"The Posthumous Investigation", my Adventure Game Hotspot review!

 

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: "Time-loop games aren’t usually my thing. Too much repetition, too much trial and error, too much effort needed to change that one detail in order to get the perfect outcome. Not so in The Posthumous Investigation. This mystery lets you hunt for lots of information, and with fourteen murder suspects, every run keeps offering something new. I found it amazing how very unique every single loop still felt, even after more than 40 of them, totaling almost twelve hours of sleuthing. Yes, there is still some repetition, particularly towards the end, and even with some shortcuts after having done things for the first time, there’s still room for improvement in that regard. But with such compelling writing, it’s a joy to read through the dialogues and uncover all the suspects’ connections to the murder victim. Add in the beautiful noir-steeped monochrome setting of Rio de Janeiro in the 1930s and the era-appropriate jazzy soundtrack that perfectly tie together a great investigation game, and I loved it all to death."

High times quickly switching to low times in "Perfect Tides: Station to Station"...

Pivot! Pivot!

While my previous playing session left a bit a bad taste in my mouth - a lot of things went wrong there - I was happy to find the next part of Perfect Tides: Station to Station to be more uplifting! I went along with Mara to an amazing karaoke session - I had to play the song myself and witness a perfectly synced performance! - and I had time again to read a book and write a better part of her story. Though I'm starting to think this stuff doesn't really matter all that much, even though they're the most obvious goals of the game!

Scaramouche, Scaramouche!

What followed were some fun times in bright and beautiful pixel art. A road trip with a panoramic vista, a relaxing trek into nature, everything seemed to be perfectly chill. But this wouldn't be an interactive young adult novel if it weren't for some conflict, and that quickly ensues. Not only between the characters, but also in Mara's own head. Which is such a shame. But you can't fight who you are, I guess.

What an idyllic scene...

There are also some external circumstances that make the job even harder, and suddenly I'm back fighting for time to read and write. It even feels that some writing assignments are impossible to complete; I received a new one the last day before Fall turned into Winter, with no chance to actually work on it anymore. Unless I missed that window somehow...

Breaking down again...

This is an immensely intense and complex story. I'm sorry to say that most of the time I hardly understand these people at all. Which makes me wonder if I really was anything like them at that age. The fact that I keep going and going with this game proves to me that it's really involving. There's a certain flow to it, with those ups and downs, it carries you along like a rollercoaster and the most astonishing thing about that is that nothing really "special" happens in this game. It's no grand adventure, it's simply everyday life and still, the drama and the humor pulls you along. So I'm very curious to see where this final in-game season will lead to...

You can find Perfect Tides: Station to Station on Steam and on itch.

Wasn't expecting "Perfect Tides: Station to Station" to have a "death" scene...

What a lively place!

After three and a half hours of playing Perfect Tides: Station to Station I had to take a break. A lot happened since my first steps as Mara into The City. Things started off going quite well, but Mara's boyfriend problems were a recurring issue I knew I had to deal with quickly.

Ah, alone in a movie theater... 

After succesfully writing two papers, reading some books and going to see a movie by my lonesome, I met a famous writer/blogger who invited me to a reading, followed by some drinks. Those drinks didn't sit well with Mara, though, as her mother witnessed when she went to pick her up from the station.

The Mainland looks like a (White)fish...

The game overwhelms me a bit with its possibilities. There's much to see in any particular location. There are hotspots which turn the cursor red, but you can also right-click on random background elements and get a description as well. There's a lot of detail put into this game, both in world building as well as character building. This game is like a novel, there's so much information to be found. No wonder it won the Excellence In Narrative IGF Award!

What shall we do today?

But Mara's computer has a lot to offer too. On the first day I was allowed to surf a bit before writing my paper, so the next time I sat down to work naturally I decided to check online first again. You never know if you could find something that might raise your knowledge of certain topics. However, time ran out before I could start on my next paper because I had to go to a party with my friend Lily. Who also had a book to trade, but I hadn't had time to read the ones I had yet that day, and it was too crowded and noisy at the party to read one there and then. So it kinda felt like a wasted day, academically speaking of course.

