When reading The Book of Unwritten Tales, it appears that the authors used a traditional fantasy narrative coupled with intellectual humor as a backdrop for observations about the world around us. The careful implementation of the game simply adds to the excitement emanating from the screen.
In the beginning, we hear about Mortimer McGuffin, a Gremlin archaeologist who unearthed a mysterious relic that grants nearly infinite power. When the Shadow Army learns of this, they abduct the gremlin in order to extract crucial information from it. The elf Ivo and the gnome Wilbur Weathervane assist the abducted guy, who receives a golden ring with an instruction to deliver it to a specific archmage. The tune from “The Lord of the Rings” serves as a precursor to other allusions. There are references to works and phenomena from modern pop culture at every stage, and uncovering them is a lot of fun. Examples? Using the lasso activates Indiana Jones-style music, and a specific innkeeper will inform us that he “loves the smell of dwarven beer in the morning,” a parody of the famous remark from Apocalypse Now. Almost everything was reflected in a distorted mirror. This includes businesses, gravediggers, death, continually grumbling gamers, role-playing games, and even adventure game producers. The writers’ precise and slightly sardonic remarks are incorporated with remarkable sensitivity and without obnoxious sarcasm, resulting in a magnificent final impression. Although bursts of unrestrained laughing are unlikely to endanger us, the subtle comedy keeps us smiling throughout the excursion.
The Book of Unwritten Tales is notable for its stunning illustrations, which are difficult to look away from. The two-dimensional backdrops of the locales are meticulously created, and the level of detail may be bewildering. Graphic designers have to dedicate a significant amount of effort to creating these little works of art. But it was well worth it since both the gigantic sights, such as the entryway to the dwarven citadel, and the more ordinary, but incredibly cleverly made gnome cottage, stayed with me for a long time. The entire thing was given a distinctive, fairy-tale design with a large color pallet, making the locales highly unique. As a result, the roaming magician is characterized by bright hues that encourage guests to play, but the marshes inhabited by death are dominated by dark and shades of frigid green. At some point, we may find ourselves being propelled ahead not by the storyline, but by a desire to visit new areas.
The characters are not as visually appealing as the landscapes, but I like the attention to detail in their look and attire. The individuals encountered during the quest are a unique mix, ideally matched to the game’s twisted mood. Some examples of innovative concepts include a strong wizard hooked to online games, Death strolling in slippers, and a metrosexual paladin in a pink tunic. The characters’ strong points are not only their looks, but also their amusing conversations, which are partly attributable to the wonderfully chosen voices of the characters. The Book of Unwritten Tales is a straightforward point-and-click adventure with no arcade components. So we chat to folks, acquire objects, and then consider how to use them to advance the plot. There was no attempt to extend the gameplay by adding abstract riddles. They are all rational, and you can simply cope with them with the help of your gray cells. The majority of the puzzles require the proper use of obtained materials, but there are also preparations of magical potions and map location depending on the collected clues. Some scenes have been spiced up by presenting many heroes from whom we can choose. Each of them have unique abilities, which forces collaboration and adds to the game’s intrigue.
The game, like other current adventure games, has so-called “hotspots,” which indicate essential places and things in a specific region. This saves time and stress for gamers who don’t enjoy moving the pointer across the screen all the time. The authors proposed two further intriguing alternatives. The first eliminates critical points from the game that will no longer be valuable later on. As a result, you don’t have to wonder if a certain object will be utilized for anything else. The second option only chooses things that can be linked together. The selected pieces will not be concatenated if no text shows on the screen. In practice, we can swiftly move the mouse across the screen to see what is interacting with what, rather of clicking and testing each conceivable version individually. The stated changes may appear to dramatically simplify the gameplay, but they really make it more efficient and do not result in extensive downtime. The action is fast-paced and exciting, yet the game takes roughly 15-20 hours to complete. Only the ending falls short. Instead of being the cherry on top, it turns out to be a brief animation that says little and leaves you disappointed.
The mood, images, and, most importantly, pop culture allusions in The Book of Unwritten Tales delight. As a result, the traditional gameplay makes you want to learn more about the writers’ concepts. In a nutshell, it’s worthwhile!