A comedy adventure game where a group of no more than three characters team up to go on a quest of exploration and puzzle solving? Must be a Ron Gilbert game. But no, this is not Maniac Mansion; that’s the other great game by Ron. This is The Cave, a strange mash up of Point and Click adventure games and Metroidvania exploration.
Before starting the game you have a selection of seven characters; each one has their own specific story to follow and a custom ability that can prove useful in a number of predicaments. Once you have managed to decide which ones you will take on your journey, you can set off into the Cave. The Cave is a funny setting, as the narrator itself is the cave that you happen to be exploring. He chimes in here and there with silly one liners and exposition, all of which carry a spooky undertone. It is in fact the cave in vocal and physical presence that tells the story of the game. I was rather surprised to find out that there is a heavier emphasis on the story elements, which are largely about the characters you happen to be playing as.
All seven optional characters have their own story of how they found their way into the cave, and this is really where replay value comes into it. Once you have finished the game with your party of three, you have an urge to go back and play through with another set of characters. Each has their own specific story and level tied to them so the only way you will ever see all the game has to offer in terms of gameplay and narrative is if you play as each person at least once. This method of replaying isn’t forced on you at all but it does offer enough new content (in the way of new levels) that the minimum of three runs through doesn’t feel like a chore or punishment.
One main twist to the core puzzle mechanics make The Cave stick out from the adventure game crowd. The inventory system in most adventure games allows you to hold an awfully large amount of items, but in this game you’re limited to one per character. This really helped streamline the experience, as you won’t get stuck for too long in an area and, thankfully, every solution feels like the most logical answer. Another great thing about the puzzles here is that you can sometimes use character abilities to circumvent chunks of puzzles, as long as you have the right person in your party. At the beginning of the game you need to do a whole bunch to stuff to get a bucket stuck down a well, but if the monk happens to be on your team then he can just teleport it right into his hands and save you ten minutes. Each character has a specific moment like this and it really helps in making them all feel worthwhile.
But sadly, as with most games, there are flaws. In the gameplay department, you are constantly swapping between the characters to do new things. A majority of this is fine as each has to do their own thing to finish a level, but where it really drags is when you have finished a section and need all three to be in the same spot, yet you find yourself without a call all button. This forces you to swap to each character manually and walk them to the required destination. You can attempt to circumvent this problem by playing up to three player multiplayer but you all have to stay together on the same screen to stay in play. If someone wanders off screen they are out of play until selected, leading to the same issues as during solo play. Very rarely does the game automatically teleport all the characters together, but when it does, it’s a blessing.
Another missed opportunity may come in the lack of character dialog. While you get to know each character through their own story, you never really get to see their personality shine through. A lot is expressed through their body language and back story, but a little voice could have gone a long way. That said, I find myself at odds on whether I should really call this a downfall, as the nature of each characters story calls for a disconnect from them to really accentuate their morally jaded personalities.
Overall, my journey into the cave brought more than I had expected from it, especially in the story department. With a ten pound price point you may not see yourself getting your values worth on a single play through, though, as it only takes around four hours to finish. But what it does offer in replay value and personal stories more than makes up for that first run. To experience everything this game has to offer you will need to finish it at least three times, adding up to a good ten hours of play time and great value for your cash.