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a first look at Lamplight City by venus #1160533
08/18/18 04:06 PM
08/18/18 04:06 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 40,644
southeast USA
Jenny100 Offline OP
GB Reviewer Glitches Moderator
Jenny100  Offline OP
GB Reviewer Glitches Moderator
Sonic Boomer

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 40,644
southeast USA

Lamplight City
Grundislav Games
a First Look by venus


Set in an alternate Victorian steampunk world in 1844, Lamplight City radiates atmosphere and intrigue. It takes place in a port city called New Bretagne, a place rife with crime and various prejudices. Starting with a “prologue” of sorts, we begin with our protagonist, detective Miles Fordham and his partner, Bill Ledger, investigating an odd theft that occurred in a flower shop in Cholmondeley (which the characters refer to as “The Chum.”) The “thief” is very considerate, as after each break in, money is found in payment for the stolen flowers. After some investigating, the events take an unexpectedly dark turn, and Miles is forced to make a difficult decision.

Fast forward three months later, and Miles has the ghost of his dead partner in his head. Is Bill’s ghost actually speaking to him? Or is Miles just losing his mind? Regardless, Bill is still very helpful to Miles on his next case. He also has an opinion on various objects in any given area as well as how he feels Miles is handling his life at the moment. Bill’s primary objective, however, is to find closure on the circumstances surrounding his death. Once he has achieved this, he will presumably leave Miles in peace.

After leaving his room, Miles speaks with his wife, who directs Miles to a note on the table. His boss has a case for him, the first of the five that will appear in the game. It took me about 3 hours to complete (plus around half an hour for the prologue), so this should be a good sized game, if every case is around the same length.

Most of the puzzles are based on the conversations Miles will have with the various characters. Many aspects of the game reminded me a lot of Gabriel Knight mixed with a little bit of Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments. When speaking to each character in depth, a close up Miles and the character he is speaking to will appear surrounded by a black background very reminiscent of Gabriel Knight: The Sins of the Fathers. There are even a couple of scenes that reminded me of GK1, such as the coffee shop which looked quite a bit like the Napoleon House, and the angel on the stone plinth inside a mausoleum, which was similar to the angel outside Malia Gedde’s tomb. The Casebook Miles writes in at various points throughout the game was similar to the notes kept in Sherlock Holmes, with different sections on clues, suspects, etc.

Also, as in Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments, you will have the opportunity to accuse different suspects. In the first case, there were only two people that could be accused, with a variation on one of the two. I didn’t find the “correct” decision very difficult to figure out, so I wonder if in the following cases, it will become more difficult. Apparently, it is possible to fail every case and have the game continue regardless, so it will be interesting to see how this mechanic will be handled in the full game.

So far, the story and characters are strong. I found most of the cast likable/interesting. Various complex social issues are addressed and handled very well. Looking forward to seeing more of this in the full game. Voice acting is great, and I recognized a few voices from some of Wadjet Eye’s games. The pixel art graphics are very beautiful and atmospheric. Also, the animations are impressive, including some flickering lamps (appropriately enough) and swaying tree limbs, not to mention the various actions Miles performs.

The puzzles are all investigation based, mostly focused on dialogue with various characters. It is possible to anger a character so much that you are unable to speak with that particular character again. I saved my game at one point when I knew I could potentially anger a character and was thrown out of this character’s home. However, when I reloaded so I could continue to speak with the character, it turned out I had gotten everything I needed in that location. It makes me wonder if some of the same characters will appear in future cases. I was never stuck on any of the puzzles for very long. A certain puzzle involving a bird was very clever and had me stumped for a minute until I realized what it was trying to draw my attention to. There is no inventory in the game. If an object is picked up, Miles will automatically use it where it belongs when this spot is clicked on. It was a bit strange for me at first, as I kept moving my mouse up and down looking for an inventory, but I quickly got used to it. It makes sense that the puzzles are all in the realm of investigation rather than inventory based, and I think it works in the game’s favor.

Overall, Lamplight City is off to a very strong start. I highly recommend fans of story based and/or investigative adventure games give this one a look. I’m looking forward to seeing where the rest of the game goes in September.

Re: a first look at Lamplight City by venus [Re: Jenny100] #1160539
08/18/18 04:40 PM
08/18/18 04:40 PM
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 17,992
Chicago
oldbroad Offline
Graduate Boomer
oldbroad  Offline
Graduate Boomer

Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 17,992
Chicago

Thanks venus and Jenny100. Sounds good!

Re: a first look at Lamplight City by venus [Re: oldbroad] #1160544
08/18/18 05:59 PM
08/18/18 05:59 PM
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 48,224
near Yosemite
Marian Offline
Global Moderator
Marian  Offline
Global Moderator
Sonic Boomer

Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 48,224
near Yosemite
Thank you, venus. I think I'm going to like this game, based on all the information you have provided. smile

And thank you too, Jenny. wave

Re: a first look at Lamplight City by venus [Re: Marian] #1160558
08/18/18 08:28 PM
08/18/18 08:28 PM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 34,312
United Kingdom
Mad Offline
Sonic Boomer
Mad  Offline
Sonic Boomer

Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 34,312
United Kingdom
Thanks very much, venus (and Jenny100) thumbsup


Time : The Most Precious Commodity
Re: a first look at Lamplight City by venus [Re: Jenny100] #1160559
08/18/18 08:36 PM
08/18/18 08:36 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 83,268
In the Naughty Corner
BrownEyedTigre Offline
The Sassy Admin and PR Liaison
BrownEyedTigre  Offline
The Sassy Admin and PR Liaison
Sonic Boomer

Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 83,268
In the Naughty Corner
Thanks for the great read, venus! Sounds like a very promising adventure!

Ana wave


Don't feed the Trolls
Re: a first look at Lamplight City by venus [Re: Jenny100] #1160575
08/18/18 10:58 PM
08/18/18 10:58 PM
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 125
Thrudvanger
Thorsgoats Offline
Settled Boomer
Thorsgoats  Offline
Settled Boomer

Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 125
Thrudvanger
Thank you for the review, venus. It sounds very interesting. Looking forward to playing it sometime in the future. It was a very insightful review with a lot of information. Can you ask any characters what they know about voodoo? grin


"Is there anybody there? Am I alone . . . in this place? Can you see me? Can you hear me? SHOW me you are here!"
Re: a first look at Lamplight City by venus [Re: Jenny100] #1160581
08/18/18 11:51 PM
08/18/18 11:51 PM
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 8,379
Arcadia (twin world of Stark)
venus Offline
BAAG Specialist
venus  Offline
BAAG Specialist

Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 8,379
Arcadia (twin world of Stark)
Thorsgoats, yes, this actually is something you can do! Although, you don't get to ask it the same way Gabriel did, there are a couple of characters who know a thing or two about voodoo. smile


Interrogator: [True or false?] All mangoes are golden. Nothing golden is cheap. Conclusion - all mangoes are cheap.

Helena: Where are these mangoes?
Re: a first look at Lamplight City by venus [Re: Jenny100] #1161175
08/25/18 12:02 AM
08/25/18 12:02 AM
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 125
Thrudvanger
Thorsgoats Offline
Settled Boomer
Thorsgoats  Offline
Settled Boomer

Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 125
Thrudvanger
Who knows these things, and why? Is it something I should be concerned about? grin

Since you recommend it, I think I'll probably end up playing it to see all of these responses. grin


"Is there anybody there? Am I alone . . . in this place? Can you see me? Can you hear me? SHOW me you are here!"
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