Developer: inkle Ltd. Cape Guy Ltd
Publisher: inkle Ltd
Rrp: £6.99 (Steam, Humblebundle) and £7.79 (Gog.com)
Released: 29th September 2015
Available on: Steam, Humblebundle and Gog.com
Played Using: Mouse and Keyboard
The book ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’ by Jules Verne, has been adapted numerous times. Its a play, a film, a radio show, several different television shows (including one cartoon where Phileas Fogg was renamed Willy Fog and was a lion in a suit and top hat) and now its a video game.
How to describe this game?
The best I can come up with is that it’s part RPG, part choose your own adventure, part visual novel and part simulator. Its a strange mix but it works well. You take on the role of Jean Passeportout, Phileas Fogg’s valet. As such its your job to attend to your masters’ needs, plan and pack for journeys and all manner of other tasks. As the games title (and the original source material) implies you have eighty days to traverse the globe. It isn’t a wholly faithful retelling of the classic story due to the interactive nature of video games. The developers have also taken a few liberties with the source material by giving it what they call in the blurb ‘a steampunk twist’.
You start with a limited amount of funds and of course time, which you will have to carefully manage. There are ways to get more money such as buying materials in one locale to sell in another or you can visit a bank. However, visiting a bank costs precious time.
As you perform tasks such as planning trips, packing cases, shopping or even deciding what to do the time passes in real time, so you really do have eighty days. This isn’t always the case though, staying in hotels, travelling and a few other activities are sped up and conversations or exploring the city have the time stopped (although exploring costs a certain amount of time regardless of what you do).
You discover more routes by conversing with people on your journey and through events that occur while exploring the cities you visit. Conversations also give information that can help you, like where to sell certain things at a good rate.
As you play your stats (which are hidden from you) will change based upon the choices you make and you’ll be making a hell of a lot of them. Your masters health is also tied into these stats and needs to be maintained. It’s up to you to making sure you have the appropriate clothing for the situation and to keep him well groomed… I mean he is a dapper Victorian gentleman after all, can’t be looking shabby and all that.
This is an experience that no other medium could perform quite as well. As much as I love reading a book, it can’t compare to actually having to plan the journey, find out information, manage the statuses of your relationship and keep and eye on the funds. I feel this game gives a whole new experience and really allows you to appreciate the trepidation of the characters.
I don’t think I could recommend this more the writing is on point and really sold the experience to me, its especially impressive when you realise how many different scenarios the writers must have had to create. All in all though, it’s a fantastic game, one that I totally plan to get on my tablet.
If this appeals to you perhaps try;
