Labyrinth City: Pierre The Maze Detective is a charming adventure game with some light puzzle-solving that’s perfect for fans of the popular children’s book series.
The straightest line isn’t always the shortest way from point A to point B. Oftentimes the obstructed path is the one of greatest value. How else would we grow to our greatest heights without overcoming the greatest odds? Most rivalries fuel both sides to best themselves in competition with each other, but is it possible for a great detective to thwart a villain who turns every possible path into a winding maze?
Labyrinth City is a casual adventure for all ages. Our Story is based on the imaginative puzzle book series for children named after our hero Pierre: The Maze Detective. In this interactive storytelling adventure Pierre is called upon to solve the mystery behind a museum robbery. The Opera City Museum has had its prized Maze Stone stolen by the phantom thief Mr.X, who had replaced the stone with a note challenging Pierre to prove his worth as a detective. With the help of his friend Carmen, Pierre sets out to save the stone hidden beyond the mazes of absolute cartoon mischief taking place.
Players will have the opportunity to lead Pierre through the mazes of his investigation. Each level consists of tracking down characters with leads and questioning them to determine the whereabouts of Mr.X and the maze stone. The mazes are a busy clockwork of people and objects involved in a myriad of comical situations brought on by the power of the maze stone. While in pursuit of Mr. X there are also secrets to uncover in the form of treasure chests, gold stars, and torn pages from the journal of Mr.X himself.
Each level is designed to be ripe with humor. While the chaos that follows at the museum is historically themed, the madness eventually parades into the streets and throughout Opera City and into the levels that follow. Speech from other characters is helpful and charming as conversations have subtle hints paired with a wacky punchline. There are funny and surprising reactions when probing around even the most unassuming objects, like when you open a car door to find it was mysteriously filled with water and full of fish. There are plenty of hidden shortcuts to discover and access different areas of the stage.
The experience does a wonderful job of creating an interactive story straight out of the beautifully drawn illustrations of a children’s book. Fans of the series will definitely enjoy the sound and visuals as the animated cutscenes combined with witty voice over are a delight and bring Pierre’s journey to life. The exciting and upbeat music is pleasant and supplements the aura of mystery and discovery. Quirky melodies, instruments and arrangement add a youthful excitement to the mazes and make exploring the storybook landscape a pleasure to relax and dive into.
The gameplay and controls are simple to understand and enjoy. You need only navigate the mazes left in Mr.X’s wake to the next point of investigation. There are rewards however, for traveling off the expected path. Not only are there shortcuts, stars, secrets and treasure to discover but additional charm in enjoying more of the game’s slapstick humor throughout each stage.
Since the focus is primarily on putting smiles on the faces of children, the content may be lacking for gamers past a certain age. If you’re already used to playing games with deeper mechanics you may find what goes on in the mazes to be repetitive and more so if the comedy happens to miss. While puzzles are light and funny there are few to solve in each stage, and can usually be figured out without having to think too critically. With enough time the mazes can ultimately be solved by walking around and using the action button to interact with the world, making gameplay less than compelling. While there isn’t the usual platforming or rpg math involved, there’s still a lot to enjoy following the mischievous footsteps of Mr X. The lighthearted atmosphere and challenge level akin to an actual puzzle book series is most fitting for players of a very young age.
Labyrinth City stands out as a game for exploring mazes. The adventure is simple enough to enjoy, and the humor presented will tickle a funny bone for kids. The 2-D stages are beautifully crafted with classic cartoon mischief straight out the pages of the well-illustrated children’s book. Youthful and casual gamers alike are sure to enjoy the first journey through a city of labyrinth with their new friend Pierre: The Maze Detective.
Pros
– Charming humour and storytelling
– Stages full of secrets, shortcuts, and cartoon mischief
Cons
– Not for players over a certain age
– Not much variety in puzzles or gameplay
