PC games: Clyde's Adventure

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Published on September 4, 2021 3:47:05 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5Gs1vMSlEU

Game:

Clyde's Adventure (1992)

Duration: 5:11

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1

A shareware platformer not from Apogee, Clyde's Adventure tries to do something creative and distinct from your run-of-the-mill platformer. Instead of fighting (or avoiding) enemies and racking up points with (or ignoring) bonus items, Clyde's only objective is to escape the level with all the gems and a treasure, and his only enemies are the environment and his own limited endurance.

I can respect trying something different, and I like the idea of a more strategic puzzle platformer, in theory. Unfortunately, the execution leaves something to be desired. Clyde's energy severely limits him, draining constantly with every action he takes. The level elements are often unpredictable and arbitrary, making it easy to get stuck by doing something you couldn't have known in advance would turn out to be a mistake. There's little to nothing you can solve by deduction or observation. Overall, the "puzzle" part of the platformer all too often boils down to having to start the level over if you make one wrong move.

The gist of the game, then, is blundering through on trial and error until you stumble across the correct sequence of actions. If it were just about planning out an efficient route and executing it, that would be one thing, but the game seems designed to make planning impossible, then punishes you for trying things. And Clyde's bland character and generic story don't do anything to make his adventure any more appealing.

One thing I forgot to demonstrate in the video is that Clyde's magic wand can light bombs (like the one above the crown at 03:33) to destroy some blocks, and can vanish certain other blocks (like the one just to the left at 01:24) on its own when they're underfoot. In some places, this can provide a shortcut, or even your only way to reach a certain area. Clyde's Adventure being what is it, though, it's just as likely to get you stuck. If you remove the block at 01:24 and drop down there, for instance, another block appears above you, blocking your way out unless you already hit the switch to the right, in which case you didn't need to remove the block in the first place.

Seriously, the whole game feels like its main objective it to troll the player. And that can work, and even still be fun, if it has a certain sense of humor to it and you get instant do-overs with minimal loss of progress. Here, though, it just falls flat, as far as I'm concerned.

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