Freeware Game Review - The Marionette Feb 11 '11    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet Popular Products in PlayStation 2 Games Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 : PlayStation 2 for PlayStation 2 From $15 Shaun White Snowboarding - PlayStation 2 for PlayStation 2 From $4 The Bottom Line The Marionette is an extremely atmospheric and sometimes disturbing freeware adventure game.  Recommended, but not to the nervous! It's a very long time since I've been this impressed with a freeware adventure game. (Actually that's not strictly true right now, but when I originally posted this review it was!!)  The Marionette has you playing the part of an artist, who receives a mysterious message and then finds himself trapped in a nightmarish scenario which seems to be somewhere between a dream and reality. The story is skilfully developed as you progress through the game via a number of atmospheric cut scenes, along with well-written narrative and dialogue. The graphics are superb, having a slightly dream-like quality that suits the game perfectly. There's a good level of detail in both the aesthetic appearance of the locations and the number of interactable objects. Whether in the main game or during the cut-scenes, the graphics are beautifully evocative. The music used for the game is eerily beautiful too. The game is played in the first person though the cut scenes often revert to a third person perspective. The interface is elegantly simple and works very well, and the puzzles, while not mind-bendingly difficult, offer a decent challenge for seasoned adventure gamers. All the puzzles are logical and, if not immediately apparent, once you've worked them out they make sense. There is a nice variety to the type of puzzle, with a fair number of logic puzzles along with traditional inventory-based puzzles. Perhaps the one slight weakness of the game is that, scraps of paper with notes on them (or similar items), there aren't a huge number of inventory items in the game - however this is more a result of me actually trying to find a weakness in the game, not something that bugged me as I played it. There are only a few different characters in the game, but since they're very well developed and the taut atmosphere is maintained throughout the game, this really isn't a problem. Okay, there is one other weakness - if you start playing it late at night, you may not get enough sleep - I loaded it up at 11:30pm and after two absorbing hours decided that I'd probably better go to bed! Still hadn't completed it by that time, but since I had to get up for work the next morning... well, the same morning... you know what I mean! Considering that the story of The Marionette is a genre that I'm really not keen on usually (horror), the fact that I was so engrossed by it is testament to the very strong writing in the game. There is a bit of gore (again, something I'm not a fan of), but it seemed appropriate for the game. Those with weak stomachs may be best to avoid it! In fact the game's author gives it a 16+ rating for disturbing images, adult themes, mild language and depiction of heavy violence. Nothing comes across as gratuitous but the plot development is certainly not light-hearted. Overall The Marionette is a cracking game and proof to any doubters that freeware games can be just as compelling as their commercial big brothers. Official Website: http://themarionette.game-host.org/index.php Download Link: http://themarionette.game-host.org/downloads.php (Download is 90 or 95Mb depending on whether you get the .rar or .zip) Forum: http://forums.themarionette.game-host.org/ The Marionette was developed by Team Effigy Screenshots: http://www.pcgamereviewsandnews.com/2009/11/freeware-adventure-game-review.html   Related Links:   Freeware Game Review - Lightning Master (Adventure Game) Freeware Game Review - The Journey Down: Episode One - Over The Edge (Adventure Game) Freeware Game Review - H2G2 (Adventure game) Freeware Game Review - Dark Disciples 2 (RPG) Freeware Game Review - Super Crate Box (arcade)

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