Windows

Callahan's Crosstime Saloon

Do you have what it takes to be Jake Stonebender? Can you trick the gods and solve all the riddles without help? Do you have the courage, brains and abilities needed? Find out. The task is not simple - but then again, saving the universe never is.

Такие игры, как Callahan's Crosstime Saloon, появляются не часто и, хотя не претендуют на "технологический" или любой иной прорыв, запоминаются надолго, и остаются любимыми. Несмотря на то что и "играть по-разному" нельзя, и загадки решаются обычно одним-единственным способом.

Unser stellvertretende Chefredakteur Philip Paisnel treibt sich in dunklen Spelunken herum, hängt nur noch mit den schrägsten Typen ab und rettet ab und zu das Universum. Der Mann paßt ins Power-Team!

Callahan's won't impress those who expect breakthroughs in animation or visual effects; even full-motion video is all but absent from this game. But for me, and others like me who value playability, story, and intelligence above ocular diabetes, Callahan's is a find. Just gimme a book next time, OK?

Even if you know Long Island like the back of your hand, you're bound to miss Callahan's Crosstime Saloon, an unassuming place tucked into the woods on a quiet stretch of Route 25A. I would have missed it myself if a friend hadn't pointed it out. It's not a well-known establishment but it draws its fair share of loyal eccentrics, and Mike Callahan and his patrons wouldn't have it any other way. The first night I stepped into Callahan's, I was greeted by a regular named Jake Stonebender, a long-haired folk singer dressed in plaid flannel. He bought me a drink and invited me to stick around for what promised to be a rowdy Riddle Night. Jake, as it turned out, was on the verge of a busy night himself, and I was lucky enough to tag along for the ride.

For classic adventure game fans, reared on the "use the mayonaise from the sandwich to extract the key from the keyhole" style of gaming, Callahan's Crosstime Saloon (CCS) provides a breath of fresh air, blowing away all those stale Myst-style static puzzle games. Although the writing is sometimes uneven, the dialogue occasionally tedious, and the puzzles, well... devious, this is still one of the better adventure games to come along in recent years.

This is a typical case of 'love it or hate it' - either you get it or you don't. The game is still an experience I would recommend - however, it seems to have a very limited target audience on counts of both gameplay and contents. You know these diagrams with two circles overlapping? Not sure how large this area is for this game. If you're outside, you'll notice very quickly, but you might still enjoy it - I did.

Außer Tresten nix gewesen: Schulenglisch-Gebildete scheitern bereits am ersten Rätsel und kommen nicht einmal aus der Kneipe heraus. Wer's trotzdem schafft oder im Hintbook spickt, wird im weiteren Verlauf mit brillianten Wortspielereien und trockenem Humor verwöhnt, daß es nur so aus dem Lautsprecher staubt. Nicht ganz einfach und nur für Legend-Erfahrene empfehlenswert!

Spider Robinson's tongue-in-cheek writing rarely elicits the laughter it deserves.

Der Abschuß ist das Wortpuzzle am Anfang, bei dem mal egal ist, wie man was reinschreibt, dann aber wieder völlig logische Einträge ungültig sind. Ohne Lösungsheft wäre das Abenteuer für die meisten zu Ende, ehe es richtig angefangen hat, da man um dieses Rätsel nicht herumkommt. Für einen solchen Patzer sind drei Sterne zwar noch gnädig, aber weil es danach ganz brauchbar weitergeht, auch gerechtfertigt.

It had to happen. Legend Entertainment had to disappoint me sometime! Predictably, it's in the area of humor. I have long admitted a bias against games that rely heavily on humor. I know it's a personal failing, but I just seem to get my humor from other places. In a game I prefer mystery, intrigue, exploration, history, or even horror.