Candle (PC) Review

By Thom Compton 26.02.2017

Review for Candle on PC

Point and click games have a rare opportunity other genres don't have. It's harder to make people feel in a first-person shooter or an RPG, though it has happened. Point and clicks, meanwhile, are capable of doing that, and have done that time and time again. Candle seems to be continuing that tradition, and it's doing a great job of making the genre even more fun to bask in.

Candle tells the story of a race created by the Gods who apparently didn't heed their natural inclination for moderation. Because of this, chaos ensues, and that's where you, as Teku, come in. Everything seems to be going wrong, and Teku must save his shaman from an evil tribe. This is the basic construct of the story, and after only a few moments with Teku, it's easy to like him.

Candle isn't just good because it has a great protagonist, though. It is also an absolutely beautiful looking game. Hand drawn art and incredibly fluid animation make for a seamless display, but the art style is the real seller. The amount of detail placed into the world, while still retaining a slightly cartoonish look, makes this one of the best-looking games to come out in a while, and frankly, one of the most unique.

The game takes its interesting story and its, dare it be said, perfect visuals, and drops them into some very unique adventure mechanics. Players will be doing the standard things, like collecting items and solving puzzles, but they will also be doing things most adventure games don't let them do. The game allows for jumping, though it's not really so deep that it would qualify as platforming. There is also the ability to light a torch, which startles enemies and gives the game a bit of a stealth quality. Candle excellently mixes these little pieces into the quest, making it feel like no other adventure you've ever been on.

Screenshot for Candle on PC

The puzzles and item collection, unfortunately, feel a bit too obtuse. Anyone that has played the old LucasArts titles will know sometimes that the puzzles could require some very outside the box thinking. Candle isn't so bad that players will be combining spaghetti and a phone booth to save a cat from a tree, but the mechanics aren't always obvious because it's not always obvious if you've learned this skill before.

There are some minor technical issues, as well, such as checkpoints that are a bit too far apart. For instance, one early puzzle seems to only give so many chances to succeed. If you decide to turn off the game, you will continue about three puzzles back. It's not enough to say this game is broken, but it is worth mentioning.

Candle is a fascinating title that manages to justify itself by being both innovative and yet a refinement of genre staples. If you don't like adventure titles, or you've never played one, Candle is the title that could change your mind. It's only got some minor hiccups, and manages to be both engaging and consuming; a title that is easy to drop time into without noticing that it's gone.

Screenshot for Candle on PC

Cubed3 Rating

9/10
Rated 9 out of 10

Exceptional - Gold Award

Rated 9 out of 10

Candle may have some traditional adventure game aspects, but it does just enough to feel like a brand-new game unlike any you've ever played. While it's doing some things differently, it knows how to hold back, and finds the mix between old and new. Its refinement of the old ensures, even when it falters, it has a strong enough foundation to keep you enjoying it all the way through to the end.

Developer

Teku

Publisher

Daedalic

Genre

2D Platformer

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  9/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date TBA   Australian release date Out now   

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