A Golden Wake is a point-n-click adventure game developed by Grundislav Games and published by Wadjet Eye Games in 2014. In A Golden Wake, you assume control over Alfred 'Alfie' Banks as he strives to make a name for himself in the burgeoning real estate market of 1920's Miami, Florida. But, is that a worthy endeavor for you to undertake in A Golden Wake?
THE 1920'S MIAMI LANDBOOM
Alfred 'Alfie' Banks steps onto the snow-clad streets of New York City to the roar of a subway train barreling down the tracks on a bridge above him. Alfie walks towards his place of employment, Morris & Banks; a prominent real estate firm co-founded by his late father. Once inside, the business' owner summons Alfie into his office where he reveals that the company …show more content…
And while the engine is able to facilitate a myriad of different features and mechanics, Grundislav Games opts for a minimalist approach in A Golden Wake. Direct interaction is, for the most part, limited to either, a) movement, b) right-clicking to examine interactable objects, or c) left-clicking to interact with objects, or initiate a conversation with NPCs. And, depending on the quality of the narrative and/or puzzle design, that is more than enough; A Golden Wake left me feeling underwhelmed. The rudimentary inventory-based puzzle design is plagued by either being self-explanatory or illogical. And any semblance of difficulty is alleviated by the limited amount of items you carry at the time, as well only being able to travel to locations where you have some explicit, and immediate, …show more content…
However, this leads us to the harshest criticism I can levy at A Golden Wake: how excruciatingly silent it is. Because if there is one thing A Golden Wake desperately needs it is a soundtrack and voice-acting. If you exclude the occasional environmental sound effect, A Golden Wake transpires in complete, and utter silence. In conjunction with the subpar art style, the lack of basic audio design reflects poorly on the entire experience, giving it an unpolished, and at times even unfinished, look. Furthermore, as there is no musical score or acting to reinforce the emotionality of the narrative, it doesn't do the so-so writing any
THE 1920'S MIAMI LANDBOOM
Alfred 'Alfie' Banks steps onto the snow-clad streets of New York City to the roar of a subway train barreling down the tracks on a bridge above him. Alfie walks towards his place of employment, Morris & Banks; a prominent real estate firm co-founded by his late father. Once inside, the business' owner summons Alfie into his office where he reveals that the company …show more content…
And while the engine is able to facilitate a myriad of different features and mechanics, Grundislav Games opts for a minimalist approach in A Golden Wake. Direct interaction is, for the most part, limited to either, a) movement, b) right-clicking to examine interactable objects, or c) left-clicking to interact with objects, or initiate a conversation with NPCs. And, depending on the quality of the narrative and/or puzzle design, that is more than enough; A Golden Wake left me feeling underwhelmed. The rudimentary inventory-based puzzle design is plagued by either being self-explanatory or illogical. And any semblance of difficulty is alleviated by the limited amount of items you carry at the time, as well only being able to travel to locations where you have some explicit, and immediate, …show more content…
However, this leads us to the harshest criticism I can levy at A Golden Wake: how excruciatingly silent it is. Because if there is one thing A Golden Wake desperately needs it is a soundtrack and voice-acting. If you exclude the occasional environmental sound effect, A Golden Wake transpires in complete, and utter silence. In conjunction with the subpar art style, the lack of basic audio design reflects poorly on the entire experience, giving it an unpolished, and at times even unfinished, look. Furthermore, as there is no musical score or acting to reinforce the emotionality of the narrative, it doesn't do the so-so writing any