Right on time is the latest installment
in the Homestar Runner internet cartoon adventure series by Telltale
Games. November’s offering, Episode 4 of Strong Bad’s Cool Game for
Attractive People, portrays Strong Bad in the much anticipated
blockbuster Indie movie, Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective. A
sequel to
Dangeresque 1 and 2, the new film pushes Strong
Bad’s fertile imagination to its limits as he assumes the roles of writer,
actor and bully/director.
Dangeresque (played by Strong Bad) is a down-on-his-luck detective with
a genuine appeal -- perhaps because the lead designer for this particular
episode, Mark Darin, spent part of his career producing a down-on-his-luck
detective series starring another likeable loser,
Nick
Bounty.
Nobody has to Get Hurt… Except Everybody that’s not Me
In the course of this point-and-click, third person cinematic
adventure, Dangeresque must recover stolen blueprints and jewelry while
facing the many villains who are played by others in the Homestar Runner
cast. Along the way he encounters multiple challenges, including a
catacomb monster, an eccentric scientist, a card shark and a femme fatale.
The game starts with a bang as you meet the oddball cast of characters,
slows a bit in the middle and zooms to the end with a flourish.
I particularly enjoyed Marzipan in her dual roles as Cutesy and Sultry
Buttons. Partly this is because Director Strong Bad fast-forwards through
her sermon about the rainforest, and partly because Marzipan as an actress
has more range both vocally and physically. (For instance, she has learned
to use her eyelashes in a way that makes her broom handle face much more
expressive.) The letters Sultry leaves behind -- detailing her past as
Dangeresque’s inamorata -- are classics of the “Men are from Mars, Women
are from Venus” conflict.
The colorful, minimalist graphics from the previous games become
backgrounds for the movie, enhanced by scenery hastily erected to turn
StrongBadia’s locales into Dangeresque’s office, the city of Brainblow,
the Amazon, Venice, etc. Sight gags abound, especially when Director
Strong Bad introduces special effects. My favorite: the car and helicopter
chase with a tree flashing by. The “fourth wall” is frequently broken, as
the actors practice and/or flub their lines, and as the camera angles
reveal what’s going on behind the scenes.
Could this be a Clue?
Although the game’s most memorable moments involve the characters and
story, the challenges also contribute to the mix. The idea behind the main
portion of Dangeresque 3 seems to be to enjoy the film/game and its
plot and not to be stuck for hours on a puzzle. A series of more difficult
treasure-hunt-like challenges are left for Strong Bad’s optional “How Much
I Rule” chart.
Puzzles in the main portion are predominantly inventory based,
supplemented by a wacky card game, a pattern puzzle (clearly labeled as a
puzzle, in case you were wondering), a “let’s figure out who’s lying”
dialog challenge, and a couple of challenges that require adjusting
various items during “set piece” sequences. A retro computer game called
“Space Circus Catastrophe!” must be played as if it’s the control panel
for a rocket, and has a timed aspect to it (I beat this one easily in
rocket-control-panel mode after a bit of practice).
More than a Movie
In addition to the puzzles that are necessary to progress in the game,
you collect optional items (like personalized bullets and costumes), which
can keep you searching the environments and trying inventory items in odd
places. When you find collectibles, these are entered into the “How Much I
Rule” chart, and also affect your Awesomeness Level. Though I’ve
technically finished the game, there are still nineteen items or
animations that I have yet to find or trigger, and I have achieved the
rank of “Septuple Agent,” which I’ve made into a high rank in my own mind
by adding “00” to “Septuple.”
Check Out Some of these Bluppers
Like the previous episodes, Dangeresque 3 contains an Extended
Play level after you beat the game. This feature is more substantial than
in the past episodes, and includes a documentary where Strong Bad tours
some of the sets, interviews a few of the actors, and shows off bloopers.
The Extended Play level also contains alternate endings.
I experienced nary a glitch or hiccup. Everything about the interface
is easy to use. Movement and animations are smooth. The Hint system
established in Episode 1 continues helpfully in Episode 4, with characters
occasionally throwing out ideas that can move you along if you’ve spent
too much time in each area. One downside – the game doesn’t have nearly
enough saved game slots, particularly if more than one family member is
playing it.
Music is jazzy, sinister, or exotic, depending upon the locale. The
music adds to the game’s atmosphere, but is never intrusive. Voice acting
has improved since the earlier episodes. I would say that it is in the
“okay to excellent” range in Episode 4, partly because the most annoyingly
voiced character has fewer lines. Also, The Cheat’s articulation has
improved significantly, and I am beginning to understand some of what he
says.
I enjoyed Dangeresque 3 much more than Episode 1, and even more
than Episode 2. The series is developing nicely, though I couldn’t say
what it is developing into/toward. Perhaps it’s best for once (this goes
against the grain) not to speculate.
Quick List for Episode 4: Dangeresque 3
Sam Spade meets Homestar Runner. Colorful cardboard Noir aesthetic and
good writing combine in the best badly made movie of the season. Third
person perspective, point-and-click interface, two easy timed challenges,
plenty of inventory challenges, a dialog puzzle, a pattern puzzle, some
“set piece” puzzles. Nothing twisty puzzle-wise that would slow the game’s
plot down or cause serious stuckness. An optional treasure hunt challenge
that can be completed on the Extended Play level is for gamers who enjoy a
more difficult challenge.
Aimed at fans of the Homestar Runner internet cartoons and/or Humphrey
Bogart movies -- and anyone who’s secretly enjoyed amateurish Indie
cinema.
B+
This game is available via download at
Telltale Games.
My Computer Specs:
Windows XP Professional
Pentium 2.80 GHz
2046 MB RAM
Direct X 9.0c
512 MB NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX
SB X-Fi Audio
November 2008
design copyright ©
2008
GameBoomers
Group
