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Just (Free) Adventures Author:
Ben ‘Yahtzee'
Crowshaw
For those of you who enjoyed my first column, I bring you a brand new mini-review of the first two chapters of the Rob Blanc series: Rob Blanc I: Better Days of a Defender of the Universe and Rob Blanc II: Planet of the Pasteurized Pestilence. These are both small, free adventure games available for all gamers to download! If you like these two games, look forward to the upcoming third installment of the series, Rob Blanc III: The Temporal Terrorists. Click
here to visit the official site of the Rob Blanc Series Rob Blanc I: Better Days of a Defender of the Universe is a small game that functions as more of a prequel that sets the scene for the following game. In Rob Blanc I, we are introduced to two powerful, multidimensional alien beings known as the High Ones (also noted for their exceedingly funny remarks). The witty pair have arranged to thwart the impending galactic annihilation and have located a suitable hero on Sol 3 (otherwise known as "Earth"). The lucky hero, named Rob Blanc, is soon unceremoniously abducted from his own bedroom by the High Ones. They briefly describe the situation to Rob and then teleport him to a Reman spaceship that has disappeared from the High Ones' radar. Though the story of the impending galactic annihilation is never quite explained in the game, the objective of this short game is quite clear: figure out how to get Rob through the obstacles on the defunct spaceship and prove his worth as Defender of the Universe to the High Ones. Though I think the story should have been developed a bit more (this is an adventure game, after all!), it is still sufficient for such a short game.
In the words of the author himself, Rob Blanc II: Planet of the Pasteurized Pestilence is "bigger, better, and harder" than the first game. After the first game, Rob underwent extensive training and innumerable body and mind upgrades for his new post as Defender of the Universe. The second chapter of the Rob Blanc saga begins when Rob is sent back to Earth for a vacation while the High Ones construct his new spaceship. While checking into a classy hotel in Hawaii, Rob meets a suspicious green-haired teenager named Paul, who appears to be incessantly following him around. Could it be possible that the High Ones don't completely trust their fledgling hero and have sent a spy to keep Rob in check? Before long, Rob and Paul both end up stuck together in a hotel elevator adrift in space above an unfamiliar planet infected by some sort of plague. You guessed it--Rob's mission is to rid the planet of its "Pasteurized Pestilence." Though I personally feel that the background story should have been expanded upon a bit more, the game's story and plot is much better developed in this game than in its prequel and sufficient for the short game.
The graphics in both Rob Blanc games are not bad, though the colors are a bit garish at times. This is partially due to the fact that the version of AGS used for this game had a significant limit on the number of colors in any given scene. Despite this, however, it is obvious that some time was spent making the graphics look nice because they are well drawn and serve their purpose well. I believe that the game is supposed to have sound effects and/or music, but for some reason (it's probably my computer's fault) I did not hear anything. Since the games are so short, this was not a problem for me. As a result, I will disregard the Sfx/Music category. As far as puzzles go, both games consist of mainly of one big linear interconnected inventory puzzle. This is not a bad thing, since I feel they are put together well. Rob Blanc I is a tad on the easy side, but the High Ones' amusing comments in the introduction and finale makes the game a completely worthwhile experience. It's pretty amazing what a good dose of humor can do for a game! Rob Blanc II's puzzles are more a bit more complicated than in the first game, but not too difficult. Both Rob Blanc games implement the Adventure Game Studio interface, which is based on the tried and true Sierra style: icons for walking, talking, and the like. You can also save and restore games. I had no gameplay problems with either of the Rob Blanc games. Story: C+ Quite frankly, you can't beat the price: free! And as freebie adventure games go, these two have very minimal download times and are quite worthy of your attention. Though the Rob Blanc games are not perfect, they are still an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours and have a few laughs. Final Grade: B- |
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