14 DAY TRIAL // Telltale's new series of episodic adventures, following Sam & Max and Strong Bad, is focusing on less offensive and “homelier” characters: the industrious and absent-minded Wallace and his no mouth, yet smart dog, Gromit. This is their first game.
16:00. Should I play with more or with less hints? I chose less, but I'm glad the option is there in case I bump into some difficult puzzles.
16:15. I get to make the master some breakfast, playing as Gromit. The dog’s gags made me smile and the initial puzzles (butter for the squirrel and the egg cracker) were nice.
16:20. The main task for the duo in this game is to produce 50 gallons of honey (“From Bee to You”) in order to advertise their business and repay the damage done by a malfunctioning Cheese sniffer. I smiled again at a poster saying “A Hive Mind Is a Happy Mind.”
16:25. The look of the game is interesting, owing a lot to the animations on which it is based. When close ups are used, you can see little marks and nicks in the models, suggesting the use of plasticine. It's translated well to the videogame medium by the guys at Telltale.
16.35. So, I've got to grow my own flowers to feed the bees using a quick growth formula adapted from a human muscle-increasing product. Seems a bit crazy, yet the setting and the tone of the game never suggest the level of insanity that was apparent in Sam & Max or in Strong Bad. This is a more settled adventure.
16:40. The idea of the retired military man with a strong imagination was nicely done, although the snail as a sign of invasion seemed somewhat out of place. I don't know how to get to his rations, which I need for making flowers grow.
16:45. Where's that smart dog when you need it? I don't really know how to spring the Sniffer 3000 out of prison. The constable seems like a tough nut to crack.
16:50. After the breakfast bit with Gromit, I also know I'll have to wrestle up some tea from that squirrel. Tough tasks ahead...
Well, the hour is up and Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures seem promising. I like the look of the game but I only laughed twice, and that due to minor stuff in the background. Can an adventure game that is not totally overblown succeed? I'll have to play some more to get an answer.