The lack of details makes the game feel bland and does not fit the themes the game has been built upon. Unlike in the case of Edna and Harvey: The Breakout, where the simplicity fits the general atmosphere, in Anna’s Quest we would have loved to see some more creativity. The same can be said about the visuals, which give the vibe of a generic cartoon. The excuse of trying to target younger audiences does not completely work, because you cannot help but feel that the fun and humor got lost somewhere along the way. She is light years away from the sarcasm of Sadwick or the wacky personality of Edna, making the best part of the game when you are reliving the memories of someone else. Anna is the archetype of innocence without a bad bone in her body, and as a result, many will find her unidimensional and almost boring.
The entire game lacks the wits and sparks that we got used to, and it just drags on and on. The biggest disappointment next to the design of these characters is the way dialogues unfold.
Even compared to Night of the Rabbit or The Whispered World, Anna’s Quest comes off as safe and unassuming. Despite the source of inspiration, most of the NPCs you will interact with feel unusually tame and flat for a Daedalic game. If you are familiar with the work of the Brothers Grimm brothers and the German folk stories you will recognize Hansel, The Magic Mirror, or the Glass Mountain. Especially that the two tasks that could have made you increase your brain usage can be skipped by pressing a button.Īs mentioned earlier, Anna will meet a lot of characters and situations hinting at well-known children’s tales heroes, and locations. Neither the puzzles nor the story would ever make you want to return to this stale. Overall you are looking at around 8 hours of gameplay time, with no replay value whatsoever. You will around between the different scenes in order to make the game look longer.Īlso, there are quite many objects that feel like filler, since they have no real utility, not even to give more flavor to the world. Still, there are some odd choices, especially when it comes to game design. But if you pay attention to the dialogues, you will always know what the next steps should be. Even without a hint or help system, Anna’s Quest follows the typical logic of adventure games and keeps the challenge to a minimum.ĭue to the camera and movement system, the biggest challenge is to collect all the candy pieces that serve as collectibles. You have some leeway regarding the order in which you tackle some problems, but most of the puzzles are straightforward and will not make you sweat. Unlike other games published by Daedalic, the story of Anna’s Quest is overshadowed by the puzzles, most of which will require you to find the correct items, combine them as the developers planed, and use them in a specific way. The pace of events is slow and the crazy unexpected turns are missing completely. It should be refreshing to see different machines in a world hinting at the most popular tales, but unfortunately, this topic is not explored until the very end of the game. The world imagined by Krams is an eclectic mix of classic tales and contemporary elements, where magic and science coexist. In a desperate attempt to save her beloved Grandpa, Anna will embark on a perilous journey filled with witches, wizards, and even the musicians of Bremen. But this is not your average fairy tale, since Anna possesses some telekinetic powers that will come in handy while dealing with all the weird that life throws at her. The story dreamt up and initially developed by a single man from down under, Dane Krams, is tamer and has a soft spot for the tales of the Brothers Grimm. Both games start with the need to escape, but they develop in very different directions. There are a lot of similarities between Anna’s Quest and Edna and Harvey: The Breakout. Can Anna be as memorable as Edna and her deranged rabbit? The answer is not that easy as you might think. Crazy characters, twisted stories, and well-put-together puzzles are the key characteristics most fans are looking for and what the German publishers usually deliver. If you are into adventure games or quest games as they used to be called decades ago, Daedalic usually is a safe bet.
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