![]() For the most part, the game will play out linearly, but there are some alternate angles of approach for players to explore on a potential extra playthrough. I’m not exactly sure how much, but I recall there being a box that was locked that I ultimately never unlocked, but, never had to due to the way I handled the puzzle. Strangeland features several dozen puzzles, with a little bit of opportunity for player’s choice. Great dialog and presentation are important to adventures, but puzzles make up the core of the gameplay. Between the dialog, voice-acting, art including animations, Strangeland does a great job building up a nightmarish atmosphere that doesn’t rely on bad lighting and jump scares. All to say that it’s to Strangeland’s credit that the artwork is very nicely done and each scene has details that are worth looking over closely. I can’t really put my finger on that notion, but suffice it to say that colors and animations in these retro-looking point-and-clicks are often some of my favorite and most memorable art, which is in contrast to high res, ultra realistic-looking graphics which just don’t carry the same artistic weight. For one, it reminds me of adventure games of the ’90s that I cut my teeth on and am still fond of, but I also believe it gives extra reason for the artists to shine. I love the lower resolution pixel art that a lot of Wadjet Eye Games use. Each ‘room’ of Strangeland consists of a lot of detail. The dialog and voice-acting on this character were particularly great, but across the board Strangeland has very well-written dialog and excellent voice-acting. You also have one of those carnival machines with a head of a wizard-looking figure inside of a glass box, and he speaks of your future, for a quarter. Some of the NPCs include an old man sitting under a tree who writes every word that a raven, that plucked his eyes out, speaks. Overall, the size of the game-world is actually pretty small but there’s a corresponding good amount of NPCs and objects to examine, talk to, interact with, pick up, and so on as you would expect from a classical point-and-click. This room acts as the main nexus between different areas of the carnival, with each of the room’s three branches having just a couple of areas downstream from them. Opposing him, besides the ghoulish décor, is the Dark Thing, which gets increasingly powerful as you unfold the story, but I digress (and, don’t want to risk spoilers). ![]() This woman was in relationship with the man, and he’s desperate to save her and get them both out of Strangeland. ![]() Once you step inside, you’re quickly introduced to the crux of the story - a woman who throws herself down a well at the center of the room that appears to have no bottom. To enter, you must walk through the gaping mouth of a monstrous looking structure, who speaks to you and makes attempts at humor. In Strangeland, you control a man who is seemingly out of his mind, beginning just outside of a super weird, spooky-looking carnival that’s floating in what seems like another dimension. Anyone who loves a classic adventure game should absolutely punch their ticket to enter let’s have a closer look. Though not without some cons, Strangeland is a treat to play through. The aptly named Strangeland is published by Wadjet Eye Games, whose portfolio of great adventures continues to grow. Today marks the release day for a new point-and-click adventure game from Wormwood Studios, creators of Primordia (2012). ![]()
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