A new adventure game from Daedalic Entertainment hopes to move the hearts and minds (and wallets) of the genre’s fans with a delightful romp through a world of whimsy, wonder, and sarcasm. The good news is that it captures the spirit of adventure games of old, and does so in a very impressive package. The bad news -- if the demo is anything to go by -- is that it also suffers from many of the same problems that plagued the great adventure games from the 90s. But it should have enough charm that most people can look past The Whispered World’s shortcomings.
Mechanically, the game stays close to the traditional point-and-click adventure style. You see lead character Sadwick and his overgrown pet caterpillar Spot on a 2D plane and click on the screen to move them. Interactive objects light up beneath the mouse cursor, and the three main options are supplied via icons -- a mouth, an eye, and a hand. The respective functions of these icons changes contextually, but typically represent talk, look, and use. Objects in your inventory may be combined or used to interact with objects in the environment. Spot throws an interesting twist into the gameplay formula, as he can be put to use in various scenarios, extending your reach and manoeuvrability. And Sadwick has an opinion on just about everything, as you’ll soon find out when trying to solve the puzzles.
It wouldn’t be an adventure game without strange and obtuse puzzle design. But I fear The Whispered World may go too far in the obtuse department. Your inventory is quickly brimming with items, leaving it difficult to discern what should be done next. At one point I was tasked with catching a fish from a lake. My inventory included a bear claw, a shovel, and a hairnet, but none of these objects would work (either alone or combined any of several other items). The required object was so difficult to see on the screen that I didn’t realise it was there until I consulted a walkthrough. I thought I had found everything of interest when I swept the screen with the mouse several times, but apparently I had missed this one key object. Even after learning of the object’s existence, I struggled to locate it on the screen.
This is a clear failure to distinguish interactive objects from their non-interactive counterparts. It’s nothing unusual for an adventure game, where such pixel-hunting has consistently frustrated players since the birth of the point-and-click sub-genre, but it really should’ve been solved by now. The designers had just one solution in mind when the objects at hand suggested several. And I had a similar problem in another situation that involved a bush blocking the path. I eventually understood that the game needed me to return to the forest for story purposes before moving on, but I never felt like there was a valid explanation why a knife was the only thing that could cut that bush. These problems aren’t that big a deal, though, and will hopefully remain no more than a minor blemish on the experience later in the adventure.
Graphics are where the game shines most brightly. The beautifully hand-painted visuals are brimming with detail, despite the relatively small 800 x 600 resolution. Inspired by the style of Spirited Away, The Whispered World looks like an animated film and feels like a fairy tale brought to life. Characters come in all shapes, sizes, and colours, with each wearing a distinctive costume that fits with their similarly odd personality. The backgrounds and scenery are vibrant. Animation is smooth-yet-stilted in a very Miyazaki-esque fashion. This is a world of whimsy, full of talking rocks, bizarre creatures, magic doors, and disturbing foodstuffs. And it has the visuals to match.
The story follows an unhappy young clown, Sadwick, who is apparently useless at everything, but has been having vivid nightmares about the end of the world. He works in a travelling circus, along with his older brother, grandfather, overgrown pet caterpillar, Spot, and a giant beast of burden that sleeps all day. But he yearns for a sense of purpose. Fed up with the circus life, Sadwick decides to find his place in the world. So, under the guise of finding an audience, he sets off to explore the surrounding countryside, with Spot by his side. As is always the way, a chance encounter sees Sadwick embroiled in a much larger scheme. And despite the disbelief of everyone he meets, Sadwick soon finds his fate is inextricably tied to the impending end of the world.
The Whispered World does not exactly offer an original premise. In fact, it’s rather tired -- even by adventure game standards, where stories are often smaller in scope and more creative in direction. But the demo gives the impression that this game does enough with the idea to retain your interest. It ends with one particular cliff-hanger that suggests some entertaining -- if not creative or clever -- twists will occur along the way. The excellent soundtrack and witty (but highly sarcastic) dialog will probably keep you playing, regardless.
It may lack some of the zany humour and hilarious puzzles of the classic LucasArts adventures, as well as fall short of the writing and storytelling quality of The Longest Journey or Syberia. But its beautifully hand-drawn graphics, charming style, and professional delivery promise a delightful experience that anyone -- not just adventure fans -- will be able to appreciate when the game is released on April 26.
