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Zack and Wiki
Topic Started: May 19 2008, 01:39 PM (336 Views)
eomund

Well, I know this game's been out for a while, but I just got it so I'm gonna review it. Gotta problem with that? . . . Didn't think so.

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Well, the game is a throw back to the old school SCUMM adventure games, which I loved. Because of that this game had a lod to live up to for me. Pretty much the game is a series of finding items, using them on other items in order to get to the end of the level. But we'll get to that later.


You start out as our Hero (or ant hero, depending if you like pirates or not) Zack with his trusty monkey Wiki. You're on the path to become the world's greatest pirate with the help of The Sea Rabbits. Along the way in the very beginning, you learn that you have a rival in a mini skirt by the name of Captain Rose. You also find the main driving force of the story, Captain Barbaros, a pirate who's been magically pulled apart and locked in chests across the world.

It's a simple but fun story. They do a great job of keeping the characters and story in a light and humorous mood. And even coming from a 22 year old guy, the game can be quite funny at times. Some of the characters are a bit on the annoying side, but you get used to that.
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A crew of colorfull characters help keep the game light and fun.


As I was saying above, this game is heavily based on the old point and click adventure games based on the SCUMM platform. Now that's not to say this game is exactly the same as those, it's just the base of the game play elements.

In the older games, you carried around about 200 items and would have to try and use almost every item in your inventory on every useless item that would register on your mouse untill you found the right combo.

This game seems to have cured that by forcing you down to 1 item at a time and finding it's use in the immediate area (if there is one). Honestly, I'm really happy with this part of the game system. You still have to think plenty but it takes away from the shear randomness that made the old games a bit more on the frustrating side.

As you progress through the games puzzles, you'll see that there are a series of motion and remote based puzzles through out the game. Where some of them are suprisingly intuitive, others are difficult to get exactly what you want. Many of the movements are somewhat vulgar and make you feel funny doing, especially if someone's watching you play (when you use the saw, you'll know what I mean).

The gameplay is also very episodic which also a huge plus. It allows you to sit down, solve a puzzle or two, get a quick laugh and be on your way if your not looking for a long term gaming goal at the moment.

There's also a scoring system which isn't much to mention about, but it get's you ranks through the level if figure something out right away or if it takes you a couple of tries. This can be a complete irritation sometimes, but it doesn't mean much.

One personal gripe of mine is the instant death sequences in the game. Albeit humorous, can get annoying because if feels like you're being punished for exploring sometimes. Now it does teach you to not do something again but being flattened for pushing a button feels a bit harsh sometimes.
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Unique controlls and goofy instant deaths are 2 things you'd better get used to.


The sounds in the game are something of a double edged sword. About 75% of it isn't bad, and can add to the situation, primarily things like ambient sound and music. But the other 25% is down right irritating. One such individual is your trusty monkey Wiki. The best description of his sound is a shrill harpy being gutted along the squeels of a screeming boar. Luckily he speaks less once you into the game, but the intro is almost unbearable.
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SHUT UP!


One area this game can really be praised in is it's look. It's done in a very cartoony style but it pulls it off real well. This game is proof that cell shading is not only improving, but can rival 3D rendered graphics. It really helps give the game it's fun atmosphere and looks good while doing it. I've never consitered Capcom a graphics powerhouse company, but this game really looks great. And with absolutly no frame rate slowdown nothing in the game was lost in the process.
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whether your looking from a distance, or zoomed right up on a character, it continues to look crisp and nice.


All in all, a game that I wasn't sure if I'd like, turned out to be pretty good. I actually went into the game very judgemental growing up on games like 'Day of the Tentical' but came out happy. They took something old, revived it, and gave it new life. The game can be rather kiddy at times, but as a cynical adult, I still found the game plenty entertaining. So if you're looking for a game to provide you with some good fun and cheap laughs, you can do a lot worse than Zack and Wiki.
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Now to the boring part, THE SCORING!
Gameplay: A- - All around good. Not overly complicated, but tricky enough to keep you thinking.

Controlls: B+ - Suprisingly intuitive in most instances, but a combination of a few broken areas and vulgar movements drop the scor slightly.

Sound: C+ - Okay, maybe I'm being a little harsh, but anything that shrill will drive down any score.

Graphics: A+ - I can't deny that this game looks absolutely stellar. The game looks great, is very artistic, and with no frame rate problems, earns a perfect score. Not common for me to do either.

Replay Value: A - The game has a decent length with some fun puzzles and good humor. And other than the shreaking monkey, this game will definately be one that's fun to pick up and play a few times.

Overall: B+/A-

This game brought some things back to gaming that are forgotten about alot. Fun and charm. This game is loaded with both and I recommend it, especially fans of the old school adventure games.

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Man this game is good looking.
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Eh, the gameplay was a bit off, and as usual, the graphics sucked.

But hey, nice review. I would have given it a B-.
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eomund

Your like the first person I've seen that didn't like the graphics in it. I'm guessing you're not a cell shade fan?
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Dan
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Another great review, Eomund. I own Zach and Wiki, and I think it's a great game :D
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Life Banisher
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Great review. I was already thinking about getting this one.
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vgamefreak
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Nice Review. I liked the puzzles, they just should've added a small free-roaming world that conjoined them.
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