The Wardrobe is a recently released click tip that I had the chance to play this Christmas with my girlfriend; her sister thought of giving it to her and we literally melted it during the holidays just passed.
The thing that immediately struck me about the title was its being a genuinely español product. I never imagined that there were homegrown production houses, in this case the Cynical, who tried their hand at making video games with a "so ancient" methodology, and this was a reason for me to Surprise.
The second thing that struck me a lot was the way in which it was decided to set up the theme of the game in a cynical and light-hearted way, managing to snatch more than a smile from the player who approaches it; it is clear how “Night of Roasted Moths” and the irony of its protagonist Tony Tough have made school for these guys. If you are perplexed by the names I have just pitted, well, I will just tell you that it is the title of another tipeclicca that I played now more than ten years ago with my girlfriend at the time (curious how you play this genre of videogames always and only with my girls).
The third thing that surprised me is the amount of quotes present during the adventure. The game is literally packed with them and they all refer, always and in any case, to whatever could be even remotely comparable to the Nerd subculture. However, I will come back to this point later.
The fourth thing that stuck with me is there difficulties. Guys it is difficult for me not to be able to solve a puzzle and here, it pains me to admit it, I had a hard time. Difficulties that I did not like at all but which I will be able to return to shortly. In fact, I think I am running too fast, since I have not even told you what this title is about and I am already at the end of my speech and why you irremediably associate this title with Anger rather than the Surprise, then REWIND.
The Wardrobe tells the story of two dear friends: Ronald and Skinny.
The first images - splendid images, really - are dedicated to explaining the background, that is why there is a skeleton on the cover as the protagonist. This is Skinny, who died on a picnic with his partner Ronald due to an undiagnosed plum allergy offered by the latter, now forced to live secretly inside his friend's closet as a skeleton. Hence the title of the game.
Skinny has long been aware of the danger that hangs over Ronald but, for one reason or another, he never wanted / could set it apart: in fact, if within 5 years of his death Skinny does not force Ronald to "reveal" his crimes - having killed him - the soul of the brotherly friend will be irremediably and eternally damned.
Yes, I know, it's a great classic but The Wardrobe has been able to decline this cliché in a different way: Ronald is in fact not guilty, given the allergy that caused his friend's death he was unknown to anyone, and Skinny wants to avoid with all his perhaps that his bestfriend is a victim of this sad fate.
How nice: finally fraternal love between friends is placed at the center of a game, the most interesting leitmotiv that I have been perceiving for some time in a graphic adventure that finally today puts the magnifying glass on something that too often takes for granted : the value of a friendship.
Admirable my dear Cynical, admirable! Well done.
But then, if The Wardrobe I liked it so much because if it comes to my mind I get so angry that I feel compelled to put it in the section Anger of my emotions rather than that of Surprise? Soon said.
As I mentioned above, I perceived two really negative notes in the game. One is purely my aesthetic taste and therefore can be shared or not, the other is a defect which cannot fail to be highlighted for a type of game like this: point and click.
Do you remember all those games of Monkey Island, Indiana Jones, Broken Sword, etc.? Good. They all have a premise "using everything with everything is not a good way to complete a graphic adventure" (thanks Tony Tought for this sublime statement, I treasured it as you see). Here you are, The Wardrobe unfortunately it forces us to use everything with everything to move forward or worse ... try your hand at finding a solution on the internet.
Pure madness. In fact, if in the first part of the game - dedicated to having one's wardrobe loaded onto the van that is moving Ronald's house - all in all this maxim is respected and mixes well with citations of other products, read the huge sleeping tramp who obstructs the exit and that we should wake up to make him go away (I hear Snorlax say there, at the back of the room: yes, you are right), it is incomprehensible how and why in the second part of the game - always have the wardrobe brought to the new house by Ronald, after this is disposed of in the landfill - all of that disappear.
We will therefore find ourselves in front of riddles that must be solved in such a way that defining "creative" is an understatement, greatly undermining the fun of the player who will find himself repeatedly forced to ask himself "but why the hell should such a thing work?" I won't dwell on these clues in case you want to play it - I hate spoilers - but I'm sure that you too at some point will find yourself forced to ask yourself the question "is it right that I consult a guide to finish this title?"
I am sure it was not the intention of the Cynical leaning so much towards a similar direction while increasing the difficulty of the game but I really can't find any explanation for this. So here's where mine comes from Anger and my frustration, from
A) not being able to understand the subtlety of the riddle of the moment.
B) be forced to resort to a guide to know how the game ends.
Fortunately, the ending takes care of raising the spirit, showing us one of the best Happy Endings of recent times, so strong that even someone like me can move.
In conclusion I consider The Wardrobe an excellent product but which unfortunately missed the opportunity to be coherent with itself - being a graphic adventure - perhaps dwelling too much on quotations, sometimes exasperating to say the least. The orgy of references in which you will find yourself navigating, if initially it can be fun and invite a player to try to discover them all, in the long run it is tired and raises a big question that reads roughly like this “was it really necessary to ALSO put this here? ". If these, in fact, have an implication in the alternation of history such as that dedicated to Laurel & Oil and the aforementioned vagabond, in others they do not find a place or even are annoying: an example of the latter case is the insistence with which Donnie's rabbit Darko will tell us how much time is left to the end of the world every time we enter the house of the Halloween party.
Funny the first, nice the second and third, very annoying from the 30th time onwards.
So dear friend, I'm telling you as a friend, if you want to get closer to The Wardrobe, which is a feast for the eyes and is fun and it is beautiful to play and to discover, put your soul in peace and know right away that you may find it frustrating in some of its passages.
