I kinda liked the riddles in Conquests of Camelot, I didn't get all of them but at least there was more chance of getting some right. But here I have absolutely no idea what the answer to any of them might be. I'll have to stew on them for a while...

You can find Conquests of the Longbow here!

Classic time: "Conquests of the Longbow" playthrough!

New game!

I've started playing Christie Marx's Conquests of the Longbow and I'm 1 hour into it! I've never played this classic before, so it's a maiden voyage for me. During my life, I've seen four different iterations of the Robin Hood story, and now this is the first one I'll experience in game form. I doubt the character needs much introduction from me.

Robin has pretty basic living arrangements...

From the start the look and feel of the game are very familiar. The graphic design, the music, the interface, it's all classic 90s Sierra adventure. But there are some extra elements that immediately come to the fore. At the top of the playing field, you'll see statistics for the current "Ransom" money you have gathered. You can keep track of the number of  your"Outlaws" that are still alive. Other than that, there are many arcade sequences and decisions you will have to make. If you fail those, you either die (it's a Sierra game, after all) or you'll get a bad ending; so save often, I'd say!

What a merry bunch... If two people can be called a bunch...

The game starts with an (optional) prologue where you see King Richard of England taken prisoner by Leopold of Austria when the former travels back from the crusades in Jerusalem. It's your job as Robin Hood to rob the rich and give to the poor, or in this case gather the necessary ransom of one hundred thousands mark.

Already killed a guy within the first hour...

After I did some target practice, I wandered Sherwood Forest a bit, unsure what I was supposed to be doing. Then I remembered Friar Tuck at the campsite telling me to go see Little John at the overlook point. But I had no idea where that was, so I had to search for it. Once there, I witnessed a peasant woman being chased by one of the Sheriff's men. So I quickly dispatched him and set the woman free.

Already killed two guys within the first hour...

That ended the day, apparently! A short scene at the campsite later, Robin fell asleep and dreamt about Marian dancing in the willow grove. The next morning, I got the message I needed to visit the cobbler in town, but Robin doesn't dare go there without a disguise of some sort. And also, he needs a woman's slipper to prove to the cobbler he's Robin Hood. Without much else to do, I explored the forest until I came upon Marian attacked by a monk. So I quickly dispatched him, and lo and behold! Marian rewarded me with a slipper!

Exploring Sherwood Forest is pretty slow going...

That ended another day, apparently! The next morning I figured I had to go look around for that disguise, so I'm currently exploring the forest again, hoping to come upon something useful, since none of the locations on my map seem to hold anything interesting. 

You can find Conquests of the Longbow here!