Wik & the Fable of Souls

The Good
Wik and the Fable of Souls wakes memories of the good old arcade days when games were tests of skill taking place within a single screen. Gameplay emphasizes the quick assessing of situations and reacting accordingly: Wik, the hero, must save baby grubs from pesky critters by herding them towards the Slotham, a collector moving slowly from one end of the screen towards the other, thus serving as a level's time limit. If too many grubs are lost to critters or Slotham wanders offscreen before a set amount of grubs is saved, Wik loses the level. Controls are straightforward and simple. The mouse cursor determines in which general direction Wik will move or flick his frog-like tongue, one mouse button controls his leaps, the other his sticky tongue. As simple as these controls may seem, a manageable variety of onscreen objects provides differing challenges. Wik must fend off flying critters which swoop down to carry away the grubs, either by using his tongue to snatch grubs out of harms way or by gathering up inanimate objects or other critters which can be spat at enemies. To reach higher levels, players must attach Wik's tongue to solid objects and swing from them, carefully controlling the swing momentum to reach desired destinations. A separate challenge mode lets experienced players use this feature to solve advanced puzzles involving action-packed acrobatics. Wik and the Fable of Souls trains players' concentration, skill and general overview, adding puzzles and even strategic elements as each level's mechanics must be understood, manipulated and its various threats calculated. Graphics and sound are unusually atmospheric for a casual action/puzzle game.

The Bad
Even though the strictly 2D presentation of Wik and the Fable of Souls is well above average, the game's story (yes, there is one) is told merely through simple text messages at the beginning of each level. The player character himself is set apart by his abilities, not his personality. In terms of story and character presentation, more might have been possible and would have added significant flavor to the protagonist and his mysterious world. It should also be noted that the overall soundtrack, while atmospheric, is a little repetitive, as are some of the rendered backgrounds.

The Bottom Line
Addictive action/puzzle game, set in a palpable surrounding instead of an abstract game area and featuring a hero with unusual abilities. Great craftsmanship and game design.