Amerzone: The Explorer's Legacy Review (Laxative Payne)
I usually dislike the existence of remakes, because it's easy for the publisher and developers to spit on what the original accomplished, even when that isn't their intention. Remakes can carve their own identity or stay faithful, and either move is a huge gamble. This truly faithful remake paid off. It's almost 1:1, going so far as to keep the 1999 title's point-and-click navigation, rather than letting you move around freely. That may disappoint some people, but the experience is nonetheless enhanced by including more tactile interaction, establishing a greater physical presence along the journey. Just one example would be the grapnel; using it was annoying in the original game, yet instead of removing it entirely, the remake integrates it in a way that makes intuitive sense. There are modern conveniences like objective pop-ups, which you can disable, and hints and fast travel, which you can ignore.
Most impressive and admirable of all, the game expands on the characters and storytelling without ruining or subverting them. While the protagonist (you) remains silent, his text commentary in the notes, item examination, etc.--and his body language during interactions--lend some welcome personality to the self-insert. The music is excellent, welling my eyes at least twice as I reflected on the spirit of adventure, beauty of nature, and complexities of humanity. A few of the English voice actors admittedly don't sound that natural, but there are still solid performances, with the writing always hitting home. You can tell that the devs cared about paying respects to the late, great Benoît Sokal.
Although the Unity engine can be hit or miss when it comes to graphical fidelity, and lighting and saturation, the overall atmosphere is immersive. Good sound design too. My only other gripes are something most people won't care about... The intro credits and end credits look tacky.
Highly recommended if you love adventure games. And even if you don't love them, it could very well hatch a new appreciation of the genre, much like the original Amerzone.