Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, whilst also taking the time to include some lengthy gameplay, to give you the reader, the chance to shape your own impressions and views whilst watching and reading. In this installment, we’re covering Girl Genius: Adventures In Castle Heterodyne by developer RAIN GAMES.
Girl Genius: Adventures In Castle Heterodyne: (The Explanation)
Girl Genius is a comic book series that was first was written by Phil and Kaja Foglio and was published in 2001. The series has had multiple entries over the years and focuses on the life and adventures of Agatha Clay, aka Agatha Heterodyne, a brilliant young scientist who must learn of her true family’s roots and reclaim her birthright in this gaslamp fantasy set in an alternate Victorian Europe.
Girl Genius: Adventures In Castle Heterodyne is a 3rd-person adventure game developed by RAIN GAMES of Telslagrad and World To The West fame. It is based on the adventures of the Girl Genius comics and follows Agatha Clay as she ventures around her ancestral home to lay claim to her family name and all that is rightfully hers. However, she is not the only one trying to lay claim to the Heterodyne name. The familial home is no ordinary castle either and is capable of switching rooms around and is a sentient being that is untrusting of strangers casually strolling through its halls.
As Agatha, players must navigate her around the Castle Heterodyne to find the imposter and prove herself worthy of the family name. The castle won’t make it easy though as it is full of security whose sole purpose is to keep out intruders, and there are puzzles a plenty to keep Agatha from reaching her goal.
To deal with the mechanical gaurds of the castle, Agatha can swing her mighty wrench to dispose of them. It take take a few good hits to knock them down but you can eventually find a workbench inside a safe room where you can upgrade your weapons and inventions to make traversing the castle that little bit easier.
Speaking of tools, you can find blueprints around Castle Heterodyne that will give you access to new inventions. They will require parts though that can be found in crates or dropped by defeated enemies. Such inventions include a grappling hook so you can reach out of reach platforms and even a coffee machine to help recuperate health. There are plenty more inventions to discover and build but we will let you discover them for yourself should you decide to pick up the game.
The gameplay in Girl Genius: Adventures In Castle Heterodyne I would compare to that of early 3D The Legend of Zelda games with the charm of the Shantae games. Even the dialogue between Agatha and the NPC’s that can be found within the castle is very Shantae-esque with dialogue being displayed in text boxes and some of the text being read allowed by the character, though it is usually refrained to a short phrase or exclamation.
As for the Zelda-like gameplay, you rely on your inventions to overcome challenging areas within the castle as well as solve puzzles (like moving platforms in a certain way so you can reach the other side of a room). There is also the lack of a jump button which I felt was a bit strange as I have grown far to use to it being a standard option in most 3D adventure games. On the other hand, it does make things a bit more challenging and there is always the dodge roll that you can use to avoid enemies in sticky situations.
Another puzzle like element is that Agatha is not alone in her adventure and has a trusty companion called Tinkerbot. This little clockwork character is used to reach areas innaccessible to Agatha, usually by entering a small hole or tunnel. These areas will normally have switches and levers that will open doors for Agatha in the room that she is in. You can switch between the two characters by pressing up on the d-pad, which is handy when you need to alternate between the two characters as there are some rooms that require you to do so in order to make it to the other side.
Navigating Castle Heterodyne, can be a bit of a slog at times due to its labyrinthine rooms and can make backtracking a bit of a hassle. Fortunately, there are fast travel points that you can use to get to and from certain areas you have previously visited. You will of course need to activate the fast travel point by walking up and interacting with it.
On the whole, Girl Genius: Adventures of Castle Heterodyne is another banger from Rain Games. It stays very faithful to the original comic series whilst being a pretty decent standalone game. The game can be enjoyed by fans and by those unfamiliar with the series though I will say that you can spend long periods of time trying to figure out how to leave certain rooms so you will be required to put the old grey matter to work at times. Still, with that said, if you enjoy 3D adventure games with a steampunk feel that is less punk and more than just steam, then this “gas lamp” adventure may be for you.
Girl Genius: Adventures In Castle Heterodyne: (The Gameplay)
Game Specifications:
Developer: RAIN GAMES
Publisher: RAIN GAMES
Platform: Nintendo Switch (eShop)
Category: Adventure, Action, Puzzle, Fighting
No. of Players: 1 player
Release Date: April 3, 2024 (EU & NA)
Price: $29.99
File Size: 2.9 GB
Nintendo.com Listing
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