by genkicoll Sun Jan 08, 2012 4:57 pm
The Seawise Chronicles: Untamed Legacy (FROG/IHOG)
The game starts out with a narrator describing something from his past. Any text you see during flashbacks will not have voice overs, but the narrator text is spoken.
The story is skippable, but you cannot click through it to make it faster.
Music and sound effects are separately adjustable, and there is a full-screen option. There is no option to turn off the custom cursor.
The music is creepy and dramatic without being disturbing - nice and environmental.
You start out on a fragmented object scene where you can see what the pieces you're supposed to find look like... and yet, you don't have to see them if you don't want to. Like your Windows taskbar, the list (along with options, journal, tool bag, etc) automatically minimize. This is a great option, in my opinion, for it makes for a bit more of a challenge. Not only that, but you can see the whole scene, which I really enjoy.
Something that's not immediately apparent is that the scenes scroll, much like The Clockwork Man games (though not as brilliantly executed, of course). Sometimes you have to scroll the scene a bit to find items that are hidden behind something close to you.
The HINT button is refillable, and loads up FAST! Mini-games are skippable.
There's a bit of story to read, but you can get more in-depth information by reading the journal - things that aren't really covered during the cut scenes. I do like that, making the story as immersive as you want it to be. Skip it or enjoy it, it's your choice. I think that's a great option to have.
Changing between the "clues" bar (which shows what you're to find) and the "inventory" bar (your tool bag) was a bit clumsy, but that's a personal observation. Playing a bit further, your bag actually gets an upgrade to have three different collection areas, so it makes more sense later on.
I found the artwork to be rich and delightful somehow - a nice change from what we usually see. Objects, while well-hidden, are not impossible to find, with just enough of a challenge to make it enjoyable. Looking at the screenshots, it looks like we have some classic hidden object (list) scenes, which changes my assessment from this being a FROG to an IHOG/FROG.
I like it, definitely worth a demo :thumb: