Freddi Fish 3: The Case of the Stolen Conch Shell Review (Rolaric)
As a child I only ever owned and played two of the Freddi Fish games, The Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds, and this one. Now as an adult, having replayed both of them and played The Case of the Haunted Schoolhouse for the first time, I have reaffirmed to my self that this one is my favorite of the three.
The difference in tone and setting are immediately apparent. The Case of the Stolen Conch Shell takes place in a much more vibrant, and brightly colored location, with a greatly enhanced cast of varied characters, without even relying on cameos from past games.
And yet the game is not lacking in the darker, more mysterious locations that I had come to associate with the franchise. Overall, this games variety in setting and characters is far beyond what the two before it had managed.
The game itself, while linear and somewhat simplistic, can branch in many different paths with each play through, as the location of key items is semi-random, along with the ending solution. Certain items you collect, characters you interact with, and puzzles you encounter may or may not be as relevant as they were in past play throughs. In this way the game has wonderful replayability, for its genre and time, as it essentially gives you a new path and case each time.
The soundtrack is wonderful as well. While overall it sticks to an easy going tropical theme, its not afraid to be creative and throw something unexpected at you occasionally. Honestly, I like to listen to the soundtracks of these games at work, lacking lyrics, its unobtrusive and encourages my focus while providing an overall positive atmosphere.
My childhood nostalgia may cause bias on my part. But while the game is simple and short, the time I spent with it was with a permanent smile. Its creative and positive, and a wonderful way to kill an hour, for an adult. From my own experience, I can say that a young child could be entertained by this game for far, far longer.