The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 Review (PC)

excellent
key review info
  • Game: The Book of Unwritten Tales 2
  • Platform: PC
  • Show system requirements
  • Gamepad support: No
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The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 looks wonderful

Germany is a great country. Not only does it produce top-notch board games that require planning and strategy, and not just a lucky dice throw to win, it's also home to some of the best classic point-and-click adventure video game makers.

The Book of Unwritten Tales is a very fine example of a polished and smart modern adventure game that follows the classic design of the genre, and its recently released sequel is another stunning example of a premier adventure experience.

I strongly dislike the modern trend of incorporating quick time events into games, and making them play more like movies that pester you to do something that has no importance whatsoever from time to time, in order to carry on with being non-interactive movies while fooling you that your being there actually matters.

This is unfortunately why I can't get into Telltale's games, as I feel that they are essentially movies that have "click to continue" pop-ups, which is a game-breaking bug.

It's also precisely why I like folks who are stubborn enough to cling on to the way things used to be done and pour their heart out into a game, without concerning themselves with current trends, especially when the classic way is the clearly superior way to do it, because that means that I can actually play the games.

I see what you did there
I see what you did there

Story

The adventure continues from where it left off in the first installment, following the same motley crew of characters, Ivo, Wilbur, Nate and Critter, trying to save the world yet again. Fortunately, you need not worry if you haven't played the first game, as it's its own self-contained thing, with plenty of context offered along the way.

The action is set in the same fantasy world of Aventasia, still suffering from the wounds left by the War of the Two Towers and the machinations of the witch Mortroga, but slowly healing, until a new evil surfaces.

This time around, the all-encompassing darkness that usually devours worlds is replaced by a pink plague, and the heroes have to discover its nature and stop it before it's too late.

Princess Ivo is struggling between pleasing her parents by following tradition and finding her own way in the world, feeling imprisoned in her castle in the elf kingdom.

Wilbur Weathervane, now a professor at the School for Wizardry and Witchcraft, is facing not only irreverent and discriminating pupils but also a web of political intrigue that his new position cast him in.

Nate and Critter have been captured by the infamous Red Pirate, and now they have to find their way to freedom, in the entirely new adventure that developer King Art has brewed.

Not even campy films can escape
Not even campy films can escape

Gameplay

The game kicks off very well, with a rolling credits sequence that also functions as a tutorial, showing you the basic gameplay interactions, complete with a diorama of the world that's clearly inspired by "Game of Thrones'" intro sequence.

The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 plays like you would expect a classic point-and-click adventure video game to - you click on stuff on the screen, things happen, you progress.

The game uses a smart one-click interface that lets you inspect every point of interest on the screen and then interact with the relevant ones without having to fiddle with context menus and so on.

If you want to inspect something again, you can always right-click it, which pretty much solves the biggest problem of the "one touch fits all" approach, as "look at" is the most useful of the actions, oftentimes revealing helpful hints.

You can also highlight all the interactive points on the screen by pressing space, so you don't have to play the old trial-and-error game of the early '90s.

Thankfully, that doesn't mean that it's all business and no fun. As expected, the game is heavily loaded with spoof and references crafted for your viewing/listening pleasure, from the great classics of the adventure genre to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, World of Warcraft, and Terry Pratchett's novels.

It's a very solid game, and truth be told, it would be a difficult task to find better alternatives to it in the genre

One of the biggest achievements of the game's creators is the fact that the game feels so fresh, in spite of the fact that it's basically a story we've all heard before, or rather several stories we've heard before with some slight twists, all bunched up together.

Many times, it's not the actual essence of things we remember or take note of, but their style, and King Art has done a wonderful job in this regard.

It's a very solid game, and truth be told, it would be a difficult task to find better alternatives to it in the genre, but it's not without its share of tiny disappointments and issues.

One of the things that irked me most was the fact that puzzles are sometimes too obtuse. I don't know whether it's an homage to the illogical puzzles of the genre's glorious past or simply a bad design decision, but some of the things you have to do aren't readily apparent, or betrayed by contextual hints.

Fortunately, that doesn't happen very often, as the focus is more on following the story and enjoying the dialogues, and less on actual puzzle solving.

The placement and color of the subtitles can again hamper your experience, as the text appears directly above the character doing the talking, and it sometimes lacks legibility due to there being not enough contrast between its odd choice of color and the background.

An abundance of references
An abundance of references

Characters sometimes suffer from weird animations and stiff expressions, but they compensate through body language, and the pathfinding algorithm may backfire a couple of times before the protagonist gets to where he or she is supposed to, and there is no way to review past conversations, which is especially annoying when you skipped them by mistake.

In any case, those minor grievances melt away when you are faced with powerful mages that go on live-action role-playing vacations, in order to realize their adventurous dreams of being an accountant that is stuck in traffic, when you see an ent smoking his own leaves, and the satirical portrayal of the election system, as well as the many jabs at today's entertainment media, presented through a series of original and lovable characters.

One of the game's greatest strengths is this wonderful world full of vibrant characters that feel very relatable and plausible, even when they're zombies trying to combat stereotypes, and the magic of discovering them is a big part of the entire gameplay experience.

Digging for gold
Digging for gold

Sound and visuals

Adventure games usually don't have high production values, because people come to them first and foremost for the stories, for a solid and engaging experience, and are oftentimes willing to ignore technical faults and the like.

As for The Book of Unwritten Tales 2, that's not the case, as everything looks great and the brilliant artistic direction translates into a lot of beautiful set pieces, with vibrant colors and a ton of detail.

Everything looks smooth, and the overall cartoonish styling fits the humorous tone of the game like a glove.

The world is fully fleshed, bathed in color and full of personality, with each of the locales having its own theme and powerful atmosphere, adding a ton of variety to the visual experience.

The delightful visuals are complemented by a great selection of music, with orchestral scores punctuating your actions and making each of the fantastic realms you visit come alive.

The voice acting is another aspect in which The Book of Unwritten Tales shines, having a tremendous impact on how you perceive the game, making you get lost in its witty banter and further drawing you in.

Sure, there are times when the dialogue is delivered in a manner that is lacking the full context of the scene, as if the actors had no idea what was going on on-screen, but for the most part it sounds just fine.


The Good

  • Excellent writing
  • Great visuals
  • Very humorous
  • Colorful characters
  • Good music
  • Loads of personality

The Bad

  • Some bugs
  • Stiff animations
  • Obtuse puzzles

Conclusion

Needless to say, if you liked the first installment, you're going to love The Book of Unwritten Tales 2. If you like adventure games in general, this is one you can't afford to miss.

It's got good puzzles, some of which may be a bit too obtuse, and a very lighthearted overall tone, as well as a ton of wit and some loving pop culture references to enjoy, as well as an interesting storyline to follow.

It doesn't take itself too seriously and packs loads of humor of all kinds, from crass to absurd and even slapstick, but the most important thing is that you can see all the love that went into its making.

In many ways, it's like a playable Terry Pratchett book, with the same charm and sense of whimsy, making it a pleasure to play through. The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 is a glorious testament to the fact that the point-and-click adventure genre did not have its glory days somewhere in the past, but instead is very much alive and kicking in the present.

story 9
gameplay 8
concept 10
graphics 9
audio 9
multiplayer 0
final rating 9
Editor's review
excellent
 

The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 screenshots (21 Images)

The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 looks wonderfulI see what you did thereNot even campy films can escapeAn abundance of referencesDigging for gold
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