gaming Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock

[marlyly 187]

I just had an ABSOLUTE BLAST playing this game, I enjoyed it so much that I need to talk about it:

 

Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock

 

Basically, it’s a 2D platform game (but with animate background that has an impact on the gameplay), with a coop 2 player mode and a lot of mini games and enigmas.

And I think it’s a must-have for all the fan of the new Doctor Who.

 

 

First the gameplay:

 

As I said it’s a 2D platform game, not really Mario like because there’s not a bazillion deadly traps and pits in your way.

 

The objective of each stage is, usually, to reach a certain place to use a mechanism or obtain an item. There are often some obstacles to make the scene more interesting (you’re in a prison and much dodge the guard in the background, or cybermen are behind you and you must go fast).

 

You control 2 characters, the Doctor and River, the first can use his screwdriver to open doors and switch mechanism (make platform move for example) and River can use her gun to force enemies to stay back, or other little tricks.

 

Those two characters can be together in the same scene, or in totally different places or time. If you are playing with a friend (which is, I think, the best option), the screen will be spitted in half.

 

This kinda classic gameplay become really intense when all the elements are together. For the cybermen scene I wrote about before, just imagine yourself trying to slow them down by shooting them, and yelling at your partner that if he doesn’t open the freakin door, you’ll both be fried in the next minute.

It’s like having a timeline, that depend of your mate’s skills (but that could never be unlimited). It makes the game original, entertaining, and even kinda hard sometime.

 

And for the most intelligent of us, you can change the difficulties of the enigmas, you don’t see that often in a video game and, by looking at how much enigma the game contains, I see it as a great idea.

 

 

The scenario:

 

The story in itself is original, and will make you travel in different time periods of London.

You’ll face some of the worst enemies the doctor ever met: the cybermen, the lizardmen (don’t remember the real name), the silence, and of course the Dalek.

 

It’s not easy to judge the scenario, since the game is based on a series with very crazy plots. I’ll just say that this game could easily be an episode of the TV show.

 

The best thing is that the game managed to catch the spirit of the series. Those scene I wrote about early on when teamplay is the key, it really makes you feel like you’re in the show: you run like hell following the Doctor’s crazy plan, and for a fan like me it’s priceless.

The game also contains a lot of references to the show that will, once more, make smile the series’ lovers.

 

It won’t take you too long to finish the game, in normal mode in coop, we needed less than 5 hours. But the durability is increased by the bonuses to find in every stage (hats and pages from River’s diary) and you can just do the game once more and switch characters. And since the game only cost me 10 Euros, I’m not gonna complain.

 

 

Aspect:

 

I was force to play the French version of the game (the friend I was playing with can’t understand English) so take it in consideration when I talk about the voices.

 

My friend, who also watch the series in French, affirm me that the voices weren’t the ones from the show, but we both agreed that they were pretty good (but not the dalek’s one, make us laugh).

We also heard a couple of very good and funny catchphrases.

 

The graphics are fine. Once more you can’t expect everything from a cheap game. But if we Ignore an enemies that talk without moving her lips, and a few background that really looks empty, it’s more than acceptable. The perspective effect is well done and the graphics doesn’t have negatives impact in the gameplay (like hard to see platforms).

I didn’t carefully paid attention to the music but you will hear the Doctor’s classic theme song, sometime slow, sometime rhythmic, and always well putted considering the situation.

 

The only problem is with the voices of the enemies, sometime the voice of a Doctor’s enemies can be erased by the voice of River’s one (or the contrary) when you play coop in two different places.

 

Since my computer is a 1 year old shity portable, I think you shouldn’t have problem make run the game. We only had a few lag when one of the character were loading, and the other still playing, but nothing terrible.

 

 

I think this will cover most part of the game’s aspect. I think it could be fun even if you’re not a Doctor’s fan. My only recommendation would be to play it with a friend since coop is the very essence of the game (you’re gonna need at least one gamepad).

 

And if you’re a fan of the new Doctor just go for it, you won’t regret.

 

 

ps: I never wrote a game review before, so if there are some very important information lacking, or if you find that my writhing or my presentation are bad, please excuse me.

Edited January 3, 2013 by marlyly