The Bookwalker is a fascinating example of juxtaposing narrative and gameplay by filtering them through the lens of a fictional character diving into different fictional worlds. Unfortunately, not much going on sound-wise though, as there is just sound effects, grunts and voices and some slight touches of musical soundtrack here and there. This is not a complaint at all, since The Bookwalker does a great job in creating a tangible atmosphere and making each book feel unique. Graphically, the third-person adventure mode really seems Disco Elysium infused, and even the portraits do seem like they came out of that game. This does not really add much to the overall experience and feels more like a last-minute idea thrown in because crafting is popular. These items can be used to craft crowbars or lockpicks we might need to proceed, along with using them to refill our ink power. While examining chests and boxes, we get the chance to take almost everything that is not nailed down. But it is also not possible to skip it entirely.Ĭrafting is unfortunately another feature that they decided to add, which I believe could have been skipped entirely. Overall, it works but it is not really entertaining, nor does it feel like a necessary addition to the gameplay. We get to see the enemies’ intentions for their next turns and we have a couple of different attacks. The juxtaposition of first-person and third-person adventure always works great, and it is refreshing to go back and forth between the colorful fantasy of the books and the drab shallow reality of our tiny apartment and distrustful neighbors.Ĭombat takes place in turns and we’ll be using ink as “mana” but also to carry out most fighting actions. Still, the overall world-building in Bookwalker is done via little details and touches, which work great, instead of assaulting the player with information. Sure, we might be sad that we’re deactivating robots because we need their batteries (and the writing REALLY hammers the point home), but it is not easy to care about the whole ordeal when we’ve barely been there for 15 minutes. But we don’t have enough information to really connect with anything about the events in this book. In the second book, we are thrust into a battle between humans and robots, with fed-up workers wanting to burn down a factory. Also, while there’s a bit of lore building in the various books, each section is not long enough to actually get involved in the little stories. Perhaps, leaving it up to the player to understand the right moment might have been more interesting. For example, while it is possible to bring an item from the real world to the books, the game will always clearly suggest when it is time to do so. Perhaps, there’s even a bit too much hand-holding here and there. A quick slip of the pen, or rather the tongue, might plunge you into a difficult fight. While the puzzles in Bookwalker are generally not difficult, choices matter, so being careful is always recommended. Accompanying our adventures is a mysterious creature who we can interact with via microphone and who is always with us to guide our next steps. Think of the Bookwalker as a Disco Elysium-inspired point-and-click adventure, with some first-person sequences and light RPG fights.Įach book has its little own atmosphere and story, with many clever little fourth-wall-breaking moments here and there. There, we have to bring back a particular item while solving puzzles and getting into a couple of fights here and there. This is how the game begins, with our protagonist already shackled, which is why he agrees to carry out a series of shady jobs.Įach job requires us to infiltrate a book, where the game switches from first person to third person as a way of reflecting the change in the “author”. Except for the original writers, who died a long time ago, all others need to be controlled and kept under a leash. The world of The Bookwalker hates writers – they have to be controlled and their every move must be watched (hey, it must be a present-day adventure). Turn the page of our The Bookwalker review and let’s begin. That is the journey we are called to undertake in The Bookwalker, as we travel from book to book in search of our redemption while discovering the secrets underneath. Sometimes you get to read a choose-your-own-adventure book, other times it’s the book that chooses the adventure for you.
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