The Whispered World

aka: Les Chroniques de Sadwick: The Whispered World
Moby ID: 42211

Description official descriptions

Sadwick is a clown but not a very happy one. He neither likes the circus nor his normal life and is always depressed. In addition, since a few days he's having nightmares. In them, a figure of light predicts that he will be responsible for the destruction of the world. But although Sadwick may not be very happy with his life, he isn't suicidal. So he decides to travel to the king's palace in Corona to prevent the destruction of world - at least that's what he thinks. At his side: the player and his only friend in the world, the caterpillar Spot.

In a traditional point & click-adventure way, the player moves Sadwick around the world, collects everything that isn't nailed to a wall, talks to the various NPCs scattered around the dozen of screens in each of the four acts and ultimately uses everything to solve the many riddles in the game to move the story forward. This includes combining items, dialogue-puzzles and even a few mini-games including a chess-challenge. Spot also plays a big part in solving many riddles, as he can transform himself into five forms. Once the player has unlocked these forms by solving specific riddles during the course of the game, Spot can spit fire, make himself as weighty as a rock or as flat as a fluke which is especially useful, if the player needs someone on the other side of a door. For a short period of time near the end of the game, the player will even take solely control the little fellow.

Although the game features a very detailed comic-graphic it isn't a gagfest but more of a fairy-tale. The humor is subtle and the laughs come mostly from Sadwicks cynical comments and his own misfortune making it a more mature adventure-experience.

Spellings

  • Ускользающий мир - Russian spelling

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164 People (147 developers, 17 thanks) · View all

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Critics

Average score: 81% (based on 43 ratings)

Players

Average score: 4.0 out of 5 (based on 27 ratings with 3 reviews)

Only a clown may save us

The Good
For me personally, one of the most charming games of the last year was "Edna bricht aus", the debut of a newly founded company called Daedalic. Their newest game is entirely different, yet belongs to the same genre. What we have here, is basically a very old-school-like adventure game, which is at the same time a tremendously nice fairy tale.

"The Whispered World" is actually a very fragile place. Many characters you meet are talking about the end, which they suppose is near. Moreover, a prophetess tells Sadwick, the hero of the game, that he will be the cause of the apocalyptic event. The young boy, however, believes he could fight his own fate and goes on a journey to meet the king and prevent the destruction of his world.

Sadwick is, of course, the one you will take control of, when you play the game. Being the newest entry in a long list of antiheroes with leading roles in adventure games, he is part of an unsuccessful travelling circus, that consists of him, his brother Ben and his senile grandfather. Since he is far too clumsy and inept to be anything like a high-wire performer or animal tamer, Sadwick is more or less determined to play the role of the clown – a fate, which he accepts only because he has no choice. Although he is supposed to make people laugh, our young hero is at his heart a very unhappy boy, who suffers under his family and the path they chose for him. His only true friend is a caterpillar by the name of Spot, his sidekick, who follows him everywhere, always smiling, yet never speaking a word. The sad clown and the happy caterpillar: I am tempted to say, that these two characters represent the range of moods, this game has in store.

Of course, there are lots of jokes and funny situations to be found in "The Whispered World". Alone the conversations with Sadwick's confused grandfather are a classic example of comic relief – and not the only one. However, the humor never crosses that line, where it would become a parody. Unlike many other recent adventures, this one treats its story and characters seriously. It's lovely and cheerful, but at the same time a very serious and often even dark fantasy tale, that never breaks the illusion it creates and never sacrifices its bittersweet atmosphere in order to bring those cheap jokes and pop culture references, that other comic adventures throw at you regularly. Although there are many funny scenes in the game, there's always a soft breeze of melancholy and romantic pessimism blowing through it as well. There's a feeling of tragedy, an intuitive knowledge that there's a sad thing going on in this world and that the end of all things is near.

During its best moments, "The Whispered World" really manages to be sad and amusing in the same breath. One of such moments is the one, where Sadwick gets to meet Bando, an unemployed working man, who wistfully recalls those "good old days", when he was still working in a huge factory, that has lately been shut down. In the following dialogue the game really shines. A depressed muscleman who recalls the beauty of shoveling coal in the heat of the furnace is not only funny. The way this character perceives himself as useless, the way he idealizes his past, the way his awareness of the futility of his existence and of life in general has grown since he lost his job – all of that is in some ways quite similar to how people in real life often feel, when they are without employment for a longer period of time. I actually know people, whose fates bear some parallels to that of Bando. And, of course, I'm a fan of fantasy that's trying to mirror our reality. If it is done right, it can make the difference between meaningful and trivial, wise and naive, good and forgettable.

