From November 4th through the 8th, Telltale Games will be celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Wallace & Gromit by giving away a free episode from their episodic series ‘Grand Adventures’!

To get your free download of ‘Episode 3: Muzzled!’ head over to Telltale’s Wallace & Gromit celebration page!

In addition to the free episode, Telltale is also offering the full season at a discount of 19.99 which also nets you the DVD containing all of the episodes as well as additional goodies like behind the scenes videos, and Wallace & Gromit: Cracking Contraptions (10 animated shorts). It should be noted that for every full season pack purchased, Telltale will make a donation to Child’s Play, or the Wallace & Gromit Children’s Foundation (the choice of which is up to you).

Note: The free episode offer is only good for the PC version of the game, but the rest of the series is now available on Xbox Live Arcade for 800 points each.

You can read our thoughts on the game in our review which can be found here!

Get it before time runs out!

What do our dreams mean? Are they complex metaphors created by piecing together our immediate thoughts, or are they simply amalgamations of past events? Can the stories that play out in our dreams help us deal with events in the world we inhabit while awake? Puzzle-Platformer Lucidity might hold the answer to these questions.

Lucidity is a platforming puzzle game where you place items in the right places in order to ensure your character safely makes it to the end of the level. You guide Sofi, a young girl who only wishes to find out where her grandma (or ‘Nana’) has gone off to. Sofi is constantly moving forward, and it’s up to you to place items to make her journey easier.

The art style is very reminiscent of the author Tomie dePaola and works nicely with the superbly soothing soundscape. The character animations especially stand out in my mind as something that would constantly distract me from the task at hand. The story is told through Sofi’s drawings at the beginning of each level, as well as postcards from ‘Nana’ at the conclusion. Going into the game having seen the art and heard the music, I was expecting a relaxing experience. For the first few levels I found this to true. Nonchalantly placing stairs for Sofi to climb, or spring boots to fling me toward the collectible fireflies was an enjoyable romp that I could leisurely partake in. But once in a blue moon, a great dream can become a nightmare.

Shortly after you get used to basic controls, the world of Lucidity introduces a deadly new mechanic. Before, when Sofi would get caught on an obstacle, you could take your time devising a way to get her past it. A few levels in however, a wall of darkness appears to the left of the screen. It’s moving at the same rate as Sofi, but in the event that she gets stuck on something, it will quickly consume her. This adds a level of tension, and stress to the otherwise calm game. Of course, learning how the levels work is a key point in understanding any video game, so occasionally being consumed isn’t that big of a problem. What is a problem is the game’s severe lack of any checkpoints along the way. If at any point in a level you get consumed by darkness, or fall into a pit, you’re sent back to the very beginning of the level despite how close you could be to the end. This  makes an otherwise enjoyable game, very frustrating.

I enjoyed the basic experience, but in later levels I became very frustrated at the amount of unavoidable deaths, and lack of checkpoints. I think that the option to remove the wall of death, and the inclusion of mid-mission checkpoints would make the game immensely more enjoyable to more people. The story that’s being told carries emotional weight that is fairly easy to relate to but it’s just wrapped in a very stressful package. If you’re into puzzle games, and are patient enough to find your way through the levels, Lucidity is probably for you.

Lucidity is available now on the PC through Steam, and Xbox Live Arcade for 10 Dollars/800 Microsoft Points.

Guybrush Threepwood is no stranger to adventure. In the Tales of Monkey Island series he has seen exotic locales such as an island that traps sailing visitors with inward wind, and an island that houses androgynous Mer-folk. In his newest adventure he’ll find himself throat deep in a hungry manatee. No amount of Grog could make you forget an adventure such as this!

This is my favorite episode thus far of Tales of Monkey Island. The story picks up right where episode two left off on a cliffhanger. Guybrush, Winslow, and Morgan Le Flay are swallowed up with the rest of their ship The Screaming Narwhal, by a Giant Manatee. When everyone collects themselves on the inside, the crew begins to look for a way out. Things are never as simple as they seem. Guybrush winds up working his way into an initiation to a society of brothers, aiding a lost lover, and reuniting with an old friend, all inside the manatee.

