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RUNAWAY: A ROAD ADVENTURE (PC)
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Publisher: Focus Home Interactive.
Developer: Pendulo Studios. Released: July 2001 (Europe); August 2003 (US). Genre: Point 'n' Click. Posted 16th March 2022. By Tom Clare © 2022 |
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Almost single-handedly, Runaway would pull the Spanish games industry out of the doldrums during the early years of the 21st Century. Its resurgence in the wake of regional publisher Dinamic Multimedia’s folding is genuinely heart-warming, as developer Pendulo fought successfully to re-secure the rights to their game. Runaway would enjoy great commercial success across continental Europe, helping arrest the decline in physical PC game sales and offering hope to a point ‘n’ click genre that was in desperate need of its next Broken Sword.
It isn’t difficult to see why Runaway succeeded. It’s a real blockbuster. The decision to blend 2D animated backgrounds with cel-animated 3D character models pays off in fine style: it’s both superbly effective and highly distinctive. Pendulo’s art design is stunning, it’s hard to believe Runaway dates back as far as 2001. Considerable attention was given to both the settings and the way in which the story is conveyed, as Runaway comes packed with a glut of fun, personable video sequences, delivered with an irreverent charm.
Runaway's visual design has aged with remarkable grace, though some of its puzzles might prove a little obscure for some tastes
Central protagonist Brian Basco is your everyday guy who, by a quirk of timing, becomes embroiled in a high-stakes road movie of sorts. He quite literally runs into Gina, a mysterious stranger whose father has been killed by underworld thugs. It’s soon apparent that she's next on their hit list and in need of help. Split into six increasingly sizeable and complex chapters, Runaway is a mammoth point ‘n’ click. Its locations include a hospital ward, a museum with various labs and exhibits and a ghost town complete with a saloon and a derailed train. These pay homage to classic movies (two of its chapters are named “The Great Escape” and “Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind”) and each is a magnificent creation. Long-term fans of the genre will appreciate an intuitive inventory system with easy-to-combine items, as well as straightforward mouse controls, where a right-click switches between examination and active use actions.
Pendulo’s penchant for strong storytelling is evident throughout. It’s easy to become invested because the characters are lively and personable. There’s a streak of pantomime to it all: Runaway provides many humorous moments and never takes itself too seriously. It helps that the voicing is (mostly) great, with Brian reeling off a heck of a lot of descriptions and musings, delivering colour to items, scenery and puzzles.
Pendulo’s penchant for strong storytelling is evident throughout. It’s easy to become invested because the characters are lively and personable. There’s a streak of pantomime to it all: Runaway provides many humorous moments and never takes itself too seriously. It helps that the voicing is (mostly) great, with Brian reeling off a heck of a lot of descriptions and musings, delivering colour to items, scenery and puzzles.
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The biggest bug-bear I have with Runaway is that it’s too easy to get bogged down. Even factoring the genre’s well-established, famously cryptic nature, this one’s train of logic can be difficult to follow. There’s a greater sense of frustration with Runaway because its design can seem more obtuse than clever. One instance sees Brian having to make peanut butter, despite picking up a jar of the stuff. The player must then endure a painstaking process of finding nuts and a means of grinding them, finding butter for the mixture and finally something to store them in. There are numerous instances of Brian acknowledging items that could solve problems in a far more logical and straightforward manner, only to dismiss them.
Another aspect that makes Runaway prodigiously difficult to make progress with is that Brian has to discover specific clues, dialogues or observations before he will collect certain items. This makes sense to a degree: why would you pick up random, unconnected objects if you didn’t have a purpose for them? The problem is, when it’s not a specific item you’re looking for, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. You may have combed over a number of rooms, but after you’ve instigated a small observation or conversation, you may have to go back over absolutely everything again, to see if Brian has changed his attitude towards one item. Add to this the increasingly expansive locations and you’ll be collecting all manner of objects, many of which span multiple different puzzles (that you may or may not have discovered at the time of collecting) and it can become extremely challenging to keep track of what you’re trying to do.
Another aspect that makes Runaway prodigiously difficult to make progress with is that Brian has to discover specific clues, dialogues or observations before he will collect certain items. This makes sense to a degree: why would you pick up random, unconnected objects if you didn’t have a purpose for them? The problem is, when it’s not a specific item you’re looking for, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. You may have combed over a number of rooms, but after you’ve instigated a small observation or conversation, you may have to go back over absolutely everything again, to see if Brian has changed his attitude towards one item. Add to this the increasingly expansive locations and you’ll be collecting all manner of objects, many of which span multiple different puzzles (that you may or may not have discovered at the time of collecting) and it can become extremely challenging to keep track of what you’re trying to do.
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Between this repeating over and over again and the often small or concealed nature of items, it’s easy to become unstuck. There are lots of enjoyable logic puzzles, I should add. But now and then, Runaway completely loses the plot, such as with a section that sees Brian traipsing from one end of town to the other, filling and then transporting a watering can to a boiler. Six times!
Runaway’s animated settings are a joy to explore. Its cartoon vibe is extolled beautifully through subtle shades, top-notch animations and superbly drawn visuals. Clear, bright and attractive, yet never garish. Environments are bolstered by a bevvy of nice peripheral touches. Small details, such as birds flying overhead or drapes billowing in the breeze, mean even the most backwater of settings feel alive. Brian exhibits numerous ‘thinking’ poses, should the player leave him standing for any length of time. NPCs demonstrate a surprising range of moves as well, most notably when listening/dancing to music. Speaking of which, the soundtrack makes for a very pretty accompaniment and a deceptively eclectic one at that, an ideal compliment to the cerebral gameplay.
Runaway’s animated settings are a joy to explore. Its cartoon vibe is extolled beautifully through subtle shades, top-notch animations and superbly drawn visuals. Clear, bright and attractive, yet never garish. Environments are bolstered by a bevvy of nice peripheral touches. Small details, such as birds flying overhead or drapes billowing in the breeze, mean even the most backwater of settings feel alive. Brian exhibits numerous ‘thinking’ poses, should the player leave him standing for any length of time. NPCs demonstrate a surprising range of moves as well, most notably when listening/dancing to music. Speaking of which, the soundtrack makes for a very pretty accompaniment and a deceptively eclectic one at that, an ideal compliment to the cerebral gameplay.
Whether you’ll see it through to the end will likely depend on your detective skills and powers of patience. It’s plenty big enough to satisfy those who like their puzzling tough. Runaway represents a feel-good story for the Spanish games industry and turn-of-the-millennium point ‘n’ clicks, both of which enjoyed an upturn in fortunes as a result of the game’s popularity. Obscure logic means an element of bloody-mindedness is needed to beat Runaway, but for those after a rich, memorable representative of the genre, this one is well worth the trip.
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VERDICT
"An obscure train of logic means an element of bloody-mindedness is needed to beat Runaway, but for those after a rich, memorable point 'n' click adventure, this one is well worth the trip." OVERALL: 7/10 |