Review: The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom
Written by Steven McKay   
Saturday, 20 February 2010 20:50
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The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom is the first release by indie developers The Odd Gentlemen, and follows the exploits of unscrupulous pie thief, P.B. Winterbottom, on his quest to catch the mythical Chronoberry pie.  What follows is a very charming, simple, puzzle game, much in the same vein as indie darling Braid. In fact, the game unapologetically apes many of Braid's mechanics, though it manages to do so while retaining enough individual identity to avoid being derivative.

This sense of individuality is most noticeable in the game's unique art style; a beautiful, black and white, silent movie-esque style, set against the backdrop of a Victorian-era city. Combined with the character design, the game not only feels fresh, but also exudes an air of comedy and silliness.  This silliness even carries over to the story, which is another area where the game tries to differentiate itself; where Braid was lauded for its clever and poignant story, The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom isn't nearly as clever. While there is a lesson to be learned, the game just doesn't try too hard to be clever.

As for the structure of the game, the premise is simple. Much like Braid, the game is split up into different chapters – referred to as movies – and each movie revolves around a different puzzle mechanic, which must be mastered in order to solve the puzzles, and progress to the next movie.  The puzzles themselves are well thought-out, and are difficult enough to be challenging, without being frustrating. As such, you'll probably blow through all of the puzzles in around three hours, but there are challenge modes to extend the life of the game.

If anything, it is this brevity that is the game's only real fault. However, given the quality of the content on offer, this fails to be an issue. All told, The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom is a charming, well made game, with a lot of character. While it may be lacking a little of the finesse and polish of Braid, this is a sterling first effort by The Odd Gentlemen. Take into account the fact that the game only costs a mere 800MSP, and there really is no reason why you shouldn't check this game out.
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