REVIEW

Adam’s Venture Origins Review

by Rob Pritchard, April 27th, 2016

This review of Adam’s Venture Origins contains minor spoilers for how to complete certain puzzles within the narrative as part of the critical analysis.

From 2009 to 2012, a small studio named Vertigo Games released Adam’s Venture, a three part puzzle-adventure game that focused on the story of a spunky young man who assists his father on his archaeologist exploits. Taking inspiration from the adventures of Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider and the Broken Sword series, they succeeded in making a modest adventure which received mixed critical acclaim. Eager to return to their roots, the original developers revealed that they would be remaking the trilogy, with Adam’s Venture Origins being the result of their labours. While the new version of these adventures do feel a more rounded experience, there are a few issues which hold back Adam Venture’s journey from being one of the more recognised heroes in the history of adventure games.

After discovering the location of the fabled Garden of Eden, Adam Venture, along with the help of his father’s assistant, Evelyn Appleby, embark on a quest to find the legendary Biblical location. Along the way, they learn of a sinister corporation who is hoping to exploit the garden for their own means, as well as another famous religious landmark hidden somewhere in Jerusalem. Unlike many of the remasters that have been developed in the past few years, Adam’s Venture Origins has been entirely rebuilt using a different game engine, moving from Epic’s Unreal Engine to the latest version of Unity. From a graphical perspective, the adventures of Adam and Evelyn look entirely different from their original counterparts, opting for a photo-realistic approach instead of an illustrated style like you would see in a graphic novel. The clothing styles have stayed the same, but some characters have been altered dramatically, such as Evelyn, who now possesses a brunette tone on her hair, instead of being bleached blonde. On the highest settings, it could easily equal some of the triple A blockbusters such as The Last of Us and Until Dawn. Unfortunately while the locations and character models created are of high quality, their in-game animations seem a little robotic, particularly when picking up objects or interacting with the environment, and the lip syncing during dialogue rarely matches with what is being said on screen.

In the original versions of Adam’s Venture, The Search for the Lost Garden, Solomon’s Secret and Revelations, the camera was placed at a fixed angle when navigating the game world. This meant that you could only walk around several small areas to complete the puzzles necessary to proceed. This time around, you now freely control Adam like you would Lara Croft or Nathan Drake, by using lightable torches, a grappling hook and the ability to jump, as well as solving the puzzles which bar your way. While fans of action adventure games will find something to appreciate in this reboot because of this change in the control scheme, the puzzles are most reminiscent of Broken Sword and Gabriel Knight. For example, rather than manipulating the environment to provide an open doorway, you are asked to disable an explosive mechanism or piece together ancient stone tablets. It is worth nothing that no puzzle in Adam’s Venture Origins feels out of place, unlike so many point and click adventure titles which can add multiple unnecessary tasks for the sake of extending the length of the game.

One of the key elements in the Adam’s Venture series are the religious themes present throughout the adventure. From the titular characters of Adam and Evelyn, to the locations such as the Garden of Eden, and the biblical verses which need to be reassembled in order to solve a puzzle. This fits perfectly with non-violent play-style Vertigo Games have created, quite unlike Uncharted, which is famous for it’s higher than average mercenary fatality rate. Although the emergence of non-violent options is a noble pursuit, it unfortunately backfires in this instance, as the removal of any hostility removes all tension from the confrontations. This is especially relevant towards the end of the game, when a disobedient minion is told to leave, rather than being eliminated in a cruel manner by the determined antagonist.

If you are a fan of light orchestral style soundtracks, then you not be disappointed with what Adam’s Venture Origins has to offer. From the tones that accompany you on the title screen, to the wistful theme that plays whilst you are walking through the French countryside town of Luz. Unfortunately, the voice acting has not seen the same attention, as the majority of the cast feel wooden in their delivery of the characters, and lack the conviction that has been seen in other examples of the genre. For example, Adam Venture is presented as the hero of the story who is slightly goofy and prone to making bad jokes, but his voice acting paints the reverse picture, making him seem cruel and unpleasant to be around.

A major problem with Adam’s Venture Origins is that the entire adventure can be completed in less than two and a half hours, and unfortunately no collectable items, time trials have been included to extend the experience. It also appears that while new sections were added to make full use of the enhanced gameplay mechanics such as mine cart riding, Metal Gear Solid style stealth sections and using conveniently placed grappling hooks dotted around the ceiling. Several sections from the original three games have been entirely removed, which has significantly reduced the amount of playtime needed to complete the story. If this were a budget release, then this could be forgiven fairly easily, but at the retail price of £29.99, the distinct lack of content means that it is hard to recommend.

Overall, Adam’s Venture Origins is a fairly average remake of the original Adam’s Venture trilogy. While the new gameplay style fits perfectly with the concept of an adventure game, the wooden voice acting and brief storyline leave us with a sense of relief, rather than satisfaction at its conclusion.