Runaway: A Twist Of Fate Part 2 Review

Offering a true adventure experience, rather than a Hidden Object game in disguise, Runaway: A Twist of Fate - Part 2 ably demonstrates the good and bad about the genre. There's an interesting and often humorous story within, but there are also plenty of obtuse puzzles that will infuriate after a time.

For those who haven't played Part 1, I implore them to stick to the correct order. Runaway: A Twist of Fate - Part 2 carries on exactly where the previous part left off, and it's not overly inviting for newcomers. There's even a puzzle late on in the game that requires knowledge of the previous instalment, so it really is essential.

Runaway: A Twist of Fate - Part 2 offers similar issues as the first episode, though, such as a very awkward way of combining items. Players have to drag and drop items on top of each other, but it's all too easy to have one's view obscured by the very finger dictating the action. There's also the issue of accidentally moving to the lower half of the screen rather than selecting an object.

That won't be the thing that will truly annoy players though. That's left to the bizarre puzzles. It starts out well, with a vaguely sensible plot device to pursue to the next chapter, but then things become a bit convoluted and unusual. Falling into the trap that has befallen many an adventure game, it's all too easy to just randomly try to combine objects in the hope that it does something useful. The hints system likes to offer riddles in an attempt to advise, but mostly confuse.

It's unfortunate given that Runaway: A Twist of Fate - Part 2 does offer some great one liners. A conversation about movie scripts, as well as tackling a mime's attempt at conveying film titles are particular highlights in an otherwise scrappy affair. Perhaps at a lower price, this would be enough but alas, it's not the case. Only dive in if desperate for another adventure game.