Getting Started
Dark Grim Mariupolis is a bizarre point and click adventure by publisher Ternox, and developer Team Mariupolis. My first impressions of this game reminded me of some point and click adventure game on my old Apple II. (1980s). What reminded me the most of this time period was the stark graphics and animations. Also it is very heavy on the text. At one point you collect a diary that is 32 pages long. Granted not all of the diary is essential for you to read, but often the text items you find or collect are absolutely essential to solve the puzzles.
The Characters and Your Interactions
You play as Thor, a detective who is investigating a crime at a local shrine. Thor is a colorful character who is definitely an antihero. Throughout the entire game he is constantly chain smoking, and challenging other characters to duels. Did I mention that Thor is a robot? Pretty much every character is a robot. They are divided up between magic users and vikings. The game seems to want to be acquainted with philosophical ideas from philosophers like Plato. The game doesn’t get too deep in the woods with any of these concepts, but they are mentioned.
Your first interactions in the game are with a robot dinosaur and a magic user named Warlock. Throughout the game you have to talk to everyone you encounter and choose your responses to each conversation. Some responses will result in the storyline changing or even you dying.
The Storytelling
The one thing that stood out to me while playing this game was the writing. Dark Grim Mariupolis is very well written, and makes you look forward to finding the next character or piece of evidence. Speaking of the next piece of evidence, the direction of the game is not always clear. There were several points where I felt like I was stuck. Luckily for me some of those times I was able to refer to my trusty Fugu companion, and was given a hint that helped me get back on track.
Graphics
Like I had indicated before the graphics of this game are not all that great, and one could be very critical of the game if they didn’t have an understanding of the genre, and the classic games in this genre. However in the context of the classic point and click adventure games, this game fits in very well. In many ways the simple graphics adds to the dark atmosphere.
Sound and Atmosphere
Along with the writing the sound and vibration also adds great to the games atmosphere. The game uses the hd rumble feature in some interesting ways. One that stuck out for me was when I was printing out something the vibration in the controller was moving left to right as the paper was coming out. It also is used for the thunder effects. The sound is simple but very apt for each setting.
Should you play it?
I would recommend this game without hesitation. The game is 4.99 on the Nintendo eShop and only a few dollars on Steam. For that cost, you are getting a really fun trip through a bizarre story. The game is only 2-4 hours long, and to my thoughts has very little replay value. Check out the pictures in this review so you can get a feel for how the game looks and plays. Even if you get stuck just keep on trying until you progress further. It really does feel rewarding once you solve your next puzzle or find your next clue.
I want to thank the publisher Ternox for the review code. You can purchase Dark Grim Mariupolis on the Nintendo eShop for $4.99.
