Point-and-click adventure games are in an interesting spot these days. There’s definitely an audience for them, but it seems that developers go out of their way to make them only cater to that specific crowd. Those who don’t have an affinity for finding hidden messages in game manuals or using an inventory item on every applicable spot on the screen can find them obtuse to the point of being frustrating and inevitably not worth playing. Violett by Forever Entertainment attempts to marry this polarizing play style with something that’s more palpable to the masses; as to whether this works or not is a complicated discussion indeed.
Violett follows a little girl as her family moves into a new home off the beaten path. As they start settling in Violett’s parents get into an argument, sending the lost girl into her room to sulk. While growling on her bed, she notices a flash in a hole in the wall that sends her into a curious and wondrous world. Unsure of her surroundings, she eventually discovers that completing an amulet is her ticket home. Scared and alone in a bizarre place, she sets off to find some missing gems; if it sounds like a modern day retelling of Alice in Wonderland, you aren’t far off the mark.
Rather than having players wander aimlessly trying to find their way, the pace of Violett is structured in a way that almost feels level-like in design. Most areas are accessed through a hub world that is akin to an M.C. Escher painting of looping staircases and warping doors. Once within a new locale, your goal is to poke around until you find the way to each gem for the amulet. There’s plenty of random clicking going on, but you’ll eventually surmise that you have to set off a chain of events in a Rube Goldberg machine-like manner to find your way to the previously unreachable area. The game does a good job of showing you a hand icon when something can be interacted with, waylaying some frustration in a genre that often stubbornly leaves you to your own devices. Even if you can’t do something at a particular point, it’s worth nothing Violett shaking her head because you’ll need to come back to it later.
While you constantly find yourself wondering what to do next, there is a neat hint mechanic that alleviates those issues if you don’t have the patience. At any point, with no penalty, you can hit the button and the game will point you in the right direction. It in no way just hands you the answer, but it is often a firm enough nudge to keep you going. There are four hints per area, but you can’t access the next one until a timer bar fills up. This forces players to think intuitively instead of spamming the hint button in the hopes that it will teach them how adventure games work. While certainly helpful, it never alleviates the feeling that there isn’t really a logic to adhere to in this game.
It is assumed that if you plan on picking up this game, you know what you’re getting into. That being said, the biggest knock against Violett is that while it offers two control schemes, neither of them feel intuitive. The game suggests you play it using the touchscreen and, as sensible as this choice is, it has a sluggish level of responsiveness. You can also opt to use the left analogue stick to move and the right one to access a pointer, but this too feels laborious because it moves too slowly. Even for a game that is based around patience and observation, this is still a detriment.
The bright spot, and a very good reason to play Violett, is the lavishly detailed lands our heroine finds herself in as she tries to make her escape. You constantly find yourself in awe as you look upon places that are based on real-world locales like bathroom sinks and train depots, but filled with novelties like a giant caterpillar with a man’s face fencing with spiders, or a mirror that lets poor Violett see upon her parents at home, wondering where she is. It’s dripping with detail, which often rewards players with little orbs strewn about for their effort. It’s part and parcel with the adventure genre, but always an endearing inclusion.
Conclusion
At its heart Violett is a classically designed point-and-click adventure, warts and all. It tells an interesting tale in a world filled with oddity and excitement, but it's told in an unintuitive manner that only the most stalwart fan of the genre will likely stick with. It tries to cast its net wide by offering a clever hint system to help players survive its obtuse nature, but nevertheless only the most patient will try to come back out of the rabbit hole.
Comments 25
I'm sure this is enjoyable but still working on Odyssey.
Would you recommend this to younger players ?
I love point and click, got this but I haven't played it yet.
I'll wait and see how I get on with Thimbleweed Park before I consider this. I bought it the week it came out but haven't had time to get round to playing it yet.
Why's she in the Temple of the Ancients?
@Ervex_109
I'll save you the wait. It's terrible. Look up reviews anywhere else for Syberia 3. god awful.
I loved the first one many years ago, but the latest is a crap shoot.
@Alcovitch It's the first one they're on about,it released the other week and the sequel is due sometime next month. Part 3 doesn't have a release date yet as far as I'm aware.
This ain't my cup of tea.
@Alcovitch Did you play Syberia 2? It's an excellent sequel.
I loved The Book of Unwritten Tales on Wii U so I'll probably pick this up on a sale down the track.
And no gyro pointer in a point and click game.
Love point and clicks, I'll add this one to my to-do list as well. Looking forward to Syberia 2 at the end of November. Hopefully I'll have some time for it.
Ha. You talk about point and click being obtuse. I much prefer the old text-parsing graphic adventures(i.e. King's Quest II, Space Quest I, II, III, Police Quest I, II) Needing to figure out what WORD to use made the game in some ways much harder, but actually much more fun. Instead of being just a game of clicking on everything, there was a degree of thinking required to consider what needed to be said.
@derrin Why not go even more retro and play some of Infocom's classics?
@LemonSlice Yes sure! Zork! But my favourite is the Sierra stuff...
Hey you old timers ! Get off my lawn !
Lords of Midnight FYW
Coraline,is that you?
I really like the art style of this game..... Not huge on point and click games but might take the dive if I ever run out of things to play
Point and click games have never really been my thing. The ones I have played have felt tedious and just like endless trial and error until something progresses the story. Though I am aware some have had excellent stories.
Point and click roots run deep in my childhood from various Humongous Entertainment classics like Freddi Fish and Spy Fox. I'll probably wait for a sale, but I'm keeping my eye on this. Love the artstyle and the music sounds really nice too.
Only a 6. A pity since it looks so nice. May be still worth it someday though.
@Randomname19 It's Coraline's lesbian sister.
Don't buy this game. You will throw your money. After 5 levels the game freezes....always in the same point. I try to contact support......for nothing...nobody cares. I am another stupid to pay. Don't do the same mistake. I can give you more details about this game. If needed don't hesitate to contact me. [email protected]
This game is currently 70% off on the eShop... Can you really go wrong for $3? Probably raises a 6 to an 8 or even a 9 at that price point.
In the UK it's now on sale for — .65p!!!!
There's nothing else in the whole of ENGLAND that I can buy for .65p!!!! ----
-- So I've just bought it! Why not 😊
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