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I
predict that the obscurely titled Tass Times in Tone
Town is just such an adventure. Y'know, grey habits
and long beards might not be totally trendy in this
strange age, but this adventure game for the terminally
hip-flipped makes you feel like you could do anything.
You
think I'm joking don't you? Ol' Whitey's lost his box
at last? Very well. You asked for it.
Gramps
is missing. Seeing as this has made first page in the
Tone Town Times (which only has the news that's tass
to print), this must certainly qualify as a valid plot
for the adventure. You know roughly where he's gone
-- another dimension. He wasn't totally tass, according
to reputation, but he was well liked. There is a rumour
that Franklin Snarl has something to do with this. If
you knew him like I did, you'd believe it too. Whatever,
as the man says, you've gotta getta take on Gramps (please
be patient; this is difficult for me too).
Tone
Town doesn't like tourists, so you're going to need
a guide to survive. Luckily, Ennio's available. Ennio's
a dog. He's also a pretty tass journalist, being a six-time
recipient of the Moonal Ultra Journalism award, and
an ideal ally. He's not the only friend you'll need,
though. Try seeing Chaz. He runs a 'Tique that can do
wonders for your tassitude, with the aid of jumpsuits,
hooplets and dye cuts. I have it on good authority that
globurgers are fairly amazing as well. I wonder whether
they're made out of Blobpets? After all, these burrowing
beanbags have been getting a lot of bad publicity recently
and at least this is a way to deal with them . . .
Okay,
down to Earth. This game absolutely hums with atmosphere.
It's weird, cleverly allegorical, funny and compulsive.
Some of the people responsible for Mindshadow and
Borrowed Time are responsible for the game, and
from the point of presentation, it owes a lot to the
later title. This game is also icon driven (though there's
a facility for text), uses graphics and employs elements
of animation.
The
whole affair is highly polished and has an outrageously
surreal scenario that just grabs your weirdness glands
and squeezes them dry. You can't help but get caught
up in it. The dialogue is a wonderful spoof on Newspeak
from 1984, the graphics are exciting but don't
get in the way, and the plot is totally and utterly
banal. It's brilliant.
It's
also hard. The thing is, if you don't start getting
into the game, picking up the clues and giggling at
the subtle jokes, the whole thing might as well be written
in Cuneiform (which would be no problem for one such
as I, but would ruin things for you).
As
far as physical quality goes, TTITT is as good
as you could want. There are some irritating limitations
in your choice of options, but this is more than made
up for by the presentation and playability. If there
was ever a case of a work of art being admired for its
subtle imperfections, then this is it.
This
is what adventures should be about -- experiencing other
worlds. There is nothing in this game that can be taken
at face value. There is nothing here that you will have
come across elsewhere. It's 100% addictive. The real
plot is so up the creek that I'm not going to try and
explain it. I would only take away all the magic by
doing so. The best thing would be to simply buy it.
No, the Wiz hasn't gone senile. He's simply fallen in
love with a brilliantly original game.
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