Looks like a relaxing evening, right? RIGHT?

To make matters worse, Mara's boyfriend kept checking up on her everywhere she went, so finally "the call" came in which Mara decided to break up with him. Suddenly I had a kind of mental health bar, you could say, and when it ran out, I got something like a Sierra random death message. I had to go through the conversation five or six times before I succeeded in giving the appropriate replies. He just wouldn't take no for an answer... I wasn't too fond of this sequence... But hey, I'm just the player, imagine actually being Mara in that situation...

And indeed we were...

But finally I succeeded, and suddenly the school year is over, it's summer and Mara is working at the library, enjoying a well-deserved break from, well, pretty much everything, I guess. I'm a bit confused though, because I thought I still had some writing assignments due, and one of the books I had just vanished from my inventory... Now I need to write a piece for another reading with that writer/blogger, and Mara also has a story she wants to rewrite. I tried to write the first piece, since that reading is that same night already, but it sounds like the quality of whatever I write is rather meh... So I don't have high hopes for this event...


You can find Perfect Tides: Station to Station on Steam and on itch.

New game: "Perfect Tides: Station to Station" playthrough!

New game!

Earlier this year I played Perfect Tides by Three Bees developer Meredith Gran, because its sequel was about to be released. A bit later than expected, I'm finally able to play through Perfect Tides: Station to Station! It has quite the same appearance as the first game, but there is a lot more gameplay to it this time.

Daniel has a big place...

It's the year 2003, and we meet up again with Mara Whitefish, 18 years old now, as she's attending classes at the State University of Creative Studies (SUCS) in The City. She's staying over with this guy named Daniel so she doesn't always have to make the trip over to her mother's house. There's a girl named Rosetta there too, who's also staying there together with her boyfriend Grey. So, Mara seems to have acquired quite the social circle since last we saw her...

Quite the robust interrogation system...

Mara uses her cellphone to collect people's names and a variety of topics. Some characters can be questioned about these. It's a handy tool, but not the only one in this game. Because after one hour of playing, I've discovered it has its own version of RPG mechanics. Thankfully in this first hour you get a bunch of tutorials explained by the narrator, whom Mara often argues with, funnily enough.

Wait, I have to do homework in this game?

Mara has to write assignment papers, with very strict deadlines I might add, for which she needs to do research. She can do this by looking things up online or by talking to people. She can also find books and other publications related to the topics on her cellphone. These topics can then be used for her papers, by combining two of them to give the papers a particular angle, and you can slowly raise Mara's knowledge about the topics as well so her papers get better. It feels like giving more academic purpose to your explorations, and for now seems to take your attention away from the more social aspects of Mara's life.

Ah, city life...

However, I've learned that Mara has either a very insecure or very possessive boyfriend named Adam; she met him two years ago but he lives a ways off, so he's very high on trying to control her comings and goings from a distance. The narrator does a very thorough job of digging into all the details. Nothing is left to interpretation. Mara is definitely who she is and we are merely onlookers; we don't get to shape her character. And you are constantly told not only the facts but also details of people's personalities. It completely reverses the old adage of show don't tell, leading to often large blocks of text. 

I always love visiting the library...

Mara works at the library (yay!) and I just got her more work on coming up with a new system to catalogue books when she was actually trying to ditch a shelving job since her school paper was due instead. Oops. After her library work I went to one of her classes, where I got yet another writing assignment. As if I don't already do enough writing in real life... Anyways, finally I went to a dorm party, talked to some people and accidentally gained possession of a dubious magazine. But it turns out I can use it to raise my knowledge on the topic of sex, so I'm sure that will come in handy sometime.

I hear you, girl...

The most important message about this game is probably that there's no one right way to play it. It's all about the experience, you won't be able to see and do everything, but neither are there good or wrong answers to it all. Well, I guess I'll just to have play and see what happens next!

