A tragedy or a happy ending?
The biggest faux-pas with the control system is that two of the buttons should have been switched around to make it more comfortable. As it stands, you spend most of the game with your finger poised over the ‘B’ button and your thumb over the ‘A’ button, allowing you to interact and pick up items, yet the other function that you use the most is the magnifying glass, which for some reason is activated with the ‘1’ button - which is situated near to the base of the controller, bizarre.Okay, so it’s not the crime of the century, but it does mean that you constantly need to adjust the positioning of your hand to press it, when it could have been avoided by simply changing it with the + key, near the middle of the controller, which is currently set to be activate the menu; something which you’ll hardly ever need to access.
Whilst it’s true that Wii has attracted a new audience and it could be said that they may not be familiar with how simple point-and-click adventures are on PC, so probably won't know any better, if you’re expecting a smooth control system, you’ll be sorely disappointed.
Secret Files: Tunguska does do a number of things extremely well, managing to create atmosphere through its graphics, cut-scenes, music and solid story-telling, and even though the controls are over-complicated, and sometimes over-sensitive, the puzzles are well-thought-out, especially the team-based ones later on, and on the whole fun and challenging to solve.
The PC version is better, thanks to a smooth control scheme, but it’s still a very good game on Wii and if you’re looking to bring an intriguing adventure into your living-room, it’s certainly worth spending the 20 hours+ that it will take you to complete it exploring the Tunguska universe and its array of colourful characters.
Pros
Looks great
Intriguing story
Logical, yet challenging puzzles
Cons
Over complicated controls
Wii-mote oversensitivity
A meaty tale for the mature adventurer.
HEXUS Awards
Secret Files: Tunguska - Wii (7/10)
