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POSTED 27/9/11
MYSTERY CASE FILES: THE MALGRAVE INCIDENT
Nintendo
Wii
Poor
Mr Roarke. Fantasy Island just isn’t what it used to be. The tourism
trade’s carked it and stumpy Russian faux-lesbian girlie popster
sidekicks Tatu have vamoosed for pastures more provident. Roarke’s
reduced to murmuring “De dinghy, boss! De dinghy!” all to himself –
yep, planes needs bucks.
It’s a sad state of affairs, and also completely irrelevant here,
for the only thing Fantasy Island had in common with this latest
Mystery Case Files is that it was an island, and involved
fantasy. Uh...
So, Roarke is Winston Malgrave, a reclusive industrialist who tasks
you with harvesting pinkish powder that can allegedly cure
everything from the common cold to Channel Nine’s programming. Never
underestimate the power of mauve glitter (or nebulous mystery
plots).
You accomplish this via several ‘spot the stuff’ episodes – or as we
prefer, ‘Where’s Wally’s shit?’ - spread out amidst a rudimentary
point and click adventure. Yep, hidden objects are the go, and these
bits are fun for the patient, as you hunt shopping lists of
bric-a-brac within charmingly painted scenes. Some are dastardly
hidden, others are so duh-inducingly obvious you’ll smack yourself
for missing them for so long. The game gets its riddle on, too. You
may be hunting pipe thinking Sherlock Holmes, when what you’re after
is something more suited to zombie thwacking (zombies sold
separately).
The adventure bits aren’t flash, but are necessary to unlock more
hidden stuff action. Generally MCF:TMI is Nullaborishly
linear, and despite the odd dive into the obtuse pool, puzzles
rarely prove taxing. It’s perfect sit-down-with-the-anklesnappers
and play fodder, as the search and click element really lends itself
to group exploration – so thankfully there’s multiplayer support.
If your particular fantasy involves Cluedo, Alfred Hitchcock
and/or Miss Marple then this is your kinda island. You kinky thing,
you...
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CLICK
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