The Book of Unwritten Tales

Posted by Joseph Lindell.
First posted on 15 February 2015. Last updated on 15 February 2015.
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The Book of Unwritten Tales
Ivo finds MacGuffin kidnapped and locked up in a cage.
The Book of Unwritten Tales
Wilbur works in a brewery, even though he is not old enough to drink.
The Book of Unwritten Tales
Why are shipwrecks always haunted by the dead?
The Book of Unwritten Tales
A drinking bird is among the Arch-mage's collection of curiosities.
The Book of Unwritten Tales
Nate awakens in a crypt.

The Book of Unwritten Tales, released originally in German in 2009 and later in English in 2011 by King Art Games, is anything but innovative. Yet, I can imagine the game's developer taking this as a compliment. The game is among the best contemporary point-and click-adventure titles for the genre—it is a game full of charm, wit, and memorable characters.

Wilbur Weathervane is a young gnome who dreams of becoming a wizard. Yet, he is confined to a dreary life, tending a brewery run by an old dwarf who has chosen to stay behind when all the other dwarves have left for the war. This is not a legend in the making. However, adventure finds Wilbur quickly enough. Mortimer MacGuffin, a kidnapped gremlin archaeologist, momentarily eluding his captors by tumbling from a dragon, gives Wilbur a ring to bring to the Arch-mage in Seastone (and yes, in case you are wondering, the surname MacGuffin gives a clue as to where this story is heading). MacGuffin is promptly captured again, and Wilbur sets off for Seastone alone (strictly speaking, he is fired from a homemade cannon in the direction of Seastone). Wilbur's story soon converges with that of a smart and attractive elf named Ivo and a swashbuckling treasure hunter named Nate who has a mysterious pet named Critter. Together, they must find a powerful artifact known as the Artifact of Divine Fate (discovered by MacGuffin) and ensure that it does not fall into the hands of the Arch-witch Mortroga and her minions. The fate of the world hangs in the balance.

This unholy alliance of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings in The Book of Unwritten Tales is undoubtedly the developer's tribute to the science fiction and fantasy genres. Despite the game's reliance on stereotypes, its unceasing stream of jokes referencing books, movies, classic adventure games, and most of all, the dreaded MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) is more endearing than alienating. Fans of geek culture will most likely appreciate the witty dialogue and clever rehashing of the most famous tropes in these genres.

Each of the 4 main characters in the game—Wilbur, Ivo, Nate, and Critter—are playable, though Wilbur is the character with which you will get to play the most. These characters are well fleshed out in the game, each with a strong personality and a unique set of skills and abilities. In some locations, you can switch between these characters at will; in other locations, the game decides for you as to whom you will play. Some puzzles can only be solved by switching roles, adding a layer of sophistication to the gameplay. The voice acting for all of the characters, both major and minor, is topnotch and lends added credibility to the storytelling. Alas, some of the captions contain mistakes and detract from the spoken dialogs.

The 2.5D graphics are in a whimsical animated style. The background art is incredibly colorful. More importantly, the attention to detail paid by the developer makes this fantasy world come alive. For example, I simply adore the drinking bird in the Arch-mage's tower. It gives the sense of an eccentric wizard who dabbles in the absurd and useless. The soundtrack, with its soaring cues and orchestral flourishes, is spectacular, albeit a bit repetitive. The sound takes a cue from Star Wars' iconic score, lending the game an epic and majestic scope.

The interface is fairly intuitive, with standard point-and-click controls. It can be a little tedious to switch between characters, as they often have to complete specific path movements before control is transferred. This can become frustrating in timed situations, of which there are a few.

If there is a dull spot in this game, it is the puzzles. There are way too many fetch quests. Time and again, a minor character informs you that the character will only help you after you complete some errand or task. When you ask how to complete the needed errand or task, the character informs you that some numbers of items are needed. In a perhaps brilliant stroke, the developer uses nearly every such opportunity to poke fun at MMORPGs, in which you must indeed complete a series of often mind numbing tasks listed on a quest log in order earn experience points and progress to the next level. While this is charming at first, at some point you begin to wonder if the developer overuses this joke just to avoid thinking of better puzzles.

Of course, there are some original offerings. The role switching puzzles require out-of-the-box thinking. There is also a really clever gameplay sequence toward the end. However, there are other sequences which stand out as missed opportunities for a more thoughtful approach. For example, in a particular scene, you must uncover a location using a map. Yet, instead of requiring you to rely on earlier clues and external evidence to decipher the map, the map is entirely self-explanatory—the only challenge is to know the directions on the compass rose. There are also far too many frustrating pixel hunts. Additionally, the game provides little feedback when you are close to the right solution but are either missing a step in the laundry list of tasks or not using an item on the right character or in the right order. Thus, while the game apologizes profusely by throwing a bone to the classic adventure genre and poking fun at other genres, it paradoxically emulates the very games from which it tries to distance itself.

The story can drag in places, particularly near Seastone and its environs. Wilbur encounters a host of minor characters and misfits who, while entertaining, do little to further the plot. Some of them require Wilbur to do many tasks. Yet, it is difficult not to feel that they are distractions introduced only to make the game longer. In other words, these minor characters seem more like barriers to the story than a part of it.

Likewise, the game's overall plot arc can be underwhelming at times, even unsatisfying. For example, you are told that you must find the Artifact of Divine Fate, but you are not told why it is important. You know that Mortroga is wicked, but you are never given enough backstory to fully appreciate the urgency of the quest. These minor oversights suggest that the game world is not fully developed. While the game's homage to the adventure genre is always clever, a world that is just a composite of many others is, by definition, less believable and immersive. Because the game is always poking fun at itself, it is sometimes difficult to understand how this jumble of borrowed lore fits together.

Despite a few shortcomings, the game is still a lot of fun to play, and at times, breathtakingly cinematic. After a brilliant plot twist many hours in, you may be unable to put the game down until you see it through to the end.

The Book of Unwritten Tales is a welcome and whimsical addition to the traditional point-and-click adventure genre. While the game does not break new ground, it returns to the solid roots of the genre of yesteryear. The Book of Unwritten Tales is not the perfect fantasy adventure—with an absolutely gripping storyline and brilliantly tragic characters. Rather, The Book of Unwritten Tales is like candy—not too serious, but ever so sweet.

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