Mechanic 8230: Escape from Ilgrot – Spotlight
Though they aren’t groundbreaking, the animation and art still look fantastic. There’s always something going on, like the passing bus or the rotating holograms, in the locations. A wide range of sizes and shapes makes characters stand out, from tiny people with large heads to regular people. They all have something interesting to say or need your help with their problems, and you meet a lot of people in the course of your work.
Objects of interest are highlighted when you move your mouse pointer over them. You won’t have to sift through items that are less than one pixel in size to find what you’re looking for. An item from your inventory can be used simply by dragging it to the desired location and holding your mouse button down. Since you don’t end up with a tonne of useless items, it’s all fairly straightforward.
If you want to interact with someone or something, it helps if you’re standing close by. An “Too far” text box will appear if you are on the left side of the screen and attempt to use an item on the right. You can’t go back or forward too far because each stage is contained within one or two screens. Replaying stages or rooms from the main menu is also possible.
Slide tiles and push levers are among the classic puzzles you’ll have to solve. I had the impression that there was no other way to solve some of the puzzles other than clicking at random and crossing my fingers. These include a card game where you must score a total of 12 points without going over. In this game of chance, you must win three times in a row before you can cash in. In the event of defeat, one of your victories will be reversed. Play until you get three consecutive hands with 12 points, and the game will eventually give you a winning streak.
In order to avoid the text box, you can either click anywhere within it or wait a few seconds for it to disappear. Because most adventure games allow you to skip by clicking anywhere on the screen, this seemed a little out of the ordinary.
The game can be completed in about two hours. Even though this is only the first episode, the game establishes a compelling mystery that will keep you coming back for more in subsequent episodes.
This is a fun, accessible adventure game for the whole family.
