No matter how you look at it: there comes a point in a person’s life when you realize that you are gradually getting older. For example, when you are playing a new point & click adventure and think back to your first introduction to the genre.
The heyday of ‘Monkey Island’, ‘Broken Sword’, ‘Grim Fandango’ and ‘Full Throttle’. Of secretly playing ‘Leisure Suit Larry’ and hoping no one comes in. Of not being able to go on the internet to look up the solution to a completely crazy puzzle because someone is on the phone. And then realize that that was thirty years ago. Ouch.
But as Nicole and Hugo already predicted: everything will come back. They probably weren’t talking about video games right away, but even a genre as ancient as point & click has not only stood the test of time, it’s even making a modest comeback lately. Titles like ‘Norco’, ‘The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow’, ‘Unavowed’, and of course the triumphant return of ‘Monkey Island’ are just a fraction of extremely well-received games that prove we’re far from done and clicked. The latest addition to the list: ‘Whateverland’, which was released on Steam a year ago and is now also being released on consoles.
© Caligari Games
Swear
The protagonist of ‘Whateverland’ is Vincent, a thief who is caught stealing a jewel that – as you might imagine – belongs to the witch Beatrice and she is not happy about it. To such an extent that she promptly banishes Vincent to ‘Whateverland’. So escape is the message, and luckily you learn from fellow exile Nick, a semi-dead but completely failed writer, that there is a spell to achieve just that goal. The only obstacle: the spell is divided into seven parts and obviously not everyone is immediately willing to help Vincent.
© Caligari Games
Freedom of choice
In good point & click tradition, from then on it is a matter of collecting and combining items in the hope that the result is the solution to the brain teasers that the game presents you with. However, ‘Whateverland’ does put its own twist on this proven formula. You can choose to ingratiate yourself with the other characters so that they voluntarily hand over their piece of the spell, but because Vincent is a burglar, you can just as well opt for a less friendly approach and just try what you need to steal. A unique mechanism that not only promotes replayability, but also has a direct influence on the story and the outcome of the adventure.
© Caligari Games
Variety
The gameplay also changes depending on the path you choose. If you want to do your best to help the residents of ‘Whateverland’, you do so by solving puzzles but also by playing mini-games that provide the necessary and welcome variety. One minute you’re sorting fish, a little later you’re suddenly in an old school beat ’em up. Those who are less noble in nature are confronted with complex safes to crack. However, don’t expect standard lockpicking like you know from other games, because each safe is a unique puzzle box that can only be opened in a very specific way.
© Caligari Games
Frustration
Whatever playing style you choose, the same applies to both types of puzzles: no matter how original and clever they often are, they can quickly become frustrating. ‘Whateverland’ makes little or no effort to explain what exactly is expected of you. The result is that before you can start solving a puzzle, you first have to try to unravel what is actually intended. That’s probably music to the ears of old school point & click veterans, but for everyone else it often leads to frustrating moments that could easily have been avoided with a little more clarity.
© Caligari Games
Depressing and dark
Audiovisually, ‘Whateverland’ is quite… whatever. The makers have clearly drawn inspiration from the work of Tim Burton and the environments look appropriately depressing and dark. The same cannot be said about the hand-drawn characters, which are not exactly the prettiest. The voice work is also of variable quality. It is especially a shame that no better voice actor could be found for Vincent himself, the character who does most of the talking. Especially because the dialogues are well written and often hilarious, but somewhat miss the mark due to the flat intonation and dry rambling of the text. The soundtrack is excellent and fits perfectly with the atmosphere that ‘Whateverland’ exudes.
© Caligari Games
Decision
‘Whateverland’ is perhaps the worst possible title the makers could have given this game. For every fun mini-game there’s an equally frustratingly obscure puzzle, for every funny dialogue there’s a monotone voice actor. Only for those who really want to have played every point & click adventure.
The game is available for PC, PS 4/5, XO/Series X|S and Nintendo Switch.
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2023-09-24 18:49:31
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