Runaway 2: The Dream of the Turtle
Review
Tons of humor crammed into this one
by Caitlin Roberts
reviewed on NDS
Working the screen (cntd.)
That being said, it isn't perfect; the dialogue has been reduced to text only, and things can very easily be missed if you touch your screen at just the wrong moment. Since you cannot possibly get through the game without interaction, assistance and deal-making with other characters, the text-tapping requirements can render some stages of the game so slow as to become tedious. The one thing that saves it from ruin is the humor that has been woven in to the dialogue. Witty, snide, bold and sometimes just a little hint of crass, it leaves you almost looking forward to finding out what is going to come out of the characters' mouths next.
Some elements of the problem-solving and puzzling are pure genius and seem to be made for the touch screen approach, such as the drag-and-drop inventory combining, and using the pen to tap over the area where you want to use the item. However it can be extremely frustrating at times to even identify the clues required (and this is despite the very handy clue-finder they have inserted into the game) let alone what to do with them once they have been unearthed. If I could pass along just one tip to prospective players, it would be never to give up trying to pick up things to put into your inventory, or combining items in your inventory – even if it seems totally illogical, and even if Brian shot you down the last time you tried – it might have simply been too soon.
Some challenge is always looked for – indeed, required for those of us attracted to puzzles and mysteries – and Runaway 2 does give you a reasonable level of brain-stretching. However, there are several stages in the game in which the convoluted leaps of logic required to get past a point in the game (and not even a key point in many cases), combined with the cheeky, sarcastic backtalk from Brian, and controls that don't always work quite as you'd expect... brain-stretch becomes brain-strain, and I'll lay you odds that at some point it will make you want to throw your DS across the room in frustration.
Having a look
Given the small size of the screens and the complexity of the game, the graphics are in fact very well done. The developers clearly weren't prepared to wave their magic wand and create a miniature replica of the PC game, package it in its miniature box and ship it off to a store near you, with absolutely no effort on their part. The zoom option, already mentioned, is indicative of the thought and care that they put into the adaptation. Another example are the movie sequences, which are clear, sharp and run smoothly. I must add that they -as transitions between locations- help fill out the storyline when the plot twist could otherwise threaten to leave you throwing your hands up in disgust. The clue hint page is very handy when you are stuck and you're sure you missed something. It is a little weak in that the highlighted clue areas can occasionally be so close together and backlit with such a similar hue that it is next to impossible to distinguish between them. This obviously defeats the purpose when you are searching for something already missed.
Conclusion
Runaway 2 cannot be ignored by any true fan of adventures, problem-solving or puzzle-based gaming. And as an adaptation of a PC game, it is one of the best I have seen so far, both for graphics and for controls. Uncharacteristic for games on the DS platform, I experienced several crashes but the game did not have any technical shortcomings apart from these. The dialogue, despite being restrictive due to the text format, is engaging nevertheless, and the puzzles will keep your brain in high gear throughout the game. But Runaway 2 won't be for everyone. If you need a consistent, straightforward storyline or even just logical solutions to your puzzle-solving, you may want to ration your playing time with Runaway 2 to very small doses, or you might find yourself looking for a way to get Joshua's telepathic helmet on your own head. And for those who are not truly hooked to this genre, or aren't sure yet and want to find out? I would not recommend that you test yourselves on Runaway 2. This is not your game.
7.0
fun score
No Pros and Cons at this time
