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Enter the Cave Review
Enter the Dragon...no wait, Cave
Review by TwilightApostle
All too often RPG designers get caught up in the newest fads or bog their games down with unnecessary systems. Enter the Cave is one of those rare gems that strips all pretense away and presents a solid gaming experience.
The story of Enter the Cave is simple: the player assumes the role of a young boy who gets trapped in a cave and must solve puzzles to find his way out. As the protagonist Markus says: "That's all there is to the game."
At a glance one might think that such an anemic storyline is the mark of poor game design, but the opposite is true here. The game gets rid of the RPG elements that would be distracting, and instead focuses on puzzle-solving and exploration. It really allows the player to gt into the game, as the puzzles begin about five minutes after starting the game. Some of the games are intense, and the fact that the player doesn't receive much outside help makes it even better.
Unfortunately, while the puzzle element is amazing there are a few places that could use improvement. The backtracking sometimes proves to be tedious, as the player must go through several previously-solved puzzles to undo a rope or open a door. While there is something to alleviate this later in the game, it comes too little and too late. There's also quite a bit of trial and error which becomes annoying when failure comes attached to a minute-long cutscene.
Speaking of cutscenes, Enter the Cave has very few of them. This lets the player get right into the action without distractions. Actually, it seems that a lot has been sacrificed in the name of gameplay. The graphics and music are all RTP, with one or two customs thrown in. The interesting thing about this is that it causes the player to focus more on the game. There's nothing new in terms of presentation, but the limit of all-RTP shows skill on behalf of the designer. In the case of Enter the Cave, less is definitely more.
This game is a welcome departure from the normal RPG fare. The puzzle element is engaging, though at times frustrating, but the feeling of accomplishment at beating the puzzles makes up for that frustration. Download this game for an afternoon of old-school gaming fun.
Reviewer's Score: 9 / 10, Posted Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:18:33 -0700
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Game Details
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Developer:
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DarkPriest
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Platform:
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RPG Maker 2003
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Genre:
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Puzzle
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Status:
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Complete |
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Last Updated:
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2008-06-19 |
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Views:
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5283 |
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Downloads:
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504 |
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User Rating:
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   5 Vote(s) |
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