You can find Perfect Tides: Station to Station on Steam and on itch.

"D3AD HAND", my Adventure Game Hotspot review!

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: "Lasting at least a puzzle-filled four hours, the two standalone chapters now collectively comprising D3AD HAND are a welcome diversion and some much-needed laughs in our war-plagued real world, gently poking fun at the Russian military machine. Especially in the larger “R3D STAR” update, the ongoing switching between human and cat brings greater gameplay diversity, and overall the combination of humor, wonderful pixel art, exciting music and variety of puzzles make you wish for an even longer game. Instead I’ll look forward to Duck Made Of Wood’s next game already in progress, as D3AD HAND is such a promising debut for a developer that shows the potential for stardom."

"Thief's Shelter", my Adventure Game Hotspot review!

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: "The unusual point-and-click interface doesn’t take long to get used to; it’s the game design itself that limits the experience. Many times I wanted to go places I couldn’t or look at items I couldn’t pick up for no apparent reason. And that’s a shame, because the story here is intriguing enough to keep you going, and the old mansion environments look excellent in the dim, eerie lighting. I had a lot of fun figuring out the puzzles and only wish there were more of them. At times I felt like a real sleuth searching for clues to solve the mystery behind Thomas Malcott’s death and its connection to the mysterious Red Order seemingly behind it all, though I never really had to put two and two together myself in solving the actual mystery. It seems there are still some secrets left hidden on Highburn Street, but while Thief’s Shelter is a solidly enjoyable game, after two playthroughs I’ll leave it to more persistent completionists to seek further shelter at this feverish Birmingham mansion."

Deepwood Forest is saved in "Mutants Ate My Carrots"!

Nice place to lounge...

When I previously played Mutants Ate My Carrots, I had just discovered that, well, mutants ate my carrots. Genetically altered animals were fed Blackjack's special black carrots in a secret laboratory to give them extra powers. So then it was up to me to defeat these mutants in combat, and stop the people responsible.

This spider will get me a brand new outfit...

Usually I'm not that into cartoony games with animal characters. I like my adventure games more realistic. But this quirky story pushes the right buttons. The vibrant colors; the funny characters that often don't take the game itself very seriously, glancing at the player for a moment in frustration or hilarity; the manageable "combat"; but also the more gruesome aspects like the weird mutations and the chaos at the lab. It's not only a fuzzy afternoon cartoon; it's not afraid to show violence and death as well. 

All true adventurers need a fast-travel map...

After resurfacing from that lab, a whole now part of Deepwood Forest opened up, so I was very glad to have acquired a fast-travel map to switch locations more fluently, since some things took some back and forth. Though I did notice I had missed some things here and there, so it's not a bad idea to still take a stroll through the forest when you feel you're getting stuck.

Looks like a tricky door to get through...

I finished the game in three hours, and was actually sad it was over. To be honest it could have been over more quickly, because there were several occasions where it was totally not obvious to me which attack I had to employ against particular enemies, resulting in me trying out all of them one after another, often resulting in realizing I had to use something in the environment instead. The ending cinematic came rather quickly, but it was satisfying nonethless. Overall, it's a fun and none too difficult game, quite enjoyable because it offers something different, and perhaps even well suited to win over some gaming adolescents to the genre.

Speaking of adolescents, for my next playthrough game I'm going to pretend to be an 18-year old girl who is leaving her small hometown for the big city...

You can find Mutants Ate My Carrots on Steam.

New game: "Mutants Ate My Carrots"!

New game!

I don't know why it took me so long to play Mutants Ate My Carrots, developed by Animatic Vision and published by Dionous Games. I think it was the combat element that held me back. Action-adventures are more of a console thing to me. But frankly, I needn't have worried because this game is pure point 'n click, freaking hilarious and the combat is just a variation of an inventory puzzle!

Typical morning after...

