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One of the finest examples of an action-adventure hybrid, Mick is an ambitious and clever game from a Russian developer. You play a young boy who has been transformed into a snail by an evil witch. Cast down into the dank dungeons, you must find your way out, rescue your girlfriend, and defeat the witch for good. The gameplay is deceptively simple, since as a snail there is not much you can do at first. You can move around the dungeon, and nudge small objects. It is not until you discover that you can transform into other animals that the cleverness of Mick begins to shine and the game gets more interesting. You often have to do the right series of transformation to overcome tight spots and physical puzzles, and the level design is ingenious throughout. The game is all in Russian, but there is very little text to read, so it doesn't matter much. In contrast to most games that claim to be an "action adventure" and end up being little more than platformers with plots, Mick is a true underdog in the niche genre. Similar to Bad Mojo and Imogen, Mick implements the metamorphosis idea much more fully and creatively than the other two games. The game is truly unique, challenging, and innovative - definitely deserving of a spot on the hard drive of everyone who is a fan of Out of This World. In 2004, it was released as freeware. |
