The point-and-click adventure genre is far different today than it was 15 years ago. Where Monkey Island invented the genre with witty dialog, perplexing puzzles, and character development, many copy-cats tried to mimic its grace and style but would always fall short.
The genre would eventually disappear into obscurity as the advent of 3D gaming captivated gamers with interactive virtual worlds. ID’s Doom was the most played FPS (only second to Wolfenstein 3D), and it seemed like the point-and-click genre would never reclaim its prior glory.
As graphic technology advanced, artists began to produce amazing 2D visuals that rivaled anything previously seen on current technology. With this happening, the point-and-click adventure genre began its slow climb to the top. Remakes of popular franchises like Monkey Island began to appear on console systems, and smaller developers like Amanita Design released the award-winning Machinarium to an unsuspecting crowd.
It was no surprise then that game developer, Cateia Games, released Kaptain Brawe: A Brawe New World for MAC/PC. Like all games in the genre, Kaptain Brawe uses a simple point-and-click interface. Click on a location inside of a room and your character, Kaptain Brawe, will walk there.
The same is done for investigating objects and collecting items: by clicking the left mouse button, you can examine an object and / or collect it. A straight forward inventory system allows you to view items and merge them together to solve puzzles.
There is no speech or voice narrative of any kind. This is a bit disappointing considering the production value of Kaptain Brawe. The lack of voice does produce a classic Monkey Island experience, but gamers in this modern age may find this a bit disappointing.
With the aforementioned issue aside, Kaptain Brawe’s story is full of charm and wit. The Kaptain is an egomaniac that believes he can conquer all scenarios on his own, despite lacking better judgement and a morale demeanor. Ensign Krulek – the only crew member of Kaptain Brawe’s vessel – has little-to-no faith in his leader’s abilities.
The characters and story are a refreshing twist to say the very least. As a game, Kaptain Brawe offers plenty of adventure and comical relief for the point-and-click gamer.
The puzzles vary in complexity. In the beginning, Kaptain Brawe has to re-route the power to the translator inside his ship to translate some documents. The puzzle itself requires a series of switches to be thrown in a specific order. After some trial and error, the puzzle can be solved. Later puzzles – like the concession stand employee – has you searching for a special leaf in exchange for a map of a swamp. Once the map is obtained, you have to find a way to cross the swamp from a dock. Games like Kaptain Brawe challenge the mind and it keeps things interesting.
Likewise, the character development is top-notch and the 2D graphics rival anything in recent memory. Old-school gamers will appreciate Kaptain Brawe’s classic approach, but younger gamers may be turned off by the Monkey Island-like game engine and lack of voice narration.
Mike Pittaro
Platform: Mac (Also available for PC)
Specs: Mac OS X 10.4. or higher
(Intel or PPC)
Developer: Cateia Games
Publisher: Cateia Games
Price: $19.99
Kaptain Brawe: A Brawe New World is available on GamersGate
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |  |
| The 2D graphics are lush and vibrant. | |
| Sound |  |
| Aside from the music, there isn't much | |
| Gameplay | |
| Despite being fun, Kaptain Brawe is your typical point-and-click adventure. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Kaptain Brawe is a fun game despite being short. | |
