14 DAY TRIAL // 
Can a tale be altered after the words have been inked on the page? Can you change the fate of the characters after their story has been read countless times? Can you steal anything from books other than ideas? Combining gameplay elements from several genres in a novel adventure game, The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales gives an unexpected answer.
Developed by DO MY BEST, The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales has some interesting premises, both story and concept wise. The developers did not shy away from mixing elements from story driven adventure games, also known as walking simulators, with puzzles from classic adventure games relying on item manipulation, and also turn-based fight sequences. The result is just as interesting as the main character of the game, Etienne Quist.
It all starts with our hero being placed into house arrest after an unspeakable crime. He was sentenced to 30 years of community work, having to wear shackles that render him incapable of writing. In order to regain his freedom in a much timelier manner, the once-acclaimed author decides to accept a series of shady missions, which involve stealing various items from books, but that’s easier said than done.
The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales doesn’t just add its own twist on many different genres, but also splits the action into six different stories. That made it possible for developers to intertwine various settings from medieval to sci-fi, albeit the game mechanics and goals remain the same.
In each book in the game, the player must follow multiple clues that will help them identify the location of the object they have to steal. All books feature interactable NPCs and some limited choices. Players must persuade or deceive the NPCs into giving up on clues, but if either of the two options fails, turn-based combat occurs.
The reality of the game intertwines with the imaginary of the stories, and you will have to use tools from “the real world” in order to overcome obstacles from the books. It is a good thing that you have a mysterious neighbor, who not only has a closet with sledgehammers and snow shovels, but he is also willing to lend them to you despite the fact that you never return what you borrow.
The story has several logic breaks, such as the fact that in each book you have to craft over and over again the same tools, although you are allowed to freely take items in and out of the books. Once you crafted a lockpick or a lever why would you not take it with you? Why bother crafting them again 5-6 times? Also, Etienne often seems to know important details even before interacting with key NPCs, though our hero never reads the books before jumping into them to retrieve the much-needed objects.
Thankfully, these are nuisances that do not take away from the enjoyment of any of the six stories in the game, which reveal a much deeper connection to Etienne’s reality than you would expect. You will also have some limited choices in how some events playout, without really affecting the outcome of the game. Still, these choices offer a replay value for those curious to find all the details in the game.
At its core, The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales is an adventure game, so puzzles are a key gameplay element. These are not very hard, so expect to find the solution if you explore thoroughly the lands incapsulated in each book. Moreover, the game provides ample hints about how you can overcome every challenge.
Beyond the main objectives, you can find scattered various notes and details about each story that create a nice flavor and makes you believe that you are in a more or less well constructed narrative.
Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about the combat system, which feels rather forced. Next to crafting tools and solving puzzles, our hero will have to face some nasty critters drawn by the magical ink he wields. The turn-based encounters are pretty simple and rely on efficiently chaining together the abilities of our hero. He can attack, defend, stun his opponents and drain them of ink, which represents the fuel for all these moves.
Overall, the fights are rather annoying and not really engaging, with poor and repetitive enemy design that does not impress. Adding the layer of managing your health and ink levels feels out of place for a game that walks the path of adventure experiences. These gameplay mechanics feel rather superfluous, so I think the game would have been much more enjoyable without them.
Opposite to the combat system, one of the best aspects of the game is the artistic style chosen by the developers. Both the first-person sequences representing the real world of the game and the isometric perspective in which the book world is presented are detailed and impressive, showing the care that went into crafting them.
Each book is set in a different world, and the developers really managed to create a different yet engaging atmosphere for them, heavily relying on the visual direction that somehow differentiates, yet unites them.
The same can’t be said about the audio part. The mumbling that is placeholder for dialogues is a disappointment, and the soundtrack does nothing to amplify the atmosphere. Not to mention that the game has some moments when it inexplicably crashes, forcing you to replay from the last checkpoint.
The Good
- Interesting concept
- Various and detailed settings
- Beautiful visual style
The Bad
- Superfluous combat system
- Repetitive gameplay
- Audio part is lacking
Conclusion
However, I believe that instead of investing effort in building the combat system, the studio’s time could have been better used to polish the story. Nevertheless, The Boolkwaker: Thief of Tales is a solid adventure that will most certainly keep you engaged from start to finish.
Review key was provided by the publisher.
