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вторник, 14 април 2015 г.

Book of Unwritten Tales 2 - EN





Few weeks ago I wrote about the small point and click game Tormentum, which thanks to its amazing artstyle found a place in the fan's hearts.
Today I will tell you about a continuation of a classic in the point and click genre, a classic so massive and hardcore that it will push all other pretenders aside - Book of Unwritten Tales 2!

  The game is developed by the same guys that stand behind the first part - King ART Games and it was released in February 2015 after a successful Kickstarter.



The Setting



Nate and Ivo have broken up and the princess is in her home kingdom, Wilbur is teaching magic and the Critter is...doing his stuff. The game starts in its own silly style with Nate plummeting towards the ground.
Oh...and don't worry if you have not played the first part, it is good, but is not necessary.


Gameplay and Looks



Book of Unwritten tales 2 is a classic point and click game set in a world that is full of tropes or itself is one huge trope whatever you find fitting, but more for that later.

In the game you will jump between the three main characters developing their parallel storylines. Every small character part consists of around ten screens and you will roam between them all the time while collecting items, talking with characters, trying to solve all the puzzles and realizing how silly the world of Avantasia is.




Most of the puzzles are logical and if you give them enough time you will find the solution. Also the game never locks you on one puzzle, but instead you have a few at hand and can alternate between them so it does not get tedious when you're stuck. And if you manage to get stuck on all ends, just talk to everyone possible and you will find what must be done.

Graphically the game is nothing impressive, but is not bad to the eye, the score of screens are various and well-drawn. The sound is also passing with all characters having voice over and a lot to say. Also there is good amount of character to everyone you meet in the game. My favourite is definitely Ivo's father.

The Charm


Now let's be honest you can have between one and two reasons to play Book of Unwritten Tales 2. You like point and clicks or you have played the first part and loved it. Or both.   What I'm trying to say is that the game can easily be disliked because of what it is its weakest and strongest side - the tropes and the references. 




As I already said the world of Avantasia is full of those two. The main characters themselves are built from combinations of tropes - the elven princess, the great evil, the gnome that is the most shy but also the biggest hero, the bad guys...everyone are someone else, but at the same time they're themselves, because the tropes are well mixed and actually make sense. No, seriously, they do! But let's talk about the other part a little.

Book of Unwritten tales is ridden with references...to everything from other games and fantasy to movies and real life. And if you're into this kind of stuff (if you're not you are at the wrong place) my advice is to read everything, enter every room and try all dialogue options. You will giggle all the time. Great example for the amount of references in the game is the Elven Library. 




I wonder what Samuel Johnson would say if he sees this game.


Conclusion


Book of Unwritten Tales 2 is great successor to the first Book and continues the story of the main characters in its genuine silly full of tropes and references style. And there is nothing spared, the references are to all kind of things from fantasy books and games to movies and real life situations.

The game is a must play for all fans of the genre, because it is not only a sequel of a classic, but it offers a lot of all you can be looking for in a game from the genre. There is a ton of puzzles, locations and dialogues to explore. And they're not only many, but also well done. 




But as often happens the strong sides of a game can be its weaknes and the case with Book of UInwritten Tales 2 is exactly like this. While I like the humor and the references, for many they may seem silly or boring and to be honest there were a few that didn't felt right even to me.

The other big downside of the game is its puzzles or more likely all the wondering and transfering from one screen to another which gets very annoing at some point. With ten screens to wonder between while looking for some clues can turn every puzzle into a burden.

But as I said Book of Unwritten Tales 2 is hardcore point and click game and you can have only few reasons to play it. I liked it and if you're into the genre try it, you will be surprised when after 15-20hours, at the end you find yourself googling information about the third part.

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