Oh, it’s been a long time since we’ve had a beautiful adventure game like this Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deception! Milda’s family history takes us to Lithuania.
I was so sorry when I had to be gone last May Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deception Testing, but at that time there was no working computer near me, and if I remember correctly, the period was saturated. However, a year and a half later, I had the opportunity to make up for this omission, with the arrival of the Nintendo Switch version, so I threw myself into it.
At first, I was wondering if (being an adventure game) the touchscreen port was used. Well, no. The creators have put together a well-thought-out console control system (maybe it was already part of the PC, unfortunately I don’t know), the only drawback of which is that the “A” button is placed at the bottom of the help diagram that appears in the current hotspot, so In the middle of the game I was often confused about what to press (maybe it was a technical decision or based on UI design). But if we were to actually analyze the Switch version, we would get exactly the same thing as on PC, only the quality of the wallpapers appears to have been shifted to a slightly lower level, but all this will only appear in desktop mode, not in handheld mode.
Fortunately, the visuals themselves are not the “watered-down” pixel adventure typical of the genre these days, but rather a well-drawn and particularly demanding piece. If the first parts of the Broken Sword series can be seen, judging by the style and color scheme, it is not a coincidence, because it served as one of the main inspirations for the creators (but the Gabriel Knight and Runway series are also scary). The main man on the team is the man (Sarunas Lidas), who made an unofficial sequel to the Revolution Software classic 15 years ago himself (Broken Sword 2.5). the Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deception However, it is not 2D, but very spatial, but as I mentioned above, it aims for the same atmosphere – to be honest: successfully.
Overall, the game is a typical point-and-click game, but perhaps in addition to the design, I think the gameplay falls flat a bit. The story begins with a particularly interesting twist: Milda, a young girl from Chicago, receives unexpected news: her grandfather has died (let’s just say it doesn’t affect her). According to the signs, he is the heir to the property left by the old man, but the problem is that he is in Lithuania (home of the developers). However, the girl decides to travel there, but is immediately unexpectedly involved in the search for hundreds of years old remains. The explanation itself is full of historical references, so those who like this will enjoy the adventure. The problem is that despite the great dubbing, the characters are too bland and contrived, the puzzles are not difficult (with a few exceptions) but forced (I often had the feeling that the time was dragging on), and the story ends very suddenly and strangely. Looking at the 4-5 hours of gameplay, one would think that perhaps it was cut to make room for a sequel.
In addition, there is the possibility of customization, that is, Milda’s hairstyle and wardrobe can be changed in many places, thus bringing new impetus to the adventure from time to time. It’s a pity that in all other respects (except graphics) the average cursor player might come to mind – it was not possible to create something truly lasting or memorable in any area. Fans of this style can still find our solution – if you want a relatively easy and quick relaxation, do not hesitate to get Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deception.
evaluation: 7/10
Developer: Member of joy
publisher: Thunder Publishing
platform: PC, Nintendo Switch
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