The puzzles in Lair of the Leviathan were all very creative, and left me feeling satisfied after each solution. While the episode didn’t throw too many puzzles that left me stumped, I wouldn’t say they’re particularly easy to solve either. The balance of story progression and puzzle difficulty made the experience one of the most enjoyable times I’ve had with the series thus far. It’s interesting to see relationships change each episode. Along with the overall story arc taking a more prominent role, the character’s are experiencing quite a few significant changes . There are even some more serious type scenes, which helps accentuate how well written the series is. I found that the secondary characters felt more alive this episode as well. In previous episodes the additional pirates you came across in your adventure didn’t really seem to add much to the overall story being told in the episode, whereas with episode three the new characters all seem to have their own personality, and back story. They existed for more than to throw a puzzle at you, which I hope the series explores more in subsequent episodes.

For those concerned that the setting might get stale, fear not; this episode does some interesting things to ensure that you won’t get bored with a single area. The overall scope of the series seems more grand than any previous Telltale endeavor which only adds to my excitement each time a new episode rolls out. Each new episode has introduced a whole new set of places to explore, instead of expanding the one you’ve explored from the beginning. It fits though, as if you’re going to be a pirate you might as well sail all of the seven seas.

Lair of the Leviathan shivered my timbers more than any previous episode. The bar is raised with each new entry, and I can’t wait to see what happens next time especially after one of the now familiar (but no less suspenseful) cliffhanger endings.

Tales of Monkey Island: Episode 3- Lair of the Leviathan is out now on PC, with a WiiWare release coming soon after. If you’re new to the series you can check out a free demo for the first episode right here. You can grab a season pass (with a nice DVD at the end) or individual episodes at the Telltale Store.

LucasArts has a long legacy of producing some highly original games in the past with their famous SCUMM Adventure Games. With the resurgence of the genre, the house that bought us Star Wars has been hard at work developing some quality downloadable games. The first came earlier this summer with The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, which brought an old classic into the next generation world with high-definition graphics and complete voice acting.

Their new title ‘Lucidity’ continues the idea of gorgeous high-definition 2D game’s, with an interesting twist.

Sofi is the main character of ‘Lucidity’ but you don’t directly control her. Instead you assist her along her journey through beautifully imagined dreamscapes, by protecting her from traps and danger with use of  items. These items (ranging from slingshots, to sets of stairs) are randomly generated, and are placed on the screen by the player. Your goal is to make sure Sofi stays in motion the whole way through.

The artstyle is stunning, but what impresses me more is the fluidity of the animation. It looks like a Tomie dePaola book that’s come to life. The rate at which Sofi moves, coupled with the chill music, the game looks to be relaxing in the same way I found Braid to be. Personally I can’t wait to get my hands on Lucidity when it hits Xbox Live Arcade, and PC on October 7th.

With the wind in it’s sails, Tales of Monkey Island has sailed onto it’s next episode. We last left our mighty pirate heroes Guybrush, and Winslow at the sword of a mysterious female stranger. Luckily The Siege of Spinner Cay doesn’t keep you waiting to resolve the conflict at hand.

Last month’s episode of Tales of Monkey Island concluded with Guybrush Threepwood, and his trusted crew member Winslow escaping the dangers of Flotsom Island’s inward wind. They set sail to find Elaine and rescue her from the evil Pirate LeChuck. In the scheme of things, the Screaming Narwhal (their trusted sea vessel) becomes damaged, and needs repair before they can get any further on their quest. This leads them to the island of Spinner Cay, home of androgynous sea creatures (they have one thousand words for wind, but none for ‘man’ or ‘woman’).

I found it interesting to read reactions to the first episode, and find so many people complaining about the new controls. Players of the previous Telltale episodic adventure games, will likely find that it’s an evolution of previous titles control schemes. With the early titles, character’s would move to where you click. This meant that the camera had to be pulled out so you could direct characters around the scene. With the Wallace & Gromit series, direct character movement was introduced using the WASD/Arrow keys. This allowed more cinematic camera angles, as well as introduce depth of field effects. The only downside to this was that players who enjoyed sitting back and clicking their way through things, were forced to sit up and use both keyboard, and mouse. Tales of Monkey Island remedied this by keeping the keyboard movement options, but also adding a mouse interface which when held down, the player could point the way to where the character needed to go. To folks going in with only the previous Monkey Island titles as the frame of refrerence, it seemed foreign, but for veteran Telltale players, it was a natural evolution.

