Monday, 02 March 2020 08:53

The Wanderer: Frankenstein’s Creature Review

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The Wanderer: Frankenstein’s Creature allows you to assume the role of Frankenstein’s Creature and venture out into the world. Like the creature, there is no direction given to advise the player whether the decisions they make are positive or negative. After a vague introduction, and halfway through the game, you become aware that your decisions affect the outcome of the story. 

You begin venturing through the wild and into the village where you encounter choices as to whether you are a monster or just a confused creature. In order to obtain a “good ending” you’ll need to choose carefully throughout the game. 

Throughout the adventure, there are several cutscenes in reference to the monster’s tale in the novel. You’ll be faced with puzzles that help you to advance through the stages. While the puzzles are interesting, there is a lack of direction as to how to complete each level. I encountered several bugs throughout and the game had to be closed and reopened in order to ‘reset’ and allow the game to function. Unfortunately, there was a bug in the 3rd stage that was unable to load the puzzles preventing me from finishing it. 

Art and Music

The game itself and music were beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. The music changed from light, happy, upbeat moments to dark and despairing when the wrong choices were made. It helped to set the mood for the game perfectly.

The classical music in the background set the mood depending on the choices you made throughout the game. While these choices were not outlined well, as in you couldn’t tell which was the “good” choice and which was the “evil”. The art style and music let you know after your decision which you selected. In times when you chose wrong, the rainbow of pastels turned to an array of greys and blacks that were depressing. The music shifted to a darker, more dreary tone that made you feel terrible for your actions, intended or not. 

When you chose correctly, you were greeted with serene surroundings, a cheery melody and there was a rainbow of pastel colors that made the artwork appear as if it were from a classic painting. 

Rather than make the monster a grotesque figure, he was a silhouette of a tattered white cape. This was greatly appreciated and actually added to the game. You could imagine a monster behind the hood and play as such, or you could see the lost wandering soul and treat them with compassion. I loved the style of it and the artwork made the game worth playing. 

Gameplay

The gameplay was confusing to say the least. A lack of direction, introduction, and background made it difficult to ascertain where the player was supposed to go. The controls, clicking through the area, and movement were slow with no way to sprint or speed up. The targets were marked with glitter but difficult to see and lacked direction for the player. 

Throughout the game, I encountered several bugs and glitches. While some of these were relatively small, there were several which required the game to be reset and one that made it unplayable. Because of the linear style, you cannot advance without solving each puzzle. When there is a glitch and the puzzle doesn’t load, you cannot advance. I encountered a few of these, many of which could be fixed by reloading the game or clicking randomly until it was solved, even if I didn’t know why. 

The safe puzzle broke my game and made it unplayable past that point. The clues and riddles refused to load further so that the safe could be unlocked and the game could progress. After a quick search, I found this was a common bug that some were able to get around through resetting. Unfortunately, my game would not reset and the story ended there. 

I loved the ideas behind the puzzles, the historical references and the methods for advancing. I wanted to like this game. Unfortunately, with the bugs, it was unplayable at many points and was reset often. Despite being an artistic masterpiece, it was a broken game. 

Story

The story was true to Frankenstein with very few changes in adaptation. This made it true to the novel, and it was gratifying. The choices made by the player influenced the story and helped to determine the outcome. While it stayed true to the novel, there was room for the player to help decide the monster’s fate. 

The plot was told from the perspective of the monster, through watching his environment and notes left by his creator. This game did an amazing job of taking the book and making it into an enjoyable adventure. The game stayed true to the novel with a few puzzles added in and I appreciated that. I recognized the story and saw where they made his adventure into a puzzle by not allowing him to advance until he learned everything in the scene. 

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The Verdict: Broken

The Wanderer is a beautiful game with unique choices that keep it true to the novel and contains puzzles to engage the player. Sadly, because of some of the bugs, I was unable to complete it and required active efforts to play through. If these bugs can be patched, it has itself set up for a great afternoon game for those that love the classic Frankenstein.

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Erica Roberts

During the day, she's a freelance writer, working on her novels and chasing a five-year-old. In the evenings, you'll find her plugged in. Gaming is always an adventure and while she enjoys FPS and RPGs, Erica loves to try out a host of different games. Other hobbies include Netflix binging, running, reading and taking naps.

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