REVIEW – The parody of post-apocalyptic times. One of the memorable adventure games. Ben and the others are back on a bike: Full Throttle returns, and it’s still a good game after 1995. Damnit, Tim Schafer, I hope the profit is spent on Psychonauts 2…

 

The Polecats, the band of bikers, have shown up in a memorable LucasArts game in the middle of the 90s. Ripburger (voiced by none other than Mark Hamill in a brilliant way!), Ben, and Maureen can quickly become liked characters… and why not? They are well thought out, have some funny moments, and those are usually marks of a successful adventure game…

Store E

The story is mostly consisting of Polecats running into trouble that’s not their fault. That’s about it – if I had to bring up a negative for Full Throttle, the basic plot would be that. Unfortunately, it’s not that thought out, and it’s worse (!) than Grim Fandango which launched later than this game. You might still ask, though: is it still a good game? My answer: sure!

Allow me to elaborate: you can switch between 4:3 and 16:9, as well as the retro, classical visuals and the more modern one, which managed to keep that… vibe altogether that you can expect from a LucasArts game. If you know Grim Fandango Remastered, then you can imagine how it was given a fresh coat of paint. It’s not outstanding graphically, but you can’t expect amazing graphics from a game like this one.

Plus

The graphics’ tune is just one part where the game got a fresh breath of air. It also contains some concept artwork, and a commentary track, which is always appreciated, especially because Full Throttle is… short. No joke, it took me four hours and thirty-one minutes to complete the plot, and I’m not a professional. You can expect more from a game in this genre, although it’s not Tim Schafer’s team’s fault, the original was similarly short – however, it is another reason why Full Throttle Remastered got a lower score than Manny’s adventure (Grim Fandango, before you ask).

Gameplay-wise, this game is your usual ordeal of point and click, during which your hero moves a bit slow, and at some points, you will have to use unexpected items at random places. Don’t worry; you won’t have to spend hours on the puzzles – there is some challenge present, but you won’t end up breaking your DualShock 4s. You can turn on hints, which will help you avoid doing that god damn pixel hunting, by pointing out the things you can interact with on the screen.

Rock ‘n’ roll

The soundtrack is cool. Period. The background music is nice to have even while writing this review, and this statement is coming from someone who doesn’t listen to this genre (or produce in it, for that matter). Have a listen:

The voice acting is also decent. It doesn’t have random drops in quality like Day of the Tentacle’s updated version had last year. Previously, I brought up Mark Hamill: he didn’t like a maniac like he did as Joker, but he still had his moments. Great audio.

Get it

The game’s like 15 bucks on the PlayStation Store. Even with the length, it’s worth a purchase. Sure, it’s a 7.8 due to its length, somewhat lacking challenge, and the VERY basic story (not to mention the abrupt way the game ends), but it’s still a GOOD game. In 1995, it could have easily been an 8, or even 8.5, but two decades later, it’s still a recommended title as an updated point and click adventure game from the past. As it has an easy interface, it’s recommended for everyone. If you have Day of the Tentacle and/or Grim Fandango either in the original or remastered format, don’t miss this game either!

-V-

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Publisher: Double Fine Productions

Developer: Double Fine Productions

Genre: Point and click adventure game, LucasArts style

Release date: April 25, 2017