Metareview: Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure
IGN -- 90%: After Matt Casamassina stopped hyperventilating over the title, he regained consciousness and found that the control scheme worked really well with the Wii's setup: "It's a strange thing to write, but despite utilizing a control method more akin to classic adventure games - you don't actually control the hero and his sidekick so much as you direct them through levels - Z&W really uses the Wii remote well. If you've been playing videogames as long as we have, you'll be able to recall those old-time favorites - your Kings Quests, Monkey Islands and Full Throttles - whose point-and-click setup and clever hurdles drew you in."
Game Informer (second opinion) -- 78%: Another Matt, Matt Helgeson, to be exact, didn't quite wet himself over the game: "It's certainly charming, and its Wii remote controlled action/puzzle gameplay is nothing if not unique. At its best, it gives you a mix of intriguing puzzles and novel motion-based minigames that's like nothing else out there. However, this game is frustrating as often as it's fun, and at times the Wii control features seem to be doing little more than making the gameplay sloppier and less exact than it should be. It's an interesting concept that could have used a bit more polish."
Gamespot -- 85%: Gamespot let a dude who wasn't named Matt have a crack at the title, and while he thought it was a little disjointed, overall, Zack & Wiki comes out on top: "All told, Zack & Wiki is a winner. It might not win you over with its characters or story, but it will with its wonderfully crafted puzzles and sharp control mechanics. It's just the sort of game Wii owners have been pining for, the sort of game that blends accessibility and challenge into one seamless whole, and does it without devolving into yet another minigame collection."
All in all, it looks like the hype train has pulled through the station and is chugging along at a good clip. Are you on it?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Hunter @ Oct 25th 2007 12:50PM
You should at comments from the 1up review. They are by and large the toughest(while still being fair) critics on the web and they gave it a 9.0 as well.
the real mii @ Oct 25th 2007 1:06PM
picked this up last night. played through 4 or 5 stages. it's been quite fun, i haven't found anything overly frustrating *yet*. was a little annoyed with the repetitive audio and dialogue in the introductory stage, but after that it's been okay. love the colorful art/style as well.
Jeremy @ Oct 25th 2007 1:15PM
I'm going to be giving this game a rent to see how I like it but I really doubt I will give it a purchase. I think with the point and click controls that it will be good practice for SMG.
vidGuy @ Oct 25th 2007 1:22PM
FANTASTIC game. I've played through the first four stages, and I can see how the later puzzles are going to be TOUGH. This isn't a game for your blood-and-guts gamer, but for anyone who can enjoy a light-hearted point and click, this is at the top of the heap.
Since there are multiple ways to finish the 24 levels and dozens of items to collect, this game is going to keep a completionist gamer busy. Unfortunately, the typical gamer is only going to get one run through of the game, about 15-20 hours.
vidGuy @ Oct 25th 2007 1:43PM
Just thought to look, FYI I'm on the fifth level, have died 9 times, and played for 3:30 hours. But, I'm doing a lot of trial and error just to see what happens. The deaths are pretty funny.
Ghaleon @ Oct 25th 2007 2:48PM
EGM couldn't even be bothered to give it a score.
SpecialGuestStar @ Oct 25th 2007 3:36PM
People still pay attention to compromised commercial whore-reviews?
Mr Khan @ Oct 25th 2007 4:27PM
Heh, when the biggest complaint is "this game is frustrating" you know you have a winner
These greenhorns don't know frustrating
TWOO DEE @ Oct 25th 2007 8:30PM
I've played through about 7 levels so far and I am in love! The guide cursor function for additional players was perhaps fun for about a minute and the gestures aren't perfectly polished but the rest of the package, especially the puzzle design, is top-notch. I'm already looking forward to going back and finding new ways to beat levels.
Jay @ Oct 27th 2007 1:13PM
I love this game! I already want a sequel and I haven't even gotten half way through this one yet!
It's really not frustrating in the sense of Super Ghouls and Ghosts or any game from that era, it just requires you to think and try things out. I guess people who like getting things on the first try and gliding through the game without dying ARE going to be frustrated. You just can't play it that way. But when you do die, it's not like you have a lot to redo. I never found myself getting tired of playing because I died. Me, I enjoy dying on Z&W as much as beating a level because the deaths are so funny! They remind of the deaths on Dragon's Lair or something like that.
Anyway, I'm going out on a limb and calling this game a classic. I think years from now I will look back on my experience with this game fondly and I hope more games like it come out as well.