Another interesting evolution is within the series itself. In previous series, you would have your main area, and then a familiar city that would open up more and more with subsequent episodes. Tales seems to be introducing completely new islands each episode, which is refreshing. In addition to this, the episodes seem to have an overall arch, which relies on you having played the previous episode. Some might think it strange to be selling each episode separate, if it’s telling one story. Personally I think the gap of roughly a month between episodes keeps things fresh. It was also nice to see things transition into the evening, as the time spent in the first episode would occupy most of the day.

The Siege of Spinner Cay is a splendid follow up to the season opener. The story seems to pack in even more adventure, without seeming like too big of a departure from the first episode. I eagerly anticipate getting to spend more time with Guybrush, and Winslow, aboard the Screaming Narwhal, especially given another thrilling cliffhanger at the end of the episode.

You can grab a season pass (with a nice DVD at the end) or individual episodes at the Telltale Store.

There has been some strange brewing going on with Mountain Dew as of late. First they changed their public image to reflect the hip kids movement of compressing the English language into easily text message-able strings of letters, and now go by MTN Dew (Emptyin’ Dew for those of you playing along at home).  Now they’re introducing new flavors with an interesting twist…

Ah yes. The return of Game Fuel! First introduced along side the launch of Halo 3, the special blend of MTN DEW made for gamers! In other words it’s a flavor of MTN DEW that has been laced with various types of caffeine. This time around there are two options of flavors, similar to the choice between what faction you’ll choose in World of Warcraft (Alliance or Horde).

There is also a promotional website that you can register on to win radical prizes (and get a free 14 day trial to WoW by signing up).

Oh and if that didn’t sell you on trying it, watch as these two women transform and fight it out in what looks to be target because of their beverage preference:

CONTEST INFO:

UPDATE: Winners have been notified!

Would you like to try some for yourself? Well it turns out we have some to give away! All you have to do to enter is write a short story (a paragraph or two) about what creature or character you would turn into to defend your soda, and how the fight would play out! It’s that simple! Just post your stories to the comment section of this very post!

The deadline for entries will be Monday August 17th. Winners will be notified through email (so make sure to enter that in the comment section field that asks for it so we know how to get in touch with you!), and from there we’ll organize shipping addresses and such.

Good luck!

For some time now Warren Spector has been referring to a top secret project he’s been working on with Disney that fits the “steampunk” style. It’s been codenamed Epic Mickey, and that’s about all that’s been revealed to the public. That is until today. Certain sites have stumbled upon former Junction Point artists websites only to discover quite a bit of concept art for “Epic Mickey”. Check the gallery after the break for all of the art discovered so far!

It’s a tough time being a pirate. Gone are the simple days of walking the plank, or swabbing the poop deck. These days you’re fined 80,000 dollars per illegal Mp3 you have in your captains quarters (the conversion into doubloons is in the process of being calculated as we speak). Luckily the pirate name has not been completely tarnished, thanks to the mighty pirate Guybrush Threepwood.

Launch of the Screaming Narwhal (the first in a planned 5 episode saga) begins with our hero Guybrush Threepwood out to rescue his wife Elaine from the clutches of his arch nemesis, the un-dead pirate LeChuck. Upon reaching their ship, he accidentally breaks the secret ingredient he needed to defeat him. Quick on his feet, Guybrush finds an acceptable way to improvise. It’s acceptable up until LeChuck infects Threepwood’s left hand with a supernatural pox that allow the zombie captain to take control of his hand at any point from anywhere. With an accidental explosion, Guybrush and his pox infected hand are blasted overboard. And thus begins out adventure!

Awaking on an unfamiliar island is always a confusing experience. Luckily for us, our hero is very resourceful. Unfortunately this trait only gets you so far when you’re trapped on an island with wind blowing inward (which makes it nearly impossible to escape).

For those of you who have played past Telltale titles, the controls will be familiar yet new. It seems that they heard certain criticisms on the new control scheme introduced in Wallace and Gromit, based on new upgrades. Now you have a choice between either moving the character around with the WASD keys or using your mouse as a virtual joystick (click and point rather than point and click). In addition to control tweaks, a noticeable upgrade in the graphics is also apparent (although the games still scale very well to lower end machines). The depth of field effects add to the already good looking game.

