In our sneak peek of the preview
version of this game, Looney4labs concluded: “I had fun cavorting with
Diamon Jones and I sincerely hope that I, as well as others, will have
a chance to enjoy this game once all the ‘spit and polish’ has been
applied.” Having played the release version, available for download from
Big Fish Games, I am happy to say that the cavorting quotient remains
high, and the fun factor not far behind.
Like his namesake Indiana, the lure of treasure and
all things archaeological -- plus the occasional need to flee trouble --
seems to be Diamon’s reason for being. A tale of the end of the world,
with treasure to boot, is too good to resist. Once out of the humble
drinking house, Diamon is on the trail.
It’s a jolly, jaunty animated affair from start to
finish. Whilst there is a slightly “old time” look to the single game
screens, they well suit the feel of the piece and lack for nothing in
colour and detail. The soundtrack bobs along with it and ambient sound,
whilst limited in scope, does what it needs to.
The voices are a mixed bag -- from quite good to
rather ordinary. At no time though, except right at the start, did any of
them irritate me. Some seem deliberately cheesy, again in keeping with the
tone of the game.
Dialogue is spoken, but subtitles appear in a ribbon
across the bottom of the screen, along with a little animated headshot of
the relevant character. Diamon’s ribbon would now and then flutter gently
like a flag in the breeze for some reason. You can click ahead (usually)
if you read faster than the character talks. I actually prefer not to have
subtitles, as I can’t ignore them and generally do read faster than the
character can deliver the line. Unfortunately, you can’t turn the
subtitles off. A small thing, but most games do let you choose.
At times the subtitles weren’t exactly the same as
the dialogue, and some expressions were a little odd. However, if you
consider that GFI is a Russian/Ukrainian company, they can probably be
forgiven an English glitch or two. It certainly was the exception, and
didn’t bother me at all.
Diamon Jones is
third person point and click, with a limited range of cursers to indicate
actions at hotspots. Some hotspots are rather small, and some items I
found difficult to pick out. But there are never too many in any single
screen, and I was rarely stuck for very long because I couldn’t find
something. Diamon won’t let you leave until everything has been found, and
so backtracking is limited.
The challenge in the game is provided by a mix of
situational conundrums and mini-games or puzzles at certain locations. The
situational puzzles are numerous and, in keeping with games of this type,
nothing is ever straightforward. You need a guide to take you to the
Tibetan monastery. Despite the presence of a likely chap, first you have
to make sure his beloved agrees to marry him -- which of course requires
obtaining all the items which it was foretold her future husband would
present himself with. Although some puzzles are convoluted, none are what
I would call hard. Which doesn’t mean I wasn’t stuck, just that
persistence and a good eye will generally see you through.
Much of the challenge in the game may well come from
the mini-games. Whilst these might be puzzles (e.g., assemble an ancient
statue, reproduce a sound sequence) many are little action-type games
which you cannot skip and which you must complete to move forward. I found
many of them a lot of fun, and they are varied and at times unique.
Smashing the door with my catapult was particularly satisfying, and
combining drinking with marksmanship reminded me of my university days
(not the marksmanship, just combining drinking with any type of
challenge).
In terms of their difficulty, I thought the
mini-games were generally mild, although trying to get the sliding bridge
inserted into the gap in the other side of the precipice bordered on the
frustrating. Whilst the end game didn’t trouble me for too long, I am
aware that some gamers have given up at this point, finding the
combination of dodging fire balls whilst shooting vases all too much.
Weaned as I was on Quake, it was not too difficult, although
recognising the key to vanquishing the foe required me to pay attention
rather than to just keep shooting, and reinforced the game’s adventure
roots.
The mini-games are varied in their design, and there
is no need to worry if you fail; the game restores you to the start of the
particular challenge,
I suspect though that it’s these mini-games that
will keep some players away, and will cause other to leave. Which is a
shame, because there really is a lot to like in Diamon Jones.
Perhaps the makers could offer a “skip game” option for any future
episodes.
I must make mention of the snake statue puzzle. I
was really taken with that one, and kudos to the designers.
Save games are limited to ten (I think), which is
nine more than I needed. You can in fact save during some of the
mini-games (the shooting game is an example) which can assist in their
completion, but not in all of them (the end game being such an example).
Have I mentioned the proportions of Mary Ocean yet?
Lara Croft not withstanding, only in cartoon land would such proportions
exist.
Game screens don’t scroll and so each time Diamon
leaves the confines of the screen there is a short load. Diamon can run,
but he won’t jump to a new screen with a double click as in some games.
There are a limited number of cutscenes, which played a little grainy, but
which might be less so on a lower resolution. The game world and the
cutscenes filled my rather large screen, which I liked a lot. Little game
windows through which you peek is not my thing.
Diamon Jones is a
very decent length, and when you factor in the price, it offers
exceptional good value for your gaming dollar. Despite my preference for
boxes and manuals (hopeless collector that I am), this is one game I would
happily download in terms of value for money.
I got the odd glitch, once crashing whilst loading a
new screen, and a few lock-ups that required control-alt-delete to get out
of. Restarting is pretty quick, but it’s always annoying, especially if
you hadn’t saved recently.
It isn’t perfect, but what is? If you like this
style of game, I can’t help but think that you will be well pleased.
Inventory quests aren’t my first choice, but I had a lot of fun as Diamon
Jones. The fact that the conundrums weren’t overly hard meant the game
moved along and things kept flowing. The mini-games offered a contrasting
challenge, the story was sufficient to sustain the game play, and all in
all it was good fun. Throw in the value for money, and it’s a solid gaming
investment.