I'm Blackjack, last one of the legendary Black Rabbits. There's a whole intro cinematic explaining my origins, so I won't go into it here. Most important part is that I cultivate black carrots which gives me extra strength. Think of that flower in the Black Panther movie... But one morning, I wake up and find someone stole all my carrots! A quest ensues!

And that there's 50% of the gameplay...

Searching the forest I meet several other animals, but as is typical for adventure games, they all want something in return before they will help me out. These interaction show what a wacky cartoon this game actually is. The dialogue is funny as well, and Blackjack is a perfect, grumpy protagonist, a veteran who has seen it all and just does what needs to be done.

Teach me, sensei!

But once in a while we have to exchange the wits path for the fists path. Blackjack has a couple of basic fighting skills, a quick punch and a power kick, but that's not enough to fight through this forest. Along the way, he can gradually pick up other skills, by collecting sensei Mon Ki's lost balls (the decorative kind) or by drinking special potions.

Boss fight!

Fighting usually entails incapacitating an enemy with some kind of inventory item first, or using special attacks for which they show a weakness. They'll block your normal attacks before you do this. These attacks can also be used to get past obstacles, for instance to kick open doors and jab through wood.

He he...

But the game has more layers than just traipsing around a forest and interact with all kinds of woodland creatures. There's more going on, with a strange underground lab where they did weird animal experiments. So after an hour of gameplay, I'm sure there's lots more to discover...

You can find Mutants Ate My Carrots on Steam.

Reached one of the endings of "R3D STAR"!

Continue the game!

After playing D3AD HAND, by Duck Made Of Wood, it was only natural to continue the story with the next chapter, R3D STAR. You can start this second game from the main menu of D3AD HAND, but personally I think it should just start automatically since it is essentially one big story.

A raging river and a ravenous polar bear, easy peasy...

In R3D STAR, the Sputnik satellite has crashed into earth and as Yuri, you go and investigate. This time, there aren't that many mechanical/logical puzzles. Instead, it's mostly inventory puzzles, but a new gameplay element has been added as well: this time, you can also play as Stalin the cat!

Stalin, the fabulous feline!

Stalin can squeeze through small places and climb on ledges and thus access areas Yuri can't get to. This way, you can reach items and make them available for Yuri. Stalin can also scratch stuff open or sever them. And he can sniff out clues and so link hotspots together, informing Yuri there's something more to them. 

Remember to explore this map thoroughly!

I must admit I got stuck pretty early on, but that's because I didn't listen very well to my orders. I received a map of the area and was told to explore fully, but this means you can and have to also check the areas where there's no obvious location. After I realized that, the immensity of this chapter compared to D3AD HAND really became apparent.

I'd be careful around this hole...

After three hours, I finished the game but my particular ending wasn't exactly environmentally friendly. So I'm going to dive back in and see if I can play the end game a bit differently this time. After all, another character informed me there were three different tactics I could use, and for now I just did the most obvious. So hopefully I can dig a bit deeper and figure out how to achieve a more peaceful ending...

You can find D3AD HAND and R3D STAR together on Steam and on itch.io!

I just saved the world from nuclear annihilation in "D3AD HAND"!

New game!

Duck Made Of Wood is a very charismatic solo developer. I bumped into him at AdventureX in London last November and sat down to play his game D3AD HAND. I didn't finish this hour long game there and then, because there were lots of other games and people to check out, but I promised him I'd definitely play it at home because I was quite enjoying it and loving the humor, and he even was so kind to gift me a free copy! So finally, here I am, making good on that promise! (Sorry it took me so long, Duck!)

Monday mornings...

I'm Yuri, a Soviet military man in charge of a nuclear missile base. My direct supervisor there is a white cat with a black "mustache" patch under its nose named Stalin. The systems at the base should be automatic, but, you know, it's still man-made... So it's my job to make sure no missiles are fired accidentally, leading to World War 3 and total annihilation.

Let's keep these things closed, shall we?

