Adventure Game Hotspot

• PC
• 50%
• États-Unis

Born Punk is a game that I really wanted to enjoy more than I did. The thought that kept coming to my mind while playing was, “squandered potential.” The visuals are a treat. The world feels fully realized and is alive with animation. The characters convey a lot of personality through their pixelated sprites and excellent voice work. As evidenced by the lore pages, a lot of thought went into the world-building aspects. It’s unfortunate, then, that it’s all undermined by the tediously extended prologue, the underutilization of cyberspace tools, the highly overwritten dialogs, the characters’ lack of interest in their own AI-infested conditions, and the fact that the most engaging part of the story only starts in the closing seconds of the game. As an opportunity to take in the sights of the rain-drenched streets of Bornholm, this game is a delight. But for those who prefer a little more substance with their style, best to look elsewhere. Hot take

• PC
• 80%
• États-Unis

Overall, Backfirewall_ is an entertaining romp through an imaginative digital world. It’s not long, and the darker emotional turn toward the end doesn’t entirely fit with the more whimsical tone to that point, but it’s a great way to fill five or so hours thanks to the charming characters and intriguing world, while the alternate story decisions and collectibles offer some incentive to return if you missed anything. The gameplay isn’t particular challenging even the first time through, but it’s enough to make you think, and if necessary the hint feature prevents the puzzles from ever becoming too frustrating, maintaining a brisk pace. If you’ve ever wondered what’s going on inside your cellphone, now’s your chance to find out!

• PC
• 100%
• États-Unis

It's rare to see a game that has this much creative ambition and achieves seemingly everything it sets out to do. Blue Prince is like nothing I’ve ever played, and when I’m not actively attempting one more run (which is never just one more run), I’m thinking about its puzzles, its mysteries and new ideas to try. In refusing to be shoved into any predetermined genre boundaries, Dogubomb has created a truly phenomenal game that everyone owes it to themselves to play.

• PC
• 58%
• États-Unis

As a reviewer, I suppose it’s my duty to make a definitive statement about the quality of the game, but Sunday Gold presents a very clear opportunity for me to recognize when a game of high quality just simply does not connect for me. I see praise for this game from roleplaying circles that commend its exacting combat and resource management, which are precisely the aspects that didn’t appeal to me at all. I am certain that there is a significant audience for this type of RPG-heavy story game with its cruel and bleak style and hostile antihero protagonists. The combat mechanics are complex and generally interesting, the difficulty curve is elevated at a level sure to please adherents to this type of game, and the story and dialogue at least take some wild swings. A game like Sunday Gold that is this committed to its own eccentricities at least plays its cards immediately—you’ll know before the brutal prologue ends whether this is a world you’re compelled to spend time in, or whether it’s just a right load of bollocks.

• PC
• 85%
• États-Unis

Nine Noir Lives is a great and surprisingly substantial game overall, earning a place among the ranks of other classic adventures of its kind. I played for about twenty hours (although it would surely have been less if I had used hints or a walkthrough) and enjoyed almost all of that time, especially the witty sense of humour and the super-cute characters. Has the premise been done before? Yes. Is the story original and new? Nope. Still, Nine Noir Lives gives it a unique, whimsical spin with its Shakespearean feline motif and manages to entertain and satisfy all your adventure game needs.

• PC
• 82%
• États-Unis

At times Eternal Threads is like a meticulous switchboard. It takes patience and thought to get through, but despite its seemingly simple and repetitive design, it never feels like a drag. Becoming an architect of fate is empowering, voyeuristic, and unsettling, but nevertheless optimistic. Honing in on clues, testing theories, and trying to gain access to all of the house’s hidden areas combine to make this seemingly finite event surprisingly replayable and adjustable. Fans of choice-heavy games will get a kick out of the player agency offered here, regardless of what difficulty you’re comfortable with playing at. I hope we see more of 43 in the future (and past), as the mysterious world Cosmonaut Studios has created is one I’m keen to transport into again.

• PC
• 93%
• États-Unis

Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars – Reforged is a faithful, modern remaster of one of the all-time great adventure games. Adhering to the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” philosophy, it’s much as fans of the original remember it, but it’s fantastic to have this cherished classic available in such a high-quality, updated format! With the sweeter-than-ever eye candy, ear candy, and, um, interface-modernization-playing candy added on top of the already terrific cast of eclectic characters and exceptional story of history, conspiracy, and intrigue, this is a guaranteed winning combination that avoids unnecessary over-tinkering. If George Stobbart and Nico Collard feel like old friends to you by now, this is a nice nostalgia trip through their first adventure (even if Nico is again relegated to a lesser role). If you’ve not had the pleasure of meeting these beloved characters before, this is the best way to enter their world, feeling fresh and modern and new. It’s a world that needs your help to save, and what could be more adventurous than that?