The story of "The Whispered World" actually spans a total of four acts, all of which play at different locations, each one slightly more difficult than the previous one. You control Sadwick with your mouse in a more or less typical adventure fashion. Pressing the space bar shows all the hotspots you can interact with. By clicking on the left mouse button, an annular menu appears, giving you the options look, talk and use/take; a click on the right mouse button shows your inventory. A nice idea is how Sadwick has to make use of his companion Spot to solve some of the game's puzzles. Apart from just being a constantly smiling source of happiness, the little caterpillar is also useful for being able to change the shape of his body. For example, he can swell up to a round ball, which you can use in various situations. He can also change from normal to burning mode: a condition, where he is even able to spit fire. If you want to make progress in the game, Spots various abilities are essential.

Of course, different player types tend to make completely different experiences with one and the same game. However, at least from my point of view the puzzles in "The Whispered World" are very well balanced. There are some exceptions, where the solutions are somewhat strange and a little bit of trial and error is required, but generally speaking the puzzles are logical and quite good. The game is also a lot easier to manage than "Edna bricht aus", since the amount of locations and hotspots has been considerably reduced. Mind you: it is far from being easy – you have to do some tough thinking from time to time. But still I was hardly ever stuck or frustrated, when I played. The game has a good flow.

One of the things, that were often criticized about Daedalic's previous title were the cheap 2D graphics. While I actually belonged to those who liked the weird drawings, one thing can not be debated: "The Whispered World" clearly beats Edna in this regard. The game is still entirely in 2D, but this time it looks so stylish that it's hard to believe, that the same company is standing behind it. The visual style has completely changed to elegantly drawn rooms and landscapes, which look so beautiful, that I almost wanted to print them out and embellish the walls of my home with them. I'm especially fond of the Autumn Forest, which you get to explore in the very first chapter. The scenery is so lovely, so full of wonder, words simply can't describe it.

I mentioned in the beginning of this review, that "The Whispered World" is a very fragile place. The dreamy visuals not only reflect that, they also encourage you to save this world, as you simply will not want such a beautiful place to be destroyed. The end is near, however, and one thing that always reminds you of that is the music. The soundtrack is actually quite minimalistic. Most of the time it is build upon merely three instruments: piano, bassoon and flute. Yet the range of emotions, that music can display, was never limited by the size of the ensemble. The composers did the right thing in writing these discreet musical pieces, mysterious and fragile, just like the world they accompany. The feeling of melancholy, which almost constantly emanates from the game, is also a result of the music, that's for sure.

The Bad
"The Whispered World" does have its share of weaknesses, the biggest of them probably being that the world is so deserted. Some locations would have clearly been in need of more people to communicate with. Take only the village, you are going to visit in the second chapter. How can it be, that there are only two people around? Where is the rest?

It is a general problem of the game, that the world feels too empty. You are taken on a journey to a wide range of different locations, yet these locations are often not as detailed or alive as they could be, if the developers concentrated on a lesser amount. What I missed was some kind of a centre, a place, you would return to from time to time. Such a thing also would have helped to establish some deeper relationships between the hero and some of the supporting characters. As it is, most of them appear only once in the game and are therefore often not far developed.

What's more, the story does have its flaws, too. It does take some quite unexpected turns in the end, but up to that point there are many idle periods without much happening.

The evil guys were also quite disappointing. Maybe these Asgil could have been interesting villains, if they were somewhat ambivalent. However, the way things are, they are nothing but nasty beings with an evil muahahaha-laughter and no morals. Could have been better.

I have already mentioned, that not all of the puzzles are perfect. What I remember right now, is a puzzle in the beginning of the third chapter, where you have to push and pull five levers, until a door opens. A very annoying affair.

In the end, I think I prefer the dirty and insolent humor of Edna to the much more innocent and pleasant style of "The Whispered World". This is a personal thing, however, and it's not even very fair to make this comparison. In their unique ways both games are excellent.

The Bottom Line
I'm quite sure, that Michael Ende's "The Neverending Story" – without any doubt one of the best fantasy novels ever written – had a significant influence on the story of "The Whispered World". The gameplay, on the other hand, is clearly inspired by the adventure classics of LucasArts. The amazing 2D art style, the interface, the absence of dead-ends or ways to die, even the copy protection brings back some memories. From these influences – and their own imagination, of course – the people at Daedalic designed a bittersweet adventure, refreshing and unique, particularly because of its tragicomical spirit. If this game would have been made in the nineties, it might be considered a classic today.

Windows · by micnictic (387) · 2009

A wonderful adventure experience, taking you back to those times, when adventure games were among the best.

