(Review by Tristan Taylor)
A zany, fun, adventure… or so it sounds. A synopsis of the game leads one to believe in
you’re in for a thrilling ride with puzzles and mayhem. This was not my experience upon
playing the game. After starting out, I immediately found myself scratching my head
wondering what to do. That’s when I realized I might be in for a torturous trek rather
than a thrilling ride.
When it comes to gameplay, it felt more clunky and dunkey than it did zaney and fun.
You’re immediately thrown into the beginning of the story with no tutorial or direction at
all. The player is left to figure out the controls all by themselves while trying to figure out
what in the world is going on in the story. Who is Edna? How do I use these menus to
make her do things? Why is she walking around with a bunny? I definitely feel that I
would have had a much easier time on a PC where I can point and click, which makes
sense as this game was ported over from a PC version. Looking back, it probably
should have stayed on PC. As you continue playing through and learning the controls
through much aggravation, the game becomes a bit easier to traverse. Problem one
solved, but what about those graphics!?
The graphics and illustration of the game brings me back to the days of playing games
like plants vs. zombies on my PC. It brings a very nostalgic feel to the game. It’s very
simple and yet somewhat appealing to the eye. Nowadays, our games are full of brilliant
flashes and explosions that make you feel like you are right there in the middle of the
battle. That can be very stressful on the eyes. Edna and Harvey is very much not that
way. I feel like the simple graphics really allow you to focus more on the story and not
so much on the million things going on around your character. Maybe the graphics
“problem” isn’t a problem at all.
Ahh yes, on to the story! In the beginning, I was beyond lost, but as you play around
with various items you begin to uncover more and more of the story. You really have to
take your time and listen to the descriptions and vocalizations in the story for it to make
sense. Once you start piecing it together though, the game gets much more interesting.
All in all, Edna and Harvey: The Breakout Edition is a decent game. It’s nowhere near
your modern warfare and Fallout Games we’ve all come to know and love, but if you
need a break from those games and still want a challenge with a decent story, take a
chance on Edna and Harvey. You may find that the simplicity of the design met with the
complexity of the controls is just what you need.
3 stars out of 5