Out of all of the Telltale episodic adaptations the Monkey Island universe is the least familiar to me, but the game is very inviting to new players while keeping inside jokes and references in for the series veterans. I always love when games break the fourth wall (when characters acknowledging that they’re in a game), and many of the other jokes are surprisingly subtle which only adds to the humor. I also enjoyed hearing pop culture references sprinkled in. The humor carries over into the puzzles as well. Whenever I would find myself stumped, I would think ‘what would be the silliest/most entertaining solution to this?’ which would often lead to the solution to the puzzle. Actually thinking the solution through makes the payoff that much sweeter. Although there were certain puzzles that required you to constantly check a map, and the lazy part of me ended up printscreen-ing it and leaving it up on my second monitor for quick reference. Additionally there was another map puzzle shortly after where I made a list of the order I needed to go in on a scrap piece of paper I had on my desk. While this wasn’t especially annoying, I’m hoping future episodes work to space these puzzles out a bit throughout the length of the game.

With Monkey Island’s grand return, Tales lives up to the precedent set by previous installment’s. Telltale Games consistantly top themselves with each new titles release. I am eagerly awaiting my return to the world of Monkey Island when the next episode rolls out in August.

You can grab a season pass (with a nice DVD at the end) or individual episodes at the Telltale Store.

I think it’s safe to say that Adventure Games are on the fast track back into the public light. With Telltale Episodes expanding onto the consoles, and revitalizations of classic series’ like Monkey Island a whole new crowd is getting to experience the wonders of the genre. But whose to say they shouldn’t get to try out the classics as well? Lucasart’s and Valve agree, and starting this Wednesday (July 8) some of their finest titles will begin appearing on Steam!

• Armed and Dangerous™
• Indiana Jones® and the Fate of Atlantis
• Indiana Jones® and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure
• LEGO® Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure
• LOOM™
• Star Wars Battlefront® II
• Star Wars Republic Commando®
• Star Wars Starfighter™
• The Dig®
• Thrillville®: Off the Rails™

Future additions to the roster of classic hits can be expected as well. On July 15th an HD Remake (with complete voice acting, and reworked soundtrack) of The Secrets of Monkey Island will be released on the PC through Steam and other digital distribution platforms, but as well as on Xbox Live Arcade. And if you can’t wait that long, the first episode of Tales of Monkey Island (a 5 month long episodic follow up series to Monkey Island) will be released tomorrow on PC, with a WiiWare launch following sometime later.

After tragedy hits the Dog Shelter, a mysterious man by the name of Monty Muzzle brings the town some much needed optimism in the form of a Fundraising Fair! What could possibly go wrong?

The episode begins like the ones before it with a problem for you to solve. A group of dogs show up at Wallace and Gromit’s West Wallaby Street home, and it’s up to Gromit calm them down so Wallace can get his newest invention up and running. Throughout the series (both film and game) I’ve been constantly impressed as to how Gromit is able to communicate without ever speaking. The new group of dogs each convey their own personality as well, each one different from the next. I even audibly said “Awwww” at one of them. Telltale has done a great job in this regard throughout the whole series.

Soon enough after you’ve solved that problem, Wallace and Gromit are introduced to Monty Muzzle. He claims to be a man of charity, and offers to setup his traveling fair in order to raise money to rebuild the recently destroyed Dog Shelter. Although throughout the course of the episode you learn that this smooth talking slick savior may not actually be as generous as he advertises.

The fair takes place in an area of town that has been previously blocked off in prior episodes, which is always pretty neat to see in the Telltale episodic games. Muzzled! being the third episode it’s nice to not only explore the now familiar town square, but also branch out and see more of the city. The attractions are all entertaining as well. There’s a fortune teller, a guessing game, a pie eating contest, ‘Are You Smarter than a Chicken?’, and of course ‘The Muzzler’ (as seen below).

Overall this episode felt the most like one of the short films. It has an intriguing start, wacky inventions, and of course an action packed finale. I can’t wait to see what comes next in the final episode, especially since this episode concludes with a huge cliffhanger.

Muzzled! is available now for individual purchase for $8.95 or $34.95 for all four episodes via the Telltale Store. If you’d like to try before you buy there is also a demo available.

Join us next time for the Grand Adventure’s Grand Finale: The Bogey Man!