Review code provided by the publisher
I’ve lately had an obsession with point and click games. I recently reviewed the new console releases of The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav and Memoria which really started to make me think about those Humongous Entertainment games like Putt-Putt and Pajama Sam. Then it landed in my lap, a chance to try out the new family point-and-click adventure, Henry Mosse and the Wormhole Conspiracy. It promised a diverse cast of characters set in a wonderful sci-fi world surrounding a massive conspiracy. Luckily, Henry Mosse perfectly fits itself in a space between both the Humongous games and The Dark Eye series, creating a fun outerspace adventure with a flourishing world to explore.
Story
Henry Mosse’s story revolves around the titular character, Henry Mosse as he mistakenly finds himself at the center of a galaxy-wide conspiracy. He and his mother, as well as some side characters, set out through the stars to find the answers and solution to bring peace across the galaxy once and for all. I really enjoyed being introduced to the Mosse family and their transporting company. There’s always great details that you as a player are able to pull out of just about any character you come across. Just in the story alone, it makes me hope that we see the Mosse family on another adventure soon.
Gameplay
While this is a point-and-click adventure, this isn’t something as difficult or mature as The Dark Eye series but isn’t as easy or adolescent as most Humongous’ games. It’s somewhere in the middle. The majority of the game will, of course, have you clicking around scenes and finding objects or characters to interact with. Talking to other inhabitants of the planets that you explore can give backstory to themselves, other characters, hints on how to overcome an obstacle, or just make small-talk.
Interacting with items around each location plays out in a stand point-and-click fashion. You can place them in your inventory, combine them, or interact with them if they’re an environmental object. Doing this will help you overcome obstacles or could even be part of a puzzle. Finding the solution to problems can oftentimes prove to be difficult.
Even for a family game, this can be a head-scratcher every once in a while. Luckily, Henry has a trusty pair of goggles which help to show you what can be interacted with within each area. This was an awesome tool to have at my disposal when I seemed to get stuck or wasn’t sure what is in the foreground. It doesn’t do much past that but it does enough to warrant its inclusion.
My favorite aspect of the game though has to be its puzzles. They’re extremely fresh and help in mixing up the gameplay a bit. They all tend to operate differently from each other as well so that there aren’t any repeats. It gives some refreshment throughout the game and also something new to learn. I really wouldn’t have minded seeing even more of them pop up.
I’d also like to highlight the great simplicity of the controls. You can use any of three different control schemes that can be keyboard, mouse, or controller. No matter what you choose, the controls are extremely easy to learn and really simple. Having the choice of how you want to experience the world Is very important and it’s nice to see that the developers at Bad Goat understand this, great job!
Overall, I feel that the gameplay is in a perfect spot for who it was developed for. This is a great title for parents to show to their kids and vice-versa. It’s challenging but rewarding when you complete its various obstacles and puzzles. I really wish there were more games that were like this available to play. The majority of family games these days are usually just the party ones.
Visuals
This is a beautifully created game that embraces a whimsical color-palette to coat its unique planets. Everything has an eye-popping look to it. From the areas you’ll investigate to the characters within, nothing is drab. I adore the 50s art-style and its callbacks to that space-race vibe of the times. It’s just a fun looking game from its start to its big finish.
Audio
I was pleasantly surprised by the full voice cast throughout the game. Everyone gives a great performance and brings their characters to life organically. The sounds and music throughout the story also help to bring the experience full-circle.
Replayability
Henry Mosse and the Wormhole Conspiracy offers as much replayability as you want to take from it. It’s a gorgeous world filled with great and deep characters with fun puzzles layered throughout. Do I think this is worth playing more than once? Absolutely, especially if you’re a parent that wants to play it with your kids.
What It Could Have Done Better
I do find that there are some instances that there could be more instruction. While I didn’t have too much trouble as a grown man, I think that children might find themselves stuck because of the difficulty. More instruction would really do the trick. Besides that, there really isn’t much that can be said “negatively” about this title.
Verdict
For the crowd of gamers like myself who majorly grew up on point-and-click games, it’s amazing to see them still being developed for kids and families alike. If you’re someone who misses them and wants something that’s a bit challenging and beautiful to look at, then you gotta give this one a try. If you’re a parent looking for something fun and new, you absolutely have to try this. Especially if this is something that you want to enjoy with your kids, it’s a great choice. There’s just something about games of this genre that always stand the test of time.
