Summary
Kids and adults of all countries, unite!
The Good
You know those really good books for children that stay with your for your whole life, like best childhood friends? Books like
Winnie the Pooh or
Karlsson-on-the-Roof or
Hobbit? Well, "Torin's Passage" is a lot like those books. Frankly, I didn't like it so much the first time I played it. But that was because I was young and stupid. Now I'm old and at least smart enough to enjoy a video game that doesn't necessarily feature occult Christian references or sexy hand-drawn babes in bikini. Wait, actually "Torin's Passage" has one. A babe in bikini, not an occult Christian reference.
Anyway. What I wanted to say is that "Torin'" was supposed to be a game for children. Well, it can be considered as such, but it is definitely not a toothless, harmless, semi-didactic fairy tale (cough...
King's Quest... cough!..). No, it has pepper. But fear not, there are no toilet jokes or sex or something.
Al Lowe knew what he was doing here, and this game just proves how much taste this guy had. You thought he could only make dirty jokes like in
Larry or
Freddy Pharkas? Nope. His jokes in "Torin" are sweet, but sometimes, when you least expect it, he just shows you his sharp teeth. I laughed like crazy in the second world, during the conversation with this stupid king and his sarcastically minded wife. So once again, it's like a good book for children. Most of the humor will make a child smile, but from time to time it's like a "wink, wink!" thing that makes an adult smile even more broadly.
"Torin" actually has a solid, developed story with many hilarious characters. Gotta love this old Jewish guy who needs a pillow! The worlds are colorful and imaginative. The hero is likable and generally cool. It plays like a really, really good fairy tale.
As an adventure game, "Torin" is surprisingly demanding. Holy cows, I still remember the time I spent assembling that head. I used all my creative power and imagination, and finally, after hours of practicing, my girlfriend came and solved it for me. As a matter of fact, I honestly think "Torin" has the
best puzzles of any Sierra game. That's not saying much, I know. If Sierra games had a weak point, it was most definitely their puzzles. But honestly, the puzzles in "Torin" are rock-solid, challenging, versatile, and satisfying in every way. Loved that leprechaun choir-conducting! And what's really great is the hint system. You can trade the points you accumulate in the game for hints. Then you just restore a saved game already knowing the solution and keep the points.
The production values here are what you'd expect from a Sierra game. Beautiful cartoony graphics,
awesome animation (every movement is splendidly animated); the drawings are sometimes absolutely hilarious, and the game is a joy just to look at. Voice acting is a bit cheesy, but it's cool this way!
But what is really outstanding in "Torin" is the music. I heard it was done by
Michel Legrand. Think of it. Michel Legrand! "What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life"? "Watch What Happens"? These are jazz standards! I play them almost every day! Even if it's not Legrand, it's pretty damn close in quality. The melodies are unbelievably catchy. Orchestration, harmonization - everything is beyond reproach. You
have to listen to this music. It's great.
The Bad
The only thing I don't dig in "Torin" is the interface. It has one of those "smart cursors" which chooses the action for you. So all you can do is click on things. You can't choose a verb or something. This, for me, is a violation of one of the top adventure game commandments:
let the player try things. I don't want to say bad things about this game, but it would've been even better with a proper interface.
Larry 7 had the same engine and the best adventure interface ever. Pity "Torin" couldn't have it.
The Bottom Line
Sweet, but not cheesy; child-like, but not childish; simple, but not simplistic: "Torin's Passage". Entertaining and challenging as an adventure game, with top-notch production values and special kind of humor that you would sometimes find in great children literature, "Torin's Passage" is yet another awesome creation by good old
Sierra.
And it has tunes by Michel Legrand! Maybe they will make a game with Thelonious Monk's music some day?..
