14 DAY TRIAL // 
Imagine that you are suffering from amnesia and you have to put up with an imaginary rabbit who although seems nice, tries to kill you at every step. This is the starting point of an insanely stupid and stupid fun experience, a one of kind point & click adventure. To celebrate the anniversary of the game, Daedalic Studios launched a remaster for current consoles, promising updated graphics and control. But is worth it to go down again this rabbit hole after 12 years of sanity?
The most obvious difference compared to the original game is represented by the graphics. Edna and Harvey: The Breakout Anniversary Edition boasts a modern 16:9 ratio and completely redrawn visuals. These are still based on the distinctive visual style of the original game, but as a result the anniversary edition actually feels like a modern production.
Those who did not play original can easily mistake it for a game developed in recent years. There is also a bit of a drawback to this visual update: Edna and Harvey: The Breakout Anniversary Edition loses a bit of its punk attitude. The new version does not look rough around the edges anymore, rather it presents itself as a dutiful and conformist pupil. The newcomers will not feel the difference, while the fans of the original fortunately can still enjoy the clumsy charm of the original visuals turning them on in the main menu.
Fortunately, the story did not suffer any actualization, remaining one of the most insane experiences, even by point and click adventure standards. In the main role, you will find Edna and his imaginary friend, Harvey the rabbit. Your main objective is to escape an asylum for the insane and get back home while regaining your memories. This will be a trip to remember, along which you will cross paths with other clinically insane, travel back to the past, and interact with mundane objects in the most stupid way. The dialogues and the way characters react contribute to a unique atmosphere, full of black humor, you will not find in any other game.
Story-wise, Edna and Harvey: The Breakout Anniversary Edition still walks a fine line between genius and insane, humorous and dramatic. The best example is Harvey, who tries to encourage Edna to commit acts doomed to failure. It is like a pesky and annoying voice which pushes you towards self-destruction, which you know you shouldn’t listen to, but you can’t resist. The entire story paints a dark picture that you have to experience for yourself to fully understand the drama hiding behind the humorous approach. Offering actual details about this excellent tragicomedy would cross into spoiler territory.
The insanity is continued by the gameplay. Being a point and click adventure means that the game is full of objects you can interact with and combine, in order to solve the puzzles necessary for you to progress. But Edna and Harvey: The Breakout Anniversary Edition takes everything a step further. You can talk to walls, try to write on floating brains, use coat hangers as elevators and do many other things that sound insane, but are actually presented in a humorous way. The puzzles are as challenging as they come, and it requires a lot of trial and error to figure out what you need to do, even if you pay attention to the clues scattered around.
Many puzzles require you to interact with several objects, placed in different areas or use some special skills. The game does not hold your hand and does not do obvious solutions. Still, it feels quite rewarding when you figure out the correct sequence of actions, no matter how outlandish they seem. I have to admit though, that due to the liberty you have in interacting with the game, the newcomers to the point and click genre will feel a bit overwhelmed.
From the multitude of things you can do, only a handful serves as a means to progress with the story. The rest are there just to let you express yourself creatively. And since everyone you deal with is crazy, you will soon realize that creativity is not limited in any form and social conventions do not apply.
Next to the objects, you will also need a handful of special abilities that Edna can acquire by remembering scenarios from the past. These scenes are a sharp contrast between the normal past and the crazy present. Still in this game is nothing normal: for example one of these abilities is to chew your own nails in order to be able to use as screwdrivers. The frustration caused by the challenge of the puzzles is also amplified by the control scheme. It is a working adaptation of the control typical for point and clicks, but it is by no means elegant or straightforward. The radial menu simplifies somewhat the interaction process, but the inventory still feels somewhat clumsy and the menus are not that easy to navigate. And maybe this is the only real shortcoming of the game, the somewhat tedious control scheme.
The Good
- Crazy dialogues
- Almost complete freedom
- Story built on dark humour
The Bad
- Tedious control scheme
- The challenging puzzles can be sometimes frustrating
Conclusion
Edna and Harvey: The Breakout Anniversary Edition is an ode to the classic games signed by Lucas Arts, which manages to feel fresh and up to date. The control scheme takes time to get used to, but it works. All in all, it is a successful remaster of a nonconformist game.