The Good
Wonderful, detailed world, difficulty is just about right, Spot is one of the best sidekicks I've ever played with in computer games, terrific soundtrack, not a short adventure by any means.

The Bad
Sadwick can be a bit too annoying with his constant complaining and whining, few of the puzzles were illogical, Sadwick's voice can irritate you, especially in the beginning, when you're not used to it, a few minor bugs that don't affect game-play too seriously.

The Bottom Line
Enter Sadwick, a clumsy, depressed clown that fails at even the most mundane tasks. And yet, he is tortured by nightmares, according to which he is the one who shall cause the end of the world. But, we are not talking about a world, similar to our own. We are talking about a fantasy, beautifully-drawn world, with all those fantasy creatures living in it.

So there, you embark on a quest to stop the world from ending, accompanied by your trusty caterpillar Spot, that changes its shape, to help you solve some puzzles. I'll just say it out loud: if there are a few modern adventure games that take you back in the 90's, this is one of them. The graphics are beautiful, and have that cartoon-like style that we all love. The music is wonderful, and only serves to deepen the fantasy experience that you will face on your quest. The sounds have also been very well done, with a small remark to Sadwick's voice, that is sometimes too irritating, as he constantly complains about things and jokes on his own account, sighs and whines (although most of the comments are funny, sometimes it is just too much whining). The puzzles are just about the right difficulty, and consist mostly of inventory-based puzzles, and using your companion, Spot, to overcome some obstacles.

As you come closer to the conclusion, there are also some more complex puzzles, but nothing that will blast your brains out :). I would also criticize the animations of Sadwick walking, or combining stuff from the inventory with something from the game world, as they sometimes look a bit crappy and absurd. Also, there were some occasions when you'd click on an object, to examine it, or you would make a choice in a conversation, and the subtitles are right, but Sadwick is talking about something completely different. For those that find it too distracting, let's hope a patch will be on its way.

Anyhow, these minor remarks do not reflect on my final opinion of the game itself; a true, classic adventure, sucking you in in its world, and never letting you go, until the conclusion (which some may find it disappointing, but to me, it was ok... I guess :))

Windows · by Nightwalk3r (17) · 2010

A lovely Spot for adventures

The Good
Right in the beginning, the game introduces you to the world you are exploring as a part of a travelling circus. Right from there, the game develops it special atmosphere.

The clown Sadwick and his best friend Spot illustrate the world their own way, which is funny more often than not, and also let them get known to you. Even though Spot never actually says anything, the little caterpillar has got a lot to tell you through the reactions of Sadwick about him.

The plot is serious and there are evil opponents, but they never scare the clown into giving up - which is probably because the completely fearless Spot is with him. Hence the game is adequate for young players.

The hand-drawn graphics and animations are simply beautiful. Especially Spot has numerous animations. The soundtrack fits well to the magical word and keeps itself elegantly in the background. The voice acting is done very well.

The Bad
Some characters, especially the evil ones, are underdeveloped. They are merely there and do what they do. A little bit more of explanation would have done the game well.

If you access your inventory, it always puts itself in the middle of the screen and blocks your sight. You always have to click it away, before you can use your object on the world.

Sometimes the puzzles seemed to be a little odd, and at least once the developers really didn't care to explain. That one sequence was entirely absurd - even Spot didn't had a comment.

Sometimes the game slows down and feels sluggish. Loading times could be better.

The Bottom Line
This game has Spot. He is so cute and funny, you want to play this game only because of him. Very adorable. Sadwick's reserved attitude and Spot's unbreakable confidence play very well together. It is a joy to watch them both.

In the end, you will know why the game title is chosen well.

Windows · by Fabian Schölzel (97) · 2011

Trivia

Copy protection

The German first edition of the game had, in addition to TAGES software copy protection, a set of three twelve-sided dice with symbols instead of numbers. At the start-up of the game, the player was prompted with a picture of these three dice with all sides blank except for two. The center-side facing towards the player is marked with an "?" while one of the others has a symbol on it. The player's task is to use his real dice, turn it around until the side with the corresponding symbol is on the exact position as shown on the screen and then enter the symbol from the side the "?" in the picture is on. Once he has successfully entered all three symbols, the game starts normally. This procedure had to be done at every start-up of the game.

Awards

  • 4Players
    • 2009 – #2 Best Adventure of the Year
    • 2009 – #2 Best Story of the Year

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Sicarius.

Additional contributors: Jeanne, POMAH, PolloDiablo, Klaster_1, Patrick Bregger.

Game added August 29, 2009. Last modified January 29, 2024.