• PC
• 74%
• États-Unis

At its best, Lil’ Guardsman is utterly charming, creative, and a lot of fun, so it’s unfortunate that it gets bogged down by pacing issues that sometimes make it feel like a bit of a chore to play. On the flip side, it has a number of thigh-slapping comedic moments that were some of the most sublimely funny bits I've seen in a game in recent memory. Your mileage may vary, but the great parts ultimately make the experience worthwhile – I just wish more of the game reached that same outstanding level of quality.

• PC
• 81%
• États-Unis

I very much enjoyed my time with The Tartarus Key, which, at five or six hours has enough content to satisfy without outstaying its welcome. The setting and presentation elicit that feeling of old-school survival horror comfort food, though this is neither really a horror game nor features any survival or action elements. Instead, the focus is squarely on entertaining puzzles with just the right level of challenge. Its few missteps – a couple of less-well-clued obstacles, lack of voice acting, a floaty default graphical setting – are easily made up for by its stronger qualities, not the least of which is some excellently crafted and natural-sounding dialogue between its central characters. Add it all up and fans of puzzle-centric gameplay and fun character interaction should find more than enough to enjoy here to make the trek through this murder mansion worth their while.

• PC
• 84%
• États-Unis

If it seems like I’m being more critical than complimentary, that’s only because the game was thisclose to being exceptional. It’s packed with nostalgic detail that series fans will love, and yet the diversity of locations and cultures and artifacts you pursue makes it a whole new experience, all wrapped up in a slick-looking and sounding modern-day package. And it’s a darn fine gaming experience in its own right, with lots of high-flying, whip-cracking adventuring, exploring and puzzle solving to keep you plenty entertained. It’s just a shame that its combat and stealth elements get in the way, feeling less like Indiana Jones and more like an uninspired attempt to stretch out a game. Ditto some of the optional open-world diversions, which are well-intended but awkwardly implemented, making the experience more like two different games crammed together. On the whole, then, it may not reach the pinnacle of Raiders or Fate of Atlantis, but Indiana Jones and the Great Circle settles in comfortably around the level of The Last Crusade at just a tier below. Action-averse adventure diehards will want to steer clear, but for Indy fans and those who don’t mind getting their hands (and feet, and probably everything else) dirty, this game deserves a well-earned tip of the fedora.

• PC
• 85%
• États-Unis

There is much to recommend about Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit. With its basis in fact, wonderful visuals, engaging characters, and a rarely explored Lithuanian setting, it’s simply a fun experience. While the middle act could have been a bit stronger, the story of a young woman swept into a grand adventure with mystical treasures and ex-spies is engaging and enjoyable overall. The customization aspects of the main character are a great novelty and I hope the developers employ this to a greater extent should they return to Milda’s world in the future, which the end game certainly hints at. Those who are looking for a solid, historically driven adventure along the lines of Broken Sword will definitely want to check this one out.

• PC
• 67%
• États-Unis

Each one of these issues on its own might not have been that big of a problem; it’s when you take them all together and measure them against what’s left that you see how much Selfloss is missing. Aesthetically it’s a delight, and its world practically begs to be explored, but its bland, repetitive puzzles, badly implemented camera and deeply unsatisfying conclusion render that journey much less fulfilling than it might have been. With more time and thought—and a much more honest ending—it’s not impossible to imagine that Selfloss could have been a genuinely impressive piece of work; instead, it’s merely passable.

• PC
• 95%
• États-Unis

Loco Motive is an absolute joy to play in every aspect. The sense of movement in the flow of art and character animation perfectly complements the nonstop forward momentum of the express train you explore, along with the incredible high energy jazz score. The passengers and crew of the Reuss Express are all wonderfully fun to interact with, and several individuals go through some surprising character development over the course of the experience. (Agent M and the sleazebag gangster Donny both come to mind.) Plenty of well-designed head scratchers will keep even the most experienced of adventure gamers on their toes, and even if you’re a newcomer to the genre, there are helpful guiding hands to assist you along. I even went back and called the in-game hint service at times when I didn’t need a hint because of how entertaining Dirk’s dialogue is. Loco Motive might have started out as a loving homage to the classics of the past, but it’s so much more than just a trip down memory lane. This is one train ride everyone needs to take.

