Adventure Game Hotspot

• PC
• 79%
• États-Unis

Other than a couple of small technical issues, however, the game is very enjoyable. I especially loved the characters and their different roles in this quirky city. As an animal lover, I was immediately drawn in by the quest of saving Can Dog, and each time he slipped away or something happened to him, I let out loud outbursts of desperate yelps. While it is admittedly a bit short and the puzzles are anything but original, Boxville is a truly beautiful game about friendship and the importance of being nice to others, regardless of whether it is people or cans.

• PC
• 80%
• États-Unis

World War II games generally skew heavily toward telling hyper violent tales from a soldier’s perspective. Whether in the forests of the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge, or amongst the ruins of Stalingrad and the Eastern Front, the main concern is usually staying behind cover and getting as many headshots as you can. Not a lot of attention has been given to the experiences of ordinary citizens trying to cope with the horrors of occupation by living their lives as best they can, and this is what makes Gerda: A Flame in Winter stand out. It lacks much in the way of gameplay, but it does not lack for tension throughout. The story is a deeply personal one that relies on choices rather than gunfire, and should not be missed by any fan of narrative-driven dramas.

• PC
• 85%
• États-Unis

Lord Winklebottom Investigates deftly blends dry, frightfully British humour and quirky characters with just enough brain strain to keep things interesting. While not overly long or complex, the painterly visuals, lush orchestral soundtrack and spot-on voice acting make it a thoroughly lovely experience while it lasts. It also manages to pull off a delicate balancing act, sprinkling an absurd parody of a golden age detective story with just enough heart and realism to ground what could otherwise have been a ridiculous confection and turn it into something more memorable. If you fancy some cosy crime, aristocratic high jinks, or just some virtual tea and crumpets, it's time to don your deerstalker and head to the consulting rooms of Winklebottom and Frumple.

• PC
• 65%
• États-Unis

With strong acting performances, an intriguing villain, tense music, and the possibility to explore multiple endings, The Gallery has a number of things going for it. However, a lack of any real definition of Dorian’s motivations, a relatively non-cinematic presentation, and a superfluous choice of protagonist and time period do mar the experience somewhat, or at least prevent it from reaching its potential. In the end, the game is really just average, its weaknesses not significant enough to be terrible but its strengths not enough to distinguish it in its genre. With stronger FMV games out there, including the director’s own prior work, this one is for those who enjoy character dramas and are looking to while away a few hours between more substantial outings.

• PC
• 93%
• États-Unis

There aren’t many games quite like The Case of the Golden Idol. Actually, I’d go as far to say that there’s none … and that makes me a little sad, now that I’ve been so thoroughly spoiled and the bar’s been raised so high. I came into this game hoping for an experience that could go toe-to-toe with Return of the Obra Dinn, and came away having played something that fully scratched that itch while being entirely its own thing. I wholeheartedly hope that the developers of this magnificent work (or heck, even wannabes of similar caliber) do their best to make a follow-up, because oh, how I’ll gleefully soak up every moment.

• PC
• PS4
• XONE
• 55%
• États-Unis

There’s nothing about Edengate: The Edge of Life that’s inherently broken or neglected: the voiced dialogue is serviceable, the music fades into its atmospheric background, and navigating the town of Edengate works well enough despite having so little to do. It’s more a case of a game that desperately needed one of its core elements – be it story, puzzles, or creepy mood – to take charge and step into the foreground, putting a definitive stamp onto the overall experience. Instead, everything is accounted for but nothing makes any waves, so the game ultimately just fizzles out and fades away in a forgettable thud rather than a memorable bang.

• PC
• 70%
• États-Unis

Over the years, the stories about extraterrestrials that have stuck with me are actually about humanity, drawing us into understanding ourselves and our place in the universe. Somerville, unfortunately, doesn’t quite soar to those stellar heights during its four-hour runtime, as the player is never really invited into the world and its characters. But while the story, and especially the baffling third act, may not be something to phone home about, the style and level of artistic craftsmanship make it an immersive experience all the same. Even with a smattering of awkward gameplay and puzzle moments, you may find that the cinematic scenes, harrowing encounters, and exciting late-game build-up ultimately make it worth the visitation.

• PC
• 80%
• États-Unis

If you’re a fan of character-driven works of interactive fiction, and a graphic novel-style presentation doesn’t turn you off, you should seek out As Dusk Falls. Not a particularly long game, taking around seven hours to complete a single playthrough, it lacks much in the way of traditional gameplay, but the writing, acting, and genuine consequences for your actions more than make up for it. The later chapters falter somewhat in their effectiveness, and the ending feels unnecessarily jarring, but there’s plenty of replayability and lots of incentive to try new paths, making the game a strong choice for story lovers.

• PC
• 81%
• États-Unis

Aside from some brief moments of hair-pulling bewilderment, I remained totally delighted from beginning to end. If it had a bit stronger story (and a little more pep in its protagonist) the game could easily have established itself as an all-time classic of the genre, which in some ways is even more frustrating than its most confounding puzzles—it’s so close to greatness. Still, the fact that an adventure as original and imaginative as Voodoo Detective can come out in this day and age, embracing old-school techniques to look as good as it does—and all from a small, unheard-of studio on a presumably modest budget, no less—is really encouraging and bodes well for the future for more games of a similar throwback nature. It may have its share of bumps in the road, but Voodoo Detective is a joyful romp very much worth your time.

• PC
• 85%
• États-Unis

Return to Monkey Island overflows with an abundance of fun, wit, and game design skill that is sharper than Stan’s wardrobe. More importantly, it exudes a passion for the art of designing and the act of playing adventure games like only the best in the genre do. While definitely not above criticism, I believe it behooves every fan of point-and-click adventures – especially those who dig the comedic side – to set aside their expectations and approach the experience with an open mind and open schedule. About 6-8 hours of open schedule, depending on how much dilly-dallying you do. Like a group of adorable swarthy cutthroats earnestly performing their favorite sea shanty, it wants nothing more than to entertain you. And if you let it, you will be.

• PS4
• 80%
• États-Unis

Though it ended up being much different than I expected, Stray is a beautiful little game. With its tightly controlled puzzle-platforming elements and fairly generic graphic adventure puzzles, it may not live up to the full potential of its feline-focused premise, but it dazzles with its visuals and takes you on a thought-provoking journey through a subterranean wasteland of robots and trash. Despite some late-game character drama that doesn’t hit as hard as it could have, the game stirs up a lot of thoughtful ideas along the way and leaves you with powerful impressions that will stick with you for a long time afterward.

• PC
• 82%
• États-Unis

If nothing else, Supermassive Games is dedicated to its established formula, making small tweaks and improvements from iteration to iteration but not fixing what ain’t broke. This means the decision to pick up The Quarry is ultimately going to be an easy one for any existing fan of the studio. As I fit squarely in that category, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it, and I especially appreciated the quality-of-life changes and enjoyable cast of characters. Though it doesn’t consistently capitalize on its scares the way I wish it had, it’s certainly a good time overall that I encourage all fans of horror-themed interactive fiction to treat themselves to.