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As much as the ‘death’ of ye olde point 'n' click adventure titles is difficult to stomach, it’s a simple fact of video game evolution. As we’ve progressed from titles such as Adventure and 3D Monster Maze, to the likes of the epic Oblivion, this pursuit of gaming has been constantly changing. And as difficult as it is for some people to accept, the point 'n' clicker has unfortunately been superseded by the modern-day adventure titles, and hence isn’t financially viable for the majority of game publishers. Yet Telltale Games, utilising the huge backstory that is the Bone comic books have seen fit to transform Jeff Smith’s story into a contemporary adventure title.
Adventure games ultimately live and die by their scripts. The Monkey Island series wouldn’t be remembered even half as fondly without Guybrush Threepwood’s humorous quips, for example. Considering the lengthy lineage of the Bone comics, which now span nine separate books, there’s a healthy chunk of source material to choose from. The intention is to present the Bone series, from the comic’s start to finish, via an episodic format. It’s a simple task to either purchase a digital download, or for a few pounds extra, a hard copy of the game, and play through the handful of hours offered in each episode.
This first episode sows the seeds for the beginnings of the lengthy story, with Fone Bone and his two cousins thrown out of Boneville. Within the first 10 minutes of play, the three have discovered a weird map, and have just happened to become separated from each other.
Which brings us neatly to the first contentious Bone ‘the game’ issue. Although Smith is eager to let it be known that the Bone series isn’t intended solely for children, there’s certainly little-to-no indication for the uninitiated that that’s not the case. To begin with, the bright colourful aesthetics, and somewhat child-like appearance of the main characters certainly err towards the ‘for kids’ side of things. As does the script itself, which although still interesting enough for adults, lacks the subtlety of humour that the LucasArts tiles for example crammed in with aplomb. Instead it seems missing the kind of story - at least in this first episode - that would particularly grip an older gamer more used to a more mature storyline.
For fans of the comic book, the visuals themselves may be another of those contentious issues. While the print interpretation of the Bone world is wildly detailed, the decision to give Bone ‘the game’ a 3D look seems to be one made more to appeal more to the more casual gamer rather than the Bone fan. Although the majority of characters themselves certainly are crammed with comic-style detail, the backgrounds for a large proportion of the time are absurdly bland and have made the transition to the third dimension in a less than poor manner.
To actually control, Out From Boneville is incredibly simple. The context-sensitive mouse pointer changes its appearance and makes a definite visual representation as to what you can do at any particular moment as you hover over objects in the game world. The onscreen HUD too is thankfully lacking in any kind of clutter, merely sticking to a small selection of tiny markers - one to open your inventory, one to save and quit, and the other to give yourself a quick hint as how to progress.
It’s not all traditional point 'n' click gaming however, as there’s quite a hefty chunk of action crammed in to keep those who perhaps don’t get gripped by the beginnings of a lengthy plot much happier. One early example, puzzle-based in nature sees the player take control of Ted, a tiny little bug who happens to jump in a particular way. It’s then a case of utilising his particular ability in order to cross a river, and in turn, help Fone Bone find his cousins. It’s intrinsically simple, in keeping with the game's obvious inclination to offer gaming goodness to all the family, but it’s the inclusion of these little sections that can elevate the enjoyment levels just enough to keep grins etched on faces.
Out From Boneville is an irksomely difficult title to finally score. The potential is there for the series to truly progress and become something quite memorable, but as this is Telltale’s first episode in the series, a few flaws do stand out. Cases of repetitious dialogue occur far too frequently, as does the odd graphical glitch. Plus the somewhat childlike visuals and script may turn off those who fell in love with the more mature humour of the early LucasArts titles. Despite these few misgivings however, Out From Boneville is an enjoyable, if purposely short-lived, title that beckons well for what will hopefully transform into a long and fruitful line of Bone episodes. A solid, if unspectacular base on which to build. |