• PC
• 75%
• États-Unis

A Tiny Sticker Tale is a short adventure that quite adeptly explores its premise of using and reusing stickers to solve puzzles. While the story is sentimental, it's fairly shallow, leaving the enjoyment of the game reliant on its leisurely sticker mechanic and light-hearted mood. In that respect the game is a success. It’s simple enough for young children to enjoy, while clever enough for adults to play by themselves as well, so with the right expectations going in, you will find an entertaining little diversion that scratches the itch for a little casual adventuring that’s fun for the whole family.

• PC
• 78%
• États-Unis

Although I expected to play only as Lupin himself, the playful way in which Arsene Lupin: Once a Thief's narrative chronology is broken up between Lupin carrying out his heists and Ganimard trying to figure out how he does them is very fun. Some of the puzzles are fairly straightforward and overly forgiving, with unlimited tries and no repercussions when you do something wrong, but the more traditional investigative puzzling is rewarding to solve, and whenever I succeeded in linking evidence correctly, I felt as if I was donning a black cloak and top hat of my own in plotting my latest heist. The music is great, the isometric scenes fun to rotate and explore, and the supporting cast just begs to be fooled by Lupin. Since I’ve read some of the Leblanc books, I recognized some plot elements here and there, like how Lupin escapes his unavoidable arrest, but it’s certainly not necessary to know anything about the character going in. Just like his more famous British and Belgian contemporaries, Lupin is a character straight out of literary fiction who was long overdue a lead role, and I’m sure he will charm his way into the hearts of those who aren’t already familiar with his antics as well.

• PC
• 88%
• États-Unis

Despite its heavy-sounding subject matter, I was completely charmed by this narrative-focused drama. The idea of a main character influencing the people left behind after her death really speaks to the imagination. Humankind has pondered the mysteries of death for ages; we can fear it or we can embrace it, and this game isn’t afraid to explore grief, loss, and depression without becoming too bleak or overly religious in the process. It’s hard to say a game dealing with these emotions is “fun,” but in some ways it truly is, confronting you with your own helplessness when dealing with others, because you can’t suddenly force people to behave differently simply because you want them to. As a simulation of life, Closer the Distance very much succeeds. Certainly it plays on the feels, becoming a bit dramatic now and again with its artistic cutscenes, trying very hard to make you cry. But overall, this is a narrative that fits in with novels like Reservoir 13, Everything I Never Told You and The Lovely Bones – all dramas about a community dealing with grief and picking up the pieces after a traumatic event. If people still don’t believe video games can be art, they really should play this one!

• PC
• 55%
• États-Unis

If there’s more to criticize than praise, it’s not because this game is bad so much as it can’t get out of its own way to be as good as it could be. Production quality is high, and even with all the limitations and irritations and slow-as-molasses progression, I stayed motivated to keep playing for the eight-plus hours it took to reach the end, which is saying something because I usually don’t have the patience for stealth games. But oh, it could have been so much more! More freedom to strategize to avoid making sound, or even making USE of sound to one’s advantage. A more judicious use of Alex’s affliction to make it seem more uniquely asthmatic. More puzzles to solve, and more freaking light in a game where darkness is not supposed to be relevant! And ideally, a second character that would allow the personal stakes to resonate more deeply, as it did so effectively in the movies. As it is, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead ends up being a decent but disappointingly rote survival horror game that isn’t as fun as it sounds.

• PC
• 70%
• États-Unis

Clock Tower: Rewind is an enigma. Its mere existence is welcome, as it’s the first readily available, English-language edition of a game that has been hugely influential on horror gaming since it first released in 1995. The beautiful pixel graphics still hold up, and there are some welcome improvements to the base game now too, including the ability to run up stairs and the “Rewind” function as a useful feature for correcting mistakes. It’s in the blending of the old with the new that the remake starts to unravel, however, with inconsistent controls across menus, and voice acting only for a few brief motion comics that are entirely separate from the main game (and in a completely different art style). There is a rare demo version of the original Super Famicom release included in the Extras menu, but it is only in Japanese. None of the FMV cutscenes from Clock Tower: The First Fear or Clock Tower for Windows 95 are here, even if the in-game animations added in The First Fear are still present. There are high-resolution scans of original box arts, manuals, and game guides from the original releases, but these are not complete and are again only in Japanese. As someone who has loved this series for many years, I am incredibly happy that the game that started it all is finally making its way outside of Japan. I just can’t shake the feeling that it could have been something more.