Armikrog Reviews
Armikrog is a very short game, its price reflecting its brevity. However, the repeated puzzles are a regrettable misstep, and the spartan sound design woefully undercuts the impressive claymation visuals. The most impactful visuals are frontloaded, leaving no sense of narrative crescendo. Sadly, the game feels like it loses steam much too quickly.
Armikrog is often too old-school for its own good, and it's impregnable for those who don't know the genre for all its faults. Those that manage to scratch the surface won't necessarily be rewarded for their efforts, either, with a paper-thin plot and characters that are just too hard to root for. The art style (and opening song) may be enticing, but sadly that's all that this retro-styled point-and-clicker has to offer.
Armikrog is a point & click game that features remarkable stop motion animation in a world made of clay and with a consistent level design. Despite these points in its favour, Armikrog could make a more extensive use of its characters and rely less on memorizing its puzzles by heart, something which the players will find themselves doing too often thanks to the lack of leads or hints in the game.
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Cut-scenes, visuals and music aside, there's really not much game here, what with the somewhat average puzzle design and lacking rewards to keep on going. I'm happy that Tennapel and the team at Pencil Test were able to get back into the whole clay-mation business, but I can't help but think more could've been done with this.
I was charmed from the start, and that never really changed as Armikrog has heart in its oddness, just the rest seems a bit squandered in its full potential. When I'd rather watch the game more than feel compelled to play it that poses a bit of a problem.
Developer Pencil Test put so many time making a unique and beautiful game that other parts are a little neglected. Armikrog is a game that gamers can and will love, you just have to live with the few shortcomings.
In the end, that is where I stand with Tommynaut and Beak-Beak's adventure. I am torn on it because I absolutely loved some of the things that were done, but also came away with the distinct impression that there simply should have been more.
When I started playing Armikrog I didn't know what to expect, and I've always said that when going into games that I have no knowledge about other than some screenshots, I should expect the unexpected, and I have to admit, that is exactly what I got.
Many of the puzzles, for instance, are poorly conceived or utterly obtuse, and there's an awful lack of direction that frequently puts a halt to your progression
In a way Armikrog feels like a tech demo for something much bigger, a showcase of what a final build could look like, with the majority of the character dialogue and story still to be added in. The fantastic claymation and the decent music can only distract so long from the facts that Armikrog feels soulless, lacks any charm, has boring characters, and has puzzles that could have been more interesting. The story of Tzurk and Meva told on the tablets would have made for a much better game.
I had fun with the game, but I had just as much frustration with it, too. As it stands, if you're a diehard P&C fan or you have an in with the creators or actors, you'll probably find something to like. If you don't fall into those camps, you wouldn't be hurting yourself waiting for a price drop or sequel before diving into this one. And that saddens me to say.
Playing Armikrog on PS4 was a very interesting experience. Its graphics, story, and puzzles were all very memorable, but playing on PS4 was not the best way to experience this game. Some of the graphics looked low-res at points, and most of the gameplay just does not work well on their controller, making Armikrog a more frustrating experience than it should have been. Fans of this genre should definitely play it, as it is a new and unique entry in a malnourished genre. However, if you choose to do so on the PS4, you should be aware of the poorly executed controls before going in.
Armikrog looks amazing, with the stop-motion claymation performed to perfection. However, that is as good as it gets, with clunky gameplay mechanics and the significant glitches found that are the true enemy for Tommynaut and Beak-Beak. This is the equivalent to being thrown into the deep end of a swimming pool without learning how to swim, and then trying to select the nearby life ring, only to discover that only the dog can select that option for some illogical reason. Armikrog feels like an unfinished game that was rushed out the door, with any form of character progression or story left on the cutting room floor. While it was created with good intentions behind it, Armikrog only serves as a sad reminder of just how great The Neverhood truly was, and that it may never be successfully replicated.
I actually really liked Armikrog. As a fan of old school point and clicks, I found it a bit too easy for a veteran of the genre – though this would be great for beginners. There is a lot to like here and it has the building blocks for a strong sequel, which hopefully they get a chance to make. Playing the game for my Arkigrom review made me care for Tommynaut, Beak-Beak and the rest of the cast, and hopefully you wil as well!
There is so much squandered potential in Armikrog it hurts. The voice acting is great, but there's not enough of it; the visuals and animations are superb, but let down by repeated puzzles. Pencil Test Studios has created a fantastic claymation setting and fun characters, but in terms of gameplay it sticks too closely to the old-school point and click formula for its own good. Fans of the genre may get a kick out of the old fashioned style, but beyond a well-realised stop motion aesthetic, there's little here for anyone else.
A space explorer and his alien dog wade through a mysterious planet with a dark secret.
Hardcore adventure game fans will still enjoy themselves here, but poor players dipping their toes into this genre for first time will be left scratching their heads, not from the puzzles, but due to the lack of fun found herein.
Armikrog feels like a game for a different era, for good and ill. While point-and-click adventures can play to the nostalgia of some, they can feel mired in traditions that just don't translate to a more mainstream audience. If the former sounds like something you'd be into Armikrog will probably push your buttons. If the latter sounds like something you fear, Armikrog's lack of clear goals and an expectation of excessive patience means it's probably not for you.
On PC Armikrog would be a slightly better experience. It struggles to make the transition to controller well and the subtitles are still sized for a PC monitor rather than a television screen. It's hard to really pinpoint what would make Armikrog a better game as there's so many issues with it. There is a definite charm to it though, thanks to the visuals and audio that make it a pleasant experience when you're not stuck on a tedious puzzle. It's just a shame that the game feels so dated and the tedious puzzles are far too frequent.
A wonderful claymation art style and a unique soundtrack aren't enough to save this point-and-click adventure from its own monotonous puzzles and uninteresting story.