pjlamboIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 27
Joined: 17 DEC 2006
Status : Online | Runaway 2: TDOTT is the sequel to the popular cell-shaded animated adventure Runaway: A Road Adventure. In the original point and click adventure you controlled a physics student, Brian who hooks up with the gorgeous Gina who is on the run from mafia thugs. The sequel starts off with Brian and Gina together on vacation in Hawaii. In the fantastic intro sequence the game developers propel the player immediately into the story which revolves around a day trip taken by our couple that goes horribly wrong. The first thing you notice is the fantastic cartoon graphics and animation that rivals the first game which looked gorgeous. The art and animation department has done an amazing job employing effective tricks like slow pans, and zooms of the camera as well as to instill a 3D look to the characters. Like the first game the sequel still plays like a standard adventure game where the focus is on solving intricate inventory based puzzles. One of the criticisms leveled at the original was an abundance of puzzles that featured illogical solutions as well as some annoying pixel hunts. I'm happy to report while some of the puzzle solutions in Runaway 2 are bizarre they are for the most part logical. That's not to say you will not come across your fair share that will stump you. Pixel hunting has also been improved this time around with objects that stick out better in the scene. The new game also improves in the voice acting and dialog department as well. This time even minor supporting characters are voiced well. Another infectious sound track, including the main song, is included with lots of ambient themes playing through certain locales. The new story is also a treat especially the way it is told, with more instances of humour thrown in, as well as intrigue and mystery and an ever twisting plot. You also run into a nice variety of eccentric characters with a few of the popular ones making a return from the first game. I can't really find fault with this game except maybe with the ending but I don't want to spoil it. When Pendulo makes a third Runaway game I would like to see some of the following features included to make the game even more user friendly. They are...... A button you can push that will show the player all the exits and hot-spots in a scene for those times when you really get stuck. Also make new dialog subjects a different color from previously viewed topics. The quick scene navigation involving quickly double-clicking the mouse button is a nice convenience but sometimes it takes the main character awhile to move across a scene with no way to speed him up. To sum it all up, Runaway 2 is a longer game than the first one so it should take you anywhere from 10-20 hours to complete it without the aid of a walkthrough. I loved the first game despite some of it's faults but this sequel is a major improvement in nearly every area that matters. It also shows the game designers listened to their fans when they crafted this game. My score.......... 8/10............(A perfect 10/10 for the games visuals). Well done Pendulo Studios, when can we expect Runaway 3, that day can't come too soon for me
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