Casual RPG Puzzle adventure
I love RPG’s, especially medieval fantasy. My RPG gaming virginity was broken by Ultima 7. The game play and humour was phenomenal especially finding characters based off of my childhood favourites, Mr Ed, Laurel & Hardy, Three Stooges, ect. My one special moment in the game was a locked house in the middle of a forest, once inside there was a Pirate, at a computer (which was playing the EA logo), doing something nefarious. Suddenly he stops, turns off the computer and screams at me “I’m not pirating games!” I laughed for days. Never have I ever player a game to equal Ultima, even the recent Elder Scrolls offerings, with their superb graphics and game play still seem to pale in comparison.
I never got into the Zelda series, mostly because it was on those strange devices called a console. (BACK Satan! BACK I say!) And the graphics struck me as ‘childish’, compared to a PC. Now in my older days I wonder, ‘what if’?
Stargazer Christmas is a RPG Puzzler in the form and fashion of the original Nintendo ‘Legend of Zelda’ games. Top down, isometric view of the game world with cute little character spirits as the player and population. The main cast are, John Wizard (the game maker himself), Harvey and Aurora, two of his own game creations and Mel an accidental guest from the meddling of John’s nemesis, John Naught.
John Wizard suspects his nemesis, John Naught, is up to no good (again) with intentions to destroy Christmas (and John M’s new game release). One major problem is Santa Claus. Good old Saint Nick pillows into the ground after the Sledge is sabotaged (I bet it was Betty White, that smile of hers, it’s not cheer but an evil devious grin). In the aftermath, it is revealed that Santa’s amnesia is because he has lost his three alter egos, each being a nasty side of the big guy in red (explains why he never recognise me when I go from shop to shop).
Also in your quest to unite the Santa’s, you are given the obligatory side quests from npc’s around town. These will range from finding tree decorations, to acquiring Christmas gifts for peoples pets.
Most of the game play is puzzles of one kind or another, and thankfully they are not cryptic abstract ones (Oh, I see, so I needed to catch the cat in the painting on the ceiling to retrieve the rope to tie to my leg so I can climb out of the cupboard, WTF?!). One example is to roll up some snow into a ball and roll it over camp fires that are blocking your way. Another requires you to rotate peoples presents to the right recipient by questioning the receiver of the gift, what they would like for Christmas.
All movement can be done by mouse click alone, but be careful, this suffers from the jumps, so instead of moving a rock out of the way, you could end up walking into a vat of boiling caramel toffee (I jump to my death willingly, by the way, is it non-fat salt free?). So use arrow key for most movement around the environment.
Music is a good selection of Christmas tunes that are enjoyable but are ten thousand decibels too high, making you turn them off (there is no turning them down except via your own sound card), unfortunately some of your puzzles require you to have music on (Hey, I’m dumb, not deaf!!).
The story line is funny and very well done, not Oscar material but better that some out there. And your travelling companions banter can get a bit monotonous but other times it is gaming gold.
Graphics is a pre-3d Zelda clone so there is no ooohs or aahs there and the UI is clean and intelligent but if this turns you off, then it sucks to be you, go and play with your pocket protector.
Other than a doggy mouse pointer and ear bleeding loud chorals, the only other frustrating thing is the standard RPG “Where the *%#@ is he” Syndrome. You know it, we have all been there, the one where you get a quest from a person, you eventually find their quest item but then you can not, for the life of you, find the person ever again. Yea that problem, you will get that here too and there is little help at hand to find said missing persons (At the moment I have an APB out for a guy with a Honey Badger. Calling all cars, calling all cars! Adam 12 where are you).
All in all John Wizard has put together a rather enjoyable (and sometimes frustrating) casual RPG that will give you hours of fun. And you don’t need the Yule tide holiday as an excuse to play it. Why not pop Stargazer Christmas it into someone’s socks for next Christmas, you will be a hit.