But before I can do my job, I have to find my way inside, which takes a couple of fun puzzles. There's a gear puzzle, and a code puzzle, and a password you have to uncover. The game is actually full of these mechanical/logical puzzles and it's perfectly balanced with the more traditional inventory puzzle stuff. D3AD HAND also has cool pixel art, full Russian-accented voice overs, and funny dialogues which often break the fourth wall, but not to excess. I particularly enjoyed the sound of crunching snow beneath your boots as you walk, and the synth soundtrack.

Shoddy piping...

As soon as I've entered the base, a pipe bursts and steam is blocking my way, so I have to turn some valve wheels to shut down the system. Then I finally meet Stalin, my boss so to speak. But the cat refuses to come into action until I've fed it, and apparently only eats caviar-flavored cat food...

Thankfully this isn't a translation game...

Then all hell breaks loose, a missile is about to be launched and I have to reset all systems to prevent catastrophe. With a fun series of puzzles I'm able to save the day!  I'm not quite sure how some of the puzzles actually worked, like the one with the seismic sensors, but I'm happy I seemed to click the right buttons by chance and didn't get totally stuck on it. It was rather a short experience, lasting only for an hour, but there's more to come with the second part of the story, R3D STAR! 

Plenty of logical puzzles in this game!

So I'll be back soon with a continuation of my playthrough. I've already heard R3D STAR is more extensive and even offers Stalin the cat as a second playable character, so that's definitely something to look forward to!

You can find D3AD HAND and R3D STAR together on Steam and on itch.io!

I completed Chapter One of "A Vampyre Story"!

The lovely village of Vlad's Landing...

The last part of A Vampyre Story played out a lot more smoothly than the previous part, where I had to escape the castle. Even though it was still quite chunky, taking almost two and a half hours to get through. But the new location was quite interesting to explore. The backgrounds in this game are just wonderful to gaze at, as well.

Drat, my horse has been leg clamped...

So I had to get a horse, a cart, some grave dirt and my coffin. The coffin was easily obtained again. After all, I had just rowed it across the lake. During my first tour of the village of Vlad's Landing I had already passed by a horse, and once my tour was finished it was easily acquired. It helps that all objects you can interact with have a sharper outline and stand out somewhat compared to the rest of the surroundings.

This almost looks like a Caribbean port...

Getting the cart was a bigger issue: I didn't see it anywhere. But there was also one location I couldn't freely explore, and that took most of my time to remedy, interacting with three separate people, plus a family of four. Mona showed off her singing and dancing skills as well. It took some back and forth, but it was all very logically accomplished.

The Mona Dance, not as popular as Wednesday's I guess...

Then an adventure game peculiarity came up again: each time I find myself in a single room with limited resources, it seems to be more difficult for me to come up with the solution than when there's a whole town to explore. First I was locked inside a shed, then when I finally got out I was once more limited in my movements and while the solution was very simple, I lost time trying out other things first, examining and trying to interact with many hotspots that were just there for filling, or to throw me off, I guess.

This guy needs more than a lullaby to shut him up...

But after almost 9,5 hours, that final act led to the game's ending cinematic, which I was warned about plenty beforehand. Instead of boarding a ship to Paris, Mona and Froderick are sent to a mysterious doctor Rigor Mortis or something like that (I don't know for sure, the cutscenes don't have subtitles...) but the credits roll before they arrive, announcing a continuation of their adventure in Chapter Two. I can totally understand how this set a lot of bad blood when that second chapter didn't show up year after year. So I'm glad that the project has been resurrected by developer Tag of Joy, of Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit fame.

I'm also very glad I finally played this original Vampyre Story. It takes you back decades into the past by its pace, visuals, puzzles and gameplay style. It's one of those more "famous" titles that always slipped through the cracks with me, so I'm looking forward to that sequel. But since A Vampyre Story: A Bat's Tale is still in development, it'll be a while until we get to play it. Thankfully there are many other adventure games to keep us entertained! Next up, I'll finally be tackling one of the games I started playing at AdventureX last November, where I have to save the world from nuclear annihilation because of a malfunctioning Soviet missile base...

You can find A Vampyre Story on Steam!