I remember sitting in my basement as a child, trying to remember how to enter commands into DOS because Sam and Max: Hit the Road absolutely refused to start. Fearfully, I pleaded with my father to just do it for me, and after a handful of dismissals, he effortlessly made the game run in all its 320 x 200 glory. My eyes were in a state of constant fixation, watching as the brilliant colors invaded the bleak black screen...nor the cool touch of the cement floor on my feet, the incessant shuffling of my family above, or the secluded atmosphere of a murky basement, could rip my pleasant attention from that glowing screen.
There was, and still is a vulnerable spot at my core for point-and-click adventure titles; I don't think it's a genre I could ever walk away from, as I grew up with it and it's part of what helped shape my initial love for video games.
As simple and confined as these games are, when considering most modern games, they have anuncanny ability to attract my attention and circumvent stagnation, drawing me further and further in without complicated controls or intensely realistic graphics. When I heard about the relatively new game
The Whispered World, by the German based Daedalic Entertainment (a throwback to theclassic Sierra/Lucasarts adventure titles), my heart went into an uncontrollable rhythm. I absolutely couldn't wait to get my hands onto it, lock myself away, and be completely absorbed into the beautifulambiance from the screen shots.
Disappointingly, the game was certainly not what I initially thought it was to be; maybe I expected too much from an outdated and dying genre. Every facet of a traditional adventure title was there, but it felt foreign to me.
From an aesthetic standpoint,
The Whispered World was visually engrossing and downright one of the most stunning games I've viewed in years. Being purely hand drawn, almost reminiscent of late 70' s cartoons, the game's world comes alive from all the dedication and hours put into its conception. Just for a comparison, I went and loaded up one of my all time favorite adventure titles,
Full Throttle (my love for motorcycles is definitely Ben's fault!) and laughingly had to turn it off because I hadn't realized how far simple 2D artwork had progressed.
Regardless, TWW delivered one of the most visually visceral experiences I've ever come acrossand when combined with the whimsical music and tone, the game becomes a gravitational force for the senses.
Though, that is where the delight ended. I found the story (not wholly convoluted), contrived and lackluster. I won't spoil anything, but even the ending moments didn't surprise me thoroughly. I wanted to be taken up and down, challenged and enthralled by the narrative, but it just didn't deliver. Part of what made the classic adventure games by Lucasarts dominate the canon, was that they contained whit, satire and intriguing story all in one. They knew when be silly, when to hunker down, and when to draw upon your emotions. TWW's ultimately 'serious' approach detracted from the playful animations and character designs. The verbose and dreary dialogue elements from the main character Sadwick(a sad child clown), in regards to everything he comes into contact with, become a bit too much, especially given the fact that Sadwick'scharacter is as unfortunately constructed as two dimensionally as the backgrounds. Even the progression of puzzles seemed a bit off at times, they were a bit odd in construction or implementation (not too difficult, just sometimes absurd in execution).
Ultimately, the game isn't an utter disappointment, as there are some thrills along the way and I did find myself completely taken in by the created world (even after Sadwick's annoying English voice acting raped my ears). However, I wouldn't really recommend this to anyone not a fan of the genre, as it is something to marvel and learn from at the same time.
I would, on the other hand, uniformally recommend
Machinarium, by Amanita Design. The game came out earlier this year, and is equally
as beautiful in construction to TWW, if not more convincing of its world. The game uses the eerily crafted backgrounds and short animations to further the storyline (instead of traditional dialogue) and gives some very challenging puzzles along the way. The main character is also innocently lovable and draws you in without even uttering a peep (well, maybe a clank or beep here or there). Even if you detest the genre, give it a try, as it may surprise you!
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I used to associate rainbows with extremely frightening children, and/or overly phallic mythological creatures (don't judge me!); however, not too long ago, my infantile views on the matter were torn asunder, due to one man and his visceral affinity for nature:Paul Vasquez. Though, you may know him as:
I'm not entirely sure what compelled me to abuse my senses and pay money to view the new 
