Ever since Telltale Games 1.0 brought adventure games back to the mainstream in 2006 with Sam and Max Season 1 (Save the World), the adventure game genre has seen a relative number of releases in the 16 years since. Whether they are true graphic adventure games by developers like Double Fine or more QTE styled choice games like The Walking Dead, the demise and resurrection of Telltale Games did little to stop the floodgates they opened way back when.
Latest in this trend of adventure games is Whateverland, by developer Caligari Games. Cast as a thief named Vincent in a heist gone wrong, you are sentenced by the rich witch owner of the estate you burgled to spend what seems to be eternity in a destination from her own imagination. Dubbed “Whateverland” by its residents, this is like the Island of Dr. Moreau on steroids. There is basically every assortment of character you could ask for here. A performer slowly turning into a ghost, a poet turned into a raven, a mad scientist, people begging for the sweet release of death to escape a purgatory, suave and savvy nightclub owners and bar patrons – it is a who’s who of the strange and freakish, and they all share the same thing in common – they pissed off that witch royally!
What makes Whateverland such a unique take on the genre is the amount of content and choice present in it. Not only does the game make choice a primary component (in fact, sticking to your thieving roots may be cause for alarming changes, just as they are with other characters stuck in this limbo), it frequently grants the opportunity through dialogue and action with its vast cast. If that is not choice enough for you in an adventure game, you also have access to close to twenty minigames, introduced in various ways, and often not all available to play on a single playthrough. Want to play a game of hex-tiled soccer with gas-masked spiders? Whateverland has you covered!
Perhaps what I enjoy most about the game is its setting, atmospherically rich and entrancing in its backgrounds and ability to go almost anywhere. I recently watched the original King Kong, and it is a masterpiece of a movie for many reasons, but one is its incredible backgrounds that bring your thoughts and fantasies to life, and I feel a similar way with Whateverland. You can sometimes just stop and stare in the distance to see what things look like, watch events unfurl, or just drift away unto thought.
Overall, Whateverland is another excellent entry into the genre, filled with plenty of depth, replayability, minigames with great distraction potential and character, and a story with a lot of attention paid to its characters and dialogue. You cannot ask for more from a game like this, and if you think so, then…whatever man!
9/10
Whateverland is available for PC for $19.99 via Steam.
Related: Reviews by Matt O’Toole
Your local neighborhood nutjob, gamer, and teacher! I'm an avid fan of many genres such as platformers, shooters, horror, etc. I am also an avid tabletop gamer - hugely into the worlds of Warhammer and all of their spinoffs. I'm a big believer in being objective - even if something is not my cup of tea, I want to talk about it on the objective level - is it well made, crafted with love, and with care for the fans? If so, that's a good game in my book for someone and well worth their hard earned dollarydoos!
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