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Runaway brings a flashback to a time when non-stop acting wasn’t important and storyline was key. There was a time where, believe it or not, real-time-strategy games and first-person-shooters didn’t define PC gaming. Sure, there are other genres, but when one thinks of PC gaming, those two pop up right away. I didn’t partake in the original point-and-click adventure game revolution, but thanks to The Adventure Company (Syberia, Dark Fall, Post Mortem) I have played a few. Runaway is different though. It takes place in the present, and doesn’t use high-resolution pre-rendered backgrounds.
Runaway features an engaging story line to hook you in. Picture a typical guy preparing his stuff since he is going on a trip. That’s Brian, and as he is driving he hits a stunning young lady and she is then unconscious. Being the nice person that he is, Brian takes her to the hospital. You’ll quickly find out a bit more when you are chased down by gangsters who are trying to kill you both. It’s up to you to survive and find out what the heck happened.
Runaway is split into various chapters where you’ll uncover a bit of the story in each. Six chapters don’t mean six, five-minute levels, though. The game can be finished in some twelve hours if you’re a diehard adventure gamer, but it will take most somewhere in the mid-twenties. Not bad for $30.
As is the nature, the gameplay revolves around completing tasks which range from relatively easy to quite hard. In these tasks you’ll need to collect items and solve puzzles which not only let you accomplish the task, but learn more about the story as well. The items you pick up are stored in your inventory, so you can have them as reference if you need them for a puzzle.
The visuals in Runaway are a lot different from recent adventure games. They don’t try to be hyper-realistic, at all. The game is cel-shaded, but it is unique in its choice of color. It gives the game a simple look, although further examination shows you that everything is actually quite detailed. The characters are also detailed and they animate very fluidly, something not common with adventure games. There is quite a bit of dialogue and occasionally you’ll notice that there is no way the characters can actually be saying what they are, based on their lip movements. Regardless, the overall look results in a great-looking game that closely resembles an animated show.
The sound package is also very strong. The soundtrack of the game is crisp and fits very well with the overall theme of the game. The voice acting is strong and furthermore, it enhances the story. The audio is rounded up by stunning sound effects, which add to the game experience.
I’m all for different games. Originality isn’t something that is very common in the current state of the industry. As good as originality is, if the game isn’t good, it doesn’t matter. Luckily, Runaway: A Road Adventure is an overall great game.
Minimum Requirements
Processor: 200Mhz, 64 MB RAM, 8X CD-ROM, 630 MB free HD space, DirectX 8.1, mouse, DirectX-compatible sound card
Recommended Requirements
Processor: 233Mhz, 128 MB RAM, 24X CD-ROM, 1400 MB free HD space, DirectX 8.1, mouse, DirectX-compatible sound card -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Sep 25, 2003
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