0 
0 Point-and-click games are always welcome here at TC Towers. It was certainly awesome to be able to preview Whirlight: No Time To Trip, by Italian devs Imaginarylabs.
There is something nostalgic about being part of a story that you need to progress through by solving logical puzzles. It is certainly good to have a break once in a while from all the fast-paced action shoot-em-ups, and instead give that grey matter a bit of a workout!
An Adventure Awaits!
If Imaginarylabs sound familiar to you then it maybe because they are also the entity behind the highly acclaimed point-and-click game Willy Morgan. A game that I also got to preview and review back in 2020. My review can be found here!
How will Whirlight stand alongside Willy Morgan? Let’s take a look.
Gameplay
Hector is your starting main character. From the short preview that I played, you quickly ascertain that he is some kind of inventor. Hector seemingly traverses between an alternate reality as well as his hometown at Verice Bay. Clearly, he is troubled by his misfortune through his previous inventions that have never quite taken off to be the next big thing and earned him the credit he seeks.
Starting in a bleak room you must solve clues in order to find a way out of this doorless area. Items that you can interact with appear with a large display text as you run your mouse across them. If you do not like the searching part, which for me is a big part of the game mechanics behind a point-and-click, then you can hold down the right mouse button. By doing this each interactive area will have an icon appear in front of it. I do feel that is a little bit cheating and speeds up the gameplay somewhat.
If you click on an object then Hector will tell you a bit about them. Anything that can then be picked up will automatically appear in your inventory. To use an item you simply drag the item to another, either on the screen or within your inventory. There is no interactive wheel or array of buttons where you select the action that you want to take.
Achievement Unlocked
While the controls feel a little simplified, the puzzles are most certainly not. Although the ones that I experienced were early on, I found them to be logical and at times quite intuitive. It was not always obvious exactly what you needed to do or combine for example. I love that you do get that buzz of achievement when you finally solve the problem.
Although the preview was quite short, it took me just over an hour to play through. During that time I navigated through several areas, both in reality and in the altered universe. The gameplay was fun and the humerous storyline had me engrossed. From the trailer video, there is certainly a lot more to discover, puzzles to solve and new characters, such as Margaret the artist to meet.
Graphics & Audio
Whirlight has amazing hand-drawn graphics thanks to the dedication of the small team behind it. Each location feels unique with glorious lighting and vibrant colours that stand out. The animations are smooth, especially when interacting with items. There are definite Willy Morgan vibes in the style however Whirlight is a touch more cartoony in how it comes across which does set it apart.
It was great discovering the inspiration behind some of the models that were used in the scenery of the game over on the official facebook page.
The audio is captivating whereby each scene has its own unique background music that sets the tone. It is fun and melodic as keyboards and horns gently accompany your journey in a comedic fanfare movie style.
From what I previewed, all of the dialogue is fully voiced and interactions with with other characters allow you to select what you would like to ask them. There was a little bit of repetition if you incorrectly select an item to use, however, there are only so many ways you can tell somebody “no!”.
Longevity
I am unsure at this stage how long Whirlight will take to complete. I am hoping that it is longer than Willy Morgan, which although is a brilliant game, seemed to come to a climax fairly quickly, leaving me wanting more.
Final Thoughts
If you enjoy point-and-click games then Whirlight is one to put on your wishlist. Although it can be argued that the mechanics don’t leave you to go pixel-hunting in true retro fashion, the storyline, characters, graphics, audio, and of course, the puzzles are spot on. The Whirlight preview has certainly left me hankering for more!
I can’t wait to see where the story goes next and what devilish puzzles I will need to solve along the journey! Check out the trailer below. Whirlight: No Time to Trip comes to PC via Steam at some point in 2025!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this preview.
YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Discord | Podcast
About Author
