14 DAY TRIAL // 
Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion is a game mainly aimed at people watching the current series running on Cartoon Network, but I have to say that I enjoyed it even if I wouldn’t call myself a fan.
If you’re a kid, you probably watch a lot of cartoons, some of which are on Cartoon Network. And you probably don’t feel there is anything different or weird about that content. If you’re an adult, you will most likely utter stuff like “Cartoons are no what they used to be” and “This makes no sense.”
If you turn on Cartoon Network, even for a short time, things won’t make much sense. That’s true especially if you were born before 1990. I feel the same way about present-day cartoons, and I must admit that they’re not as attractive as they were.
But, on the other hand, the cartoons that we were watching back in the day (Oh my God, it sounds like I’m really old) were violent, with lots of explosions. I don’t think I would let my kids watching that kind of stuff today.
Cartoons have evolved tremendously, and Adventure Time is definitely part of the new culture. It’s a show that’s been running for the past ten years, so they must have been doing something right. It’s usually about ridiculous plots and features over the top characters, but the thing that’s probably the most interesting is that it employs dark humor and irony.
The dialogues and stories seem to have a second layer that’s directed at people that can actually understand what’s going on. Either that or the six-year-olds today are a lot smarter than we think them to be.
Story and gameplay
I followed the story in Adventure Time loosely, and I can’t say that I’m up to speed. In fact, I tend to think that Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion is aimed at people who know a lot about the series.
On the other hand, I still managed to get into the groove and enjoy it, even if I didn’t know much about the story. The presentation is simple, and the developers figured out that gamers only need a mystery to move things along, and Pirates of the Enchiridion follows that to the letter.
Players get to meet the characters, Finn and Jake, relaxing and watching the stars. Everything is fine, but they fall asleep and wake up the second day in the middle of a sea or lake. Almost the entire land of Ooo is under water. It’s not clear what’s happening, but they soon find out that the Ice King melted some ice and, out of despair, threw his crown away.
In an effort to make the world back as it was, Jake and Finn will try to recover the crown. They will travel all over the world and meet all the familiar characters that people loved. It’s not a long game, and if you invest enough time in the side quests, you will probably get about 15 hours.
It’s surprising given the size of the map, which might make players believe that there are getting a ton of content. But, as beautiful as the map is, it’s also small. Moving from one land to another takes little time, and the few pirates that you’re going to encounter along the way won’t present a major problem.
And this takes us to the actual gameplay itself, which is a weird combination of third-person platformer and turn-based fighting. When you’re moving around in the world you’re either in a boat, collecting stuff flowing in the water, or you’re on land, doing missions and gathering money and resources.
[GHALLERY=11-17]
I have to say that money is everything in Adventure Time Pirates of the Enchiridion. It governs all of the upgrades, so most of the time you’ll try to find things to break. Pretty much everything that will break has some sort of a reward, such as money, food, or potions.
Also, it’s worth noting that these objects seem to appear again after a while, so you can roam around, maximizing everything in a short while. Both Finn and Jake gain levels from fighting enemies and doing quests, so you’ll always be on the hunt for resources.
Players need to upgrade their heroes, and that includes regular attributes and special powers. It’s very important because the enemies become increasingly more powerful and adept at using their own powers. The only thing that counts is keeping your characters up to par.
By far, the most exciting aspect of the gameplay is the fighting, and the main reason why that is true is that it’s the only part that’s not boring, and doesn’t imply grinding away. Also, the AI seems to be balanced in such a way that it offers quite a challenge in the later parts of the game. While it’s easy to defeat them in the beginning, with just regular sword hits, it soon becomes obvious more complex strategies must be employed.
Besides the main storyline, players will also encounter some other characters that will give them sidequests, but usually, they have small rewards and are not worth the time spent on them. In fun to do them, sometimes, but there is no good incentive.
Players will also notice from the start that some items such as chests and special doors need specialized equipment to open them. For example, locked chests require a special ax. Some doors have digital locks, so another piece of equipment is needed. It adds an extra layer of complexity, but it’s a really thin one.
I forgot to say that both Finn and Jake can be controlled, one at a time, each with their own moves and skills. Although to be fair, I played most of the time with Finn since he’s the one breaking all the stuff for money. Jake is useful because he transforms into a motorcycle and it’s much quicker to get around more extensive areas.
The last thing I need to mention is the interrogation mechanic. It’s not difficult to play through, and it’s almost impossible to fail. It makes for some nice levity moments.
Graphics and sound
Adventure Time Pirates of the Enchiridion is drawn and animated in a very similar way to the cartoon, and that's a good thing. It doesn’t look amazing, and the animations are a little bit choppy, from time to time.
As for the sound, both the discussion and gameplay provide some very charming moments. Either is a funny discussion or guards that say nino-nino before engaging. It’s clear that the team focused much more on this aspect than on anything else. Also, saying the phrase “maybe it’s time we went po-po on this butt” really sets the scene right from the start.
The Good
- Funny dialogues between characters
- Exciting turn-based battles
The Bad
- Too much griding for money
- The game is rather short
Conclusion
It’s also my understanding that the Adventure Time true fans are sticklers and won’t accept any mistakes. To them, I can only say that Pirates of the Enchiridion could have been much worse and that they should be grateful that at least they have something to play that's not half-bad before the tenths season arrives.
