I remember finding this game, wishing for some light and easy game experience and a fantasy setting. Cavern of Time matches both of these requests :) I noticed that reviews are mixed, read them and put the game in my wishlist. Forgot about it for a long long time...
...and suddenly got it as a gift! It was time to go and check it out. I do understand the negative reviews, but in my opinion they don't quite do this game justice:
- The arc is linear and short, the gameplay is easy, animation quality is below most expectations I suppose, but hey! - the game doesn't pretend to be the best of the best, it doesn't cost a fortune and doesn't promise you any patricularly stunning and exceptional experience.
Is it OK to have simple and in some aspects even primitive games on the market? Sure, that's the very point of the market economy, every product finds it's niche and customers who are happy to use it.
STORY: Very very linear and simple, don't expect any intriguing details or situations, you just do what you gotta do from the beginning of the game, that's it. I'm OK with that and even think that it gives game the vibe of a story told by some ordinary person, not an experienced professional, and it leaves kinda warm feeling about it.
You will absolutely NOT miss any of the storyline, rest assured and play without thinking that maybe there is more somewhere... No, you get what you encounter on your way.
GRAPHICS: Now that's ambiguous, because the locations are beautiful and have the old games vibes, the colors are warm and soft, I like this style, it's original and timeless. But the characters are made poorly and there is no animation at all, just wobbling pictures of the enemies.
QUESTS: Don't expect any interesting or tricky quests, they are all super easy. If you need to find an item, it's somewhere near and you see it right away. If you need to kill an enemy, it's a breeze too.
GAMEPLAY:
- Enemies just pop out of nowhere with no logic to it, you walk through the forest and suddenly enter battle mode, that's all. Yes. No enemies are visible, it's random. Live with it.
- Walking between locations is sometimes uncomfortable, you don't see where the exit is and miss it easily.
- Battle means just choosing the attack type and reading the text.
- One thing I really liked about this game is that you can play it all with keyboard only, mouse is optional. Once I discovered it, everything became easier, I'm a keyboard fan :)
MUSIC: Battle music doesn't match the atmosphere, location music is nice and calming, suits the lazy gameplay well.
LEVELING UP, ABILITIES ETC
Some abilities are too strong and let you win any battle quickly. Some abilities are not really needed for such a simple game, but I appreciate the effort put into this part.
Weapons, armor and their durability are not that logical, they last for a short time. Unfortunately, such an important part is left, like, unfinished or forgotten.
Money... Hm, that's in every loot and there is no need to run around for resources, you get everything with loot eventually.
So overall I'd say that if you just need a little escape from everyday troubles, this game will help you. But if you place the same expectations for all games and think that every game is either perfect or has to try to be perfect - that's not the case.
It's just a cute and original game that won't mix with others in your mind, it's definitely recognizable and I think that author can be proud at least for this thing, because there are so many games that look the same and you cannot tell one from another.
Cavern of Time - recommended!
