In the Wallace and Gromit universe anything goes.‚ The films of yesteryear saw the bumbling inventor and his faithful companion travel to the moon in search of cheese, succumb to a pair of all-powerful trousers and have a boat load of laughs along the way.
Logic? Sense? Continuity?‚ These are all words Wallace and Gromit fans care not for, and rightfully so.
Telltale Games
May. 5, 2009
TellTale Games, the development crew behind Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Adventures, the latest in all things hilarious, certainly know how to simulate an eerily perfect experience for the casual gamer.
Grand Adventure’s is a four-part episodic pack of Wallace and Gromit journeys, the first of which, titled “Fright of the Bumblees,” released in April.‚ We reviewed, and subsequently loved the mini-escapade, but how does the follow up “The Last Resort” hold up given the superb first installment?
Last Resort begins with the same tutorial as in the original so veterans need not repeat the process, but for those new to the experience, the lesson is an advisable option.‚ There is nothing tricky or confusing about the user interface or game mechanics, but total familiarity with the controls is always better than face-palming madness.‚ Directional movement is very basically controlled with the classic WASD mechanism, the Shift key brings up your inventory, and the mouse is used to click and interact with characters and items.
There are four chapters within Last Resort all with highly varied objectives and tasks to fulfill.‚ The story begins with dark, pounding rain falling on West Wallaby street and Wallace and Gromit desperately attempting to rid their flooded basement of the unwanted H2O.‚ ‚ Wallace quickly decides that because of the terrible weather their beach vacation is ruined.‚ But don’t cry for the poor Brit just yet, the wacky inventor always seems to have an idea up his sleeve.‚ Wallace decides to bring the seaside to the basement and sets about procuring the necessary items for achieving such a reality; sand, sun, and umbrella.
The main theme in Last Resort, or really any Wallace and Gromit game or movie is that of a hopeful idea, a hilarious turn of events, and faithful Gromit ultimately saving the day.‚ That same winning formula has been aptly applied by TellTale and Last Resort plays just as you’d expect.
The items are procured, the basement beach is assembled, and everything is motoring along swimmingly.‚ That is until Wallace gets the bright idea to create Wallace’s Water Resort and invite neighborhood friends to the newly renovated basement.‚ After just about everything goes wrong the game morphs into a whodunit murder mystery.‚ At the dinner table the lights drop and the burly Scotsman is thumped over the head, left with amnesia, and it is up to Gromit to collect clues and reveal the perpetrator.‚ As in any murder mystery, the end result is not what you would expect.
Last Resort strays away from story dependent and centered on Wallace and Gromit and instead places strong emphasis on the surrounding cast.‚ A cast that was very intelligently assembled by TellTale to say the least.‚ The varying personalities and character traits of everyone in the house is comparable to only, and regrettably, MTV’s The Real World.‚ The paranoid and cryptically accurate Major Crum is an oddly funny character and the thick police constable will constantly keep you laughing as words stream froth from his yapper.‚ Most interestingly, Duncan McBuscuit, an angry and boisterous Scotsman constantly stirs up trouble, but is matched by an equally abrasive and rigid female.
The same lite-questing from the original returns in Last Resort as you’ll guide either Wallace or Gromit, depending on the situation, around the home, front-yard, and the town square in order to seek out clues, make useful acquaintances, and ultimately solve the games’ plentiful and often challenging tasks.
Everything about Last Resort feels authentic.‚ Voice acting is superb, production values are extremely high, and the pace is wonderfully assembled.‚ Telltale games has done a wonderful job of recreating the simple clay-mation style of the films and the rain, which is so very ubiquitous in Last Resort looks beautiful.
Sound in the title is also spot-on.‚ From the familiar opening sequence, to the closing credits, to every tense situation, the music truly adds a deeper dimension to the experience that is subtle but very necessary.
Whereas in the first title puzzles felt monotonous and dull, the method of progression in Last Resort is varied and contains a very strong sense of purpose.‚ You’re solving a mystery for Pete’s sake!
The Last Resort is a superb Wallace and Gromit title that fans of the franchise and casual puzzle-solving gamers alike will fully enjoy.‚ The title lasts a mere 2-5 hours depending on how you play and how much you decide to explore, but as part of a four game package spanning four months, it is just the right dosage of cheese-eating man and his canine companion.
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