0 
0 The first thing you need to know about Cave Monster’s brilliant game Lord Winklebottom Investigates, is that it is utterly charming. Quite the feat for a game that starts with a panicked woman screaming over a corpse. So, if you’d like to hear more, then come along old boy, I’ve plenty to tell you…
Lord Winklebottom Investigates and You Must Help to Guide Him!
If you, too, love to investigate then perhaps you could help Winklebottom solve a terrible mystery. How would a reader like yourself let a writer know they’ve enjoyed reading a review? If you figure it out, then let me know in the comments.
Gameplay
Diving into Lord Winklebottom Investigates, you follow the investigations of Lord Winklebottom, a crack detective with an insatiable appetite for justice… and leaves.
With the aid of his witty partner, Dr Frumple, you help to lead Winklebottom through a wonderful point-and-click adventure. Solve puzzles, make observations, and learn what you can to help navigate the mysteries that surround this dynamic duo and solve the tragic murder of a dearly beloved animal.
At its core the game is comprised of the classic point-and-click adventure puzzles, solved by collecting, combining, and utilizing items throughout the map. As you solve each puzzle you take a step closer to resolving the overall mystery at the heart of the game. With every success you learn more about the plot of the game and the characters involved, allowing you to sharpen your understanding of this terrible crime. Couple these well-developed and implemented mechanics with an intuitive mouse-centric control scheme and you have a point-and-click adventure the way they are meant to be made.
Happily, this brilliantly executed point-and-click is wrapped in a package of witty writing and an engaging plot. This allows Cave Monsters to take Lord Winklebottom Investigates from a solid gaming experience to something truly memorable. With a variety of characters, fantastic puns, and a narrative to explore, they craft an experience that is truly… to die for.
Graphics & Audio
When it comes to looks, Lord Winklebottom Investigates has plenty of weight to throw around. The game benefits from a gorgeous art style that invokes an almost fairy-tale quality to the story. Every character has personality in spades and the addition of well placed animations brings the game to life, even while preserving that fantastic bookish quality.
As though that wasn’t enough, the game also features some fantastic cut-scenes. These work to add a sense of gravitas to an already wonderful visual experience.
Sound is easily one of the most important parts of Lord Winklebottom Investigates‘s charm. The voice actors have done a wonderful job bringing the many characters to life; from the erudite observations of Lord Winklebottom himself to the gravelly tones of Salty Walters.
On top of all that, the music adds another wonderful element to the game. The fantastic soundtrack manages to evoke a sense of intrigue and entertainment throughout the game, adding wonderfully to the experience. In fact, while I was playing through, I often found myself bobbing along to the music.
Unfortunately, the audio of the game is also the source of Lord Winklebottom Investigates‘s very few issues. As wonderful as the sound design is, there appears to be an intrinsic flaw. While playing through the game I often found that the voice acting seemed far too fast. It was almost as though their voices were sped up.
Seemingly the progression of the game is tied to frame rate, which means that when running at higher frame rates, the voices become almost breathlessly fast. This might be a small issue, but it did detract from the voice acting which was a real shame.
Longevity
While this game is an undoubtedly entertaining experience, there is a clear and obvious limit to its replayability. It is a mostly linear experience meaning there is little to be gained from subsequent playthroughs. I only jumped into a second playthrough to grab some achievements that I missed the first time around.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, Lord Winklebottom Investigates was a charming, entertaining, and altogether wonderful game that I thoroughly enjoyed playing. The puzzles were fun, the writing fun, and the story was engaging, all of which contributed to a delightful experience.
As a result, I am happy to award Lord Winklebottom Investigates the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Hey! Thanks so much for reading my review, if you enjoyed it why don’t you check out my last review covering The Tarnishing of Juxtia?
Disclaimer: I received a code in order to write this review.
YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Discord | Podcast
[allkeyshop_widget_offers game=”76684″ template=”26″]
About Author
