Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Episode 4: The Bogey Man
First posted on 11 August 2009. Last updated on 30 April 2010.
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| Wallace is always cheerful, even in the face of impending doom. |
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| Gromit is the faithful canine companion, always ready to save Wallace from troubles. |
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| Gromit gets a bright idea after seeing the closure notice from Constable Dibbins. |
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| The prestige of Crickety Thicket spans back for centuries. |
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| Constable Dibbins shows (or not) Wallace the enigmatic grip of the Ganges! |
Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures
The season is comprised of 4 episodes:
- Episode 1: Fright of the Bumblebees
- Episode 2: The Last Resort
- Episode 3: Muzzled!
- Episode 4: The Bogey Man
It is a matrimonial misunderstanding! In the season finale of Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures, it appears that our favorite cheese loving bachelor is not at all dreaming—not this time, at least. The upcoming nuptial is even written all over the local paper! The news photo shows Wallace kneeling down on his left knee and proposing to his well-to-do neighbor Felicity Flitt. With no time to put the pieces together himself as the boisterous Major Crum walks through the front door, it is up to Gromit to literally sniff the trail out. In Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Episode 4: The Bogey Man (also known as Wallace & Gromit in The Bogey Man), Wallace and his faithful caddie Gromit get wrapped up in an ancient land dispute that threatens to destroy their peaceful West Wallaby lifestyle. It is up to the duo to uncover an underlying mystery from centuries ago and save the entire neighborhood from being slapped with a closure notice of its own.
Initially struck with embarrassment, Wallace strives to become repulsive to Felicity so she will nullify their faux engagement. To do this, Gromit must use Wallace's ingenious inventions to figure out Felicity's true feelings toward Wallace. Gromit is clued in when Felicty's Aunt Prudence chooses to offer her blessing only on the condition that Wallace is in no way associated with "that wretched country club Crickety Thicket". To save Wallace from an impossible marriage, Gromit must indirectly win Wallace a spot in the old country club. Unfortunately, winning the contempt of Aunt Prudence will not be the end of the latest series of unfortunate events for Wallace.
For now, it seems there is always room for misbehavior and misunderstanding in West Wallaby, so Gromit will have to manage his subtle canine escapades discreetly. This includes creating a schism in the relationship between shopkeeper Mr. Paneer, a member of Crickety Thicket who has in mind to recruit a new member, and policeman Constable Dibbins, an avid golfer who wants desperately to join the club. It is particularly ingenious how Gromit, when left alone, can change the opinions of his human counterparts just by placing a squirrel in a nut butter jar. Indeed, through an odd twist of cunningness, Gromit ignites the policeman's temper who then slaps a closure notice on Mr. Paneer's shop. As Constable Dibbins walks away and declares with a vengeance that "Vermin trumps friendship every time!†to Mr. Paneer, he also inadvertently severs their friendship and changes Mr. Paneer's opinion of recruiting him.
Undoubtedly, the game's vitality comes from its own atmosphere of excitement that is readily pervasive throughout its madcap story, even when Wallace and Gromit encounter a seemingly endless string of absurd obstacles which they must overcome. There is just never enough pleasure in figuring out the puzzles in the game and listening to Wallace's musings. Not all of them are necessarily important to your cause, but they are always fun to listen. The game truly recreates a convincing environment, so much so that whatever the characters themselves mention about their own history or others around them seems, as Major Crum puts it, of the utmost importance!
Your curiosity will be peaked frequently in the game because the outcomes of these imminent interactions are not usually clear. For example, the consequence of Gromit snipping out Wallace's picture in a newspaper is not immediately felt but only sometime later. In retrospect, the successful aesthetics of much of the game is listening to what the characters are saying and their reactions to situations, both positive and uninvited.
There are a lot of new goodies in the latest cracking adventure of Wallace and Gromit. Wallace's domestic affairs are escalated when Felicity treats Wallace with a visit. You will appreciate the irony of Wallace opening the door, already dressed in his Crickety Thicket uniform, to his potential bride. Wallace, in order to hide the shameful truth of his membership, shields the logo of Crickety Thicket with the box that the uniform itself is shipped in. To no avail, Felicity figures it all out. When Aunt Prudence gets involved, the situation becomes even more sticky, comical, and more troubling. You will be amused and entertained by the juxtaposition between the mild-mannered and sometimes naïve Wallace and the hot-tempered Aunt Prudence where every word dripping from her mouth is infected with accusations. In fact, whenever you find a pair of characters in the game that do not particularly like each other, you will always be rewarded with a few good chuckles witnessing how they try to solve their issues while creating larger problems.
Fans of Wallace & Gromit will appreciate the fine details of the visuals in the game, from the first moment when Wallace wakes up and slips down (or, rather, slides down) for his morning breakfast. A proud example that poses itself right from this beginning is the way in which the camera casually homes in on Gromit playing golf in the living room. Even for gamers who are not fans of Wallace & Gromit, it somehow feels completely normal (and natural) for a dog to stand on only a pair of legs and pull a lever to wake his master out of bed. This is because the game does an outstanding job of convincing you that the events that are occurring are believable.
This is also a game that provides an alternate perspective on humor, adventure, and fun. Sometimes it is easy to forget that Wallace is a detective at heart, and you become a detective yourself trying to unravel the web of mystery that tangles the many characters in the story. Wallace's unwavering conviction to solve crimes with his eccentric devices and Gromit's intelligent canine intuition makes for an exciting and irregular gameplay that adventure game fans will enjoy. Wallace is no Sherlock Holmes and Gromit is no Dr. Watson, but within this context they do not need to be so. Their unique personalities lend much of the charm to the mystery which they are trying to solve.
Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Episode 4: The Bogey Man is a fine adventure. I have chosen not to spoil the game any further because I feel I have disclosed enough about its nature already. Despite the season finale, I anticipate that I have not seen the last of Wallace and Gromit, and many fans of the series will certainly be waiting for their next cracking adventure.