Original image located here. Accessed 27th July 2015
And much like it's predecessor, this was a game I originally encountered through witnessing it being played by my friend at the time. And once again, it is interesting to play this game myself given the distance of two decades worth of time.
Compared to it's predecessor, this game does indeed feel like a step down. Indeed, it is here that many of the criticisms associated with Sierra Adventure games rear their heads: Timed puzzles, situations that leave the game unbeatable and working towards a goal that is never made clear (thus making puzzles being overcome largely through trial and error).
Furthermore I'm not sold on the graphics. One might say that they were a product of their time but the sprite of Larry looks nothing like the dude on the box art. Indeed, Larry looks more like a creep than the lovable loser he eventually grew into. Granted that was kind of the point in the original game but it is jarring to see how this character evolution started from. Moreso when Larry's character portrait makes him look like he's in his fifties.
Grumbling aside however, the jokes are still funny and the writing is still top-notch - even with the passage of time. It's just a shame that the writing has to share room with some glaring design flaws.
I often hear how people grumble how modern games play like the design team and the writing team were operating in separate rooms, segregated from each other. Funny how I got that same impression from a game made in 1988...
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