Ghost of a Tale is a game that gets less and less interesting with each passing hour. A slew of mechanics, many of which are startlingly shallow or even superfluous, thereby deterring further play. An intriguing and well-told plot attempts to redeem the situation, but this is insufficient to recommend the game.
Tilo the mouse is the primary character, and we play him in terribly awful conditions – confined in a chamber surrounded by vicious rats. Our mission is to break out of prison and find our loved one. As it turns out later, this is only the beginning of an exciting journey that will bring us to the solution of the Periclave Island mystery. The narrative and the universe shown are undeniably the production’s strongest elements. The narrative is colorful, a little overblown, but most importantly intriguing and expertly delivered through discussion with other characters. The intricacies are revealed through letters and books discovered throughout research, which serve as an excellent supplement to the overall plot.
Ghost of a Tale is first and foremost a stealth game. It’s a lot of fun at first, but we rapidly realize the basic mechanics and repetition. We will be obliged to dodge the same adversaries in the same manner every time we have to walk through a specific location since we have no method of eliminating them. Although we may gain armor in the later levels of the game that makes us seem like the rat villains and allows us to roam freely, the game is then cruelly stripped of its major elements and becomes a dull walking simulator. Not only are the mechanics of stealing annoying, but so is the opponents’ artificial intelligence. Opponents’ vision is highly limited, making it easier to slip through the cracks. Even if detection is a possibility, we will get a sign telling us of the amount of threat. If it hits the limit, the adversary will notice us and attack. Because of the size advantage of the opponent, the only option is to flee. Simply hide in the nearest box or barrel around the corner to avoid the torturer. However, if we don’t discover a nearby hiding spot, the hunt will be considerably longer. Even though he couldn’t see us, the rat will miraculously know which direction we turned at the junction.
Despite the fact that the game features several RPG aspects, they were completely overlooked. Aside from an increased life bar, leveling up provides no benefits. Crafting does not exist, which is odd given the abundance of objects to acquire and, ultimately, no purpose for them. However, the talents gained over time have little effect on the manner of play – we will continue to gravitate towards fleeing, often neglecting the stealth component. The game was technically pretty good. The textures are excellent, the frame rate is typically kept at 60 frames per second, and the loading windows are brief. Unfortunately, I had to load my previous save three times during the game since I was unable to complete the assignment. There are also minor issues with the camera, which sometimes zoom in too much in close quarters.
Ghost of a Tale isn’t a horrible game by any means. This is a typical example of a project whose lofty goals outstripped the founders’ real competence. It is now a label reserved solely for fans of adorable rodents.