Wallace and Gromit Episode 3: Muzzled returns us to the adventures of a dog and his man, this month involving a charitable drive undertaken by the residents of Wallaby Street to rebuild a dog shelter wiped out by intense rain in last month’s episode. A noble cause indeed, but an episode involving construction and fund raising wouldn’t illicit many thrills. Dark forces aim to twist this worthy undertaking to their own selfish ends, so it’s up to Wallace and Gromit (mostly Gromit) to foil such plots.
Gromit’s role as problem solver has grown from the previous two episodes. His role has grown so large, in fact, that Wallace only becomes directly involved two spots. Otherwise, it’s up to Gromit to get things done. This compliments the canine heavy plot, and when it comes to bailing out man’s best friend, never send a man to do a dog’s job. Wallace fans may balk, but Gromit enthusiasts will love the new episode.
Last month’s release showed an impressive step up in graphical quality, and this episode upholds those standards. There haven’t noticeable improvements in the graphics, but when you’re already at the top, there’s not much farther to go. That’s one thing you can rely on with Telltale; once they hit that sweet spot, they stay there.
The audio is mostly what we’ve heard before. Only the character of Monty Muzzle is new, and his voice actor does his job so well that you know immediately that he’s the bad guy, though verification comes at the end of the episode. Muzzled is good on both the eyes and ears.
Players of the previous games will also find the controls identical as well. The mouse is used to indicate specific objects that the characters can interact with, whereas the W,A,S,D or arrow keys move the character. Players returning from episode two or generally experienced gamers won’t have a problem, but newcomers will be thrown off a little. Not that newcomers should exist – you shouldn’t really be playing the third game first, now should you?
The puzzles aren’t hard to grasp except in the later part of the game which strays further and further into left field. All puzzles can be solved with trial and error, though, and there is also a hint feature when you really get desperate. Most players will finish just fine without swallowing their pride and getting a hint, though.
Muzzled is a fine continuation of what we’ve seen in the previous two games. If you’ve liked those titles, or are looking for a good point and click adventure title, then this is one of the best options out there.
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