iGADGET In-Depth Review

Even when a game is billed as an interactive movie, story makes up only half the equation. Unfortunately it’s obvious from iGADGET‘s extremely limited gameplay that story is what the product has been banking on completely, from its first incarnation in 1993 to its most recent iOS release. The tendency of iGADGET‘s plot to keep the player in the dark flows directly into its hidden object-esque gameplay, in which the player is essentially left to tap everywhere on the touchscreen until something actually happens to progress the protagonist’s journey. With the exception of some out-of-body sequences during story events the player experiences iGADGET completely from a first-person perspective, moving forward and turning in simple 3D environments via taps and swipes at the touchscreen. Execution of the player’s duties works smoothly enough, the major problem being that it’s frequently difficult to tell what the protagonist’s objective is based on in-game clues alone.

One early example: when the player is first briefed by the protagonist’s boss, the protagonist is instructed not to initiate further communications with said boss — rather, the boss promises to “be in touch” himself. One would hope this means that the boss will kindly send a messenger while the protagonist is going about his business, but in reality the instruction is code speak for the fact that the player is supposed to find a certain phone booth from which the boss’ voice will issue forth. Again, this is something that wouldn’t become a problem if the player had been made more familiar with the protagonist’s typical routine as part of the story.

Make no mistake — iGADGET isn’t difficult to get through by any means. The player will eventually figure out which objects and NPCs must be interacted with by virtue of being hemmed in to passenger cars, train stations, and other small environments. I quickly developed the impression that the player is meant to rely on a very detailed hint booklet summoned by virtual button at any time. Not only is its translated text quality below that of the in-game dialogue, but the hint booklet’s central role in gameplay makes iGADGET feel more like a laundry list of chores than a fun interactive experience.

NTT Resonant must be given credit for choosing GADGET: Past as Future over the original 1993 release, as its visual presentation carries a certain stylistic flair that made me wax a little nostalgic for the late 1990s. Even the updated version’s character models suffer severely from Uncanny Valley syndrome by dint of wooden body language and zombie-like expression, but this isn’t altogether bad, as it emphasizes iGADGET‘s unsettling tone. iGADGET”s frequent movie clips prove a bit quaint by today’s standards. On the other hand, they’re dripping with atmosphere thanks to Koji Ueno’s score and did leave me with an appreciation for the daringness with which the original incorporated memory-heavy multimedia into its presentation. One certainly wonders how GADGET‘s initial success may have influenced game design for years afterward.

Unfortunately I can’t recall hearing a single piece of music during iGADGET‘s gameplay segments aside from ambient sound effects pouring through its thinly populated environments. Koji Ueno’s score for the game earned quite a high reputation back in 1993, so it’s especially surprising that it’s locked into a few of the CGI video sequences; the interactive segments certainly might have benefited from a little love in the audio department. Players brave enough to stumble through iGADGET’s convoluted folds can expect a good five to seven hours’ worth of entertainment, and going through the game a second time with greater understanding of its plot is worth the effort if one has already made it through once.

iFanzine Verdict: If you plunk down the purchase price for iGADGET, do yourself a favor and consider it an exhibition in the annals of videogame history. If you approach it expecting a compelling videogame experience in its own right, you’re liable to be disappointed by a take on both game narrative and design that can only be described as lacking. Gamers who have long enjoyed simple point-and-click adventure titles, or the movie-as-game style found in the Hysteria series, are the most likely audiences to find enjoyment in this outdated oldie.

[xrr rating=2.5/5]