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3rd-Person Adventure of the Classic Kind

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 53 / 56
Date: March 22, 2004
Author: Amazon User

_Runaway_ starts with a movie: an attractive young man in a director's chair on a dark stage tells you about the strange turn his life took recently. Brian Basco, you learn, is a brilliant physics student on his way to dream position at UC Berkeley. As he's leaving New York, he remembers he has an errand to run and heads to SoHo. A beautiful woman runs out in front of his car. He takes her to the hospital and tried to continue on his way, but she tells him her life is in danger. Being a kind-hearted soul, he can't just leave her, and soon enough the two of them are on the run.

This is another recent release that I avoided for some time due to various negative reviews. Well, I know everyone can't like everything but seriously! were those reviewers playing the same game? In my experience, _Runaway_ was beautiful, well-plotted, exceptionally acted, humourous and highly entertaining, with an interface that was easy to understand and use. It ran incredibly smoothly--no bugs here!-- and the soundtrack kept me humming long after I was done playing. All in all, a game in the best tradition of 3rd person adventure.

The game was highly linear. In some ways it played more like an interactive movie. There were many cut-scenes, some of them quite long. On the plus side, lots of conversations went along without any participation; it always annoys me when there's a contrived interactive quality to portions of a game that are basically information dumps. Sometimes a character would tell Brian to "Go away and come back in an hour," and instead of wandering around waiting for time to pass, you'd get a little movie where Brian said, "Well, I think an hour has gone by." I like this a lot. On the negative side, you couldn't pick up invetory until you needed it, or at least until you had some clue you needed SOMETHING. So you had to go back to locations quite a bit and keep looking at things to be sure there wasn't anything new. In some games this REALLY bothers me, but in _Runaway_ it didn't so much. I could understand not wanting to carry around fifteen tons of stuff until you had a use for it.

The puzzles were classic inventory/conversation: get information and find what you need to solve a problem. I found that the solutions generally made sense; there were only a few that seemed unthinkably silly or even downright wrong (in terms of real life). There were a lot of multi-part tasks--places where just as you thought you finally had it solved, something else would come up. And there were a couple of pixel hunts. But mostly, the game moved right along.

The characters were wonderful, if somewhat stereotyped. The voice acting was very good; I especially liked the Currandera, Mama Dorita. The main character had a slight tendancy to talk too much, but that was easily overlooked. I thought Brian's development was also well-done. You could see that his experiences were transforming him, but his core personality remained the same.

_Runaway_ took me about 20 hours to complete and I resorted to UHS hints 2 or 3 times (about average for me). I really, really enjoyed it and hope there will be a sequel. If you like the Monkey Island games, you'll like this one.

Fantastic style but mediocre gameplay

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 24 / 26
Date: March 24, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I loved this game at first, but after I got a while into it, I got extremely bored with it. The game looks great and starts off with some interesting puzzles, but in the middle it starts moving at a snail's pace. The storyline progresses at an excruciatingly slow rate while you are stuck in some huge areas trying to solve poorly designed puzzles. The bane of any adventure gamer is the pixel hunt, and this game has plenty of them. When you're not pixel hunting, then chances are you are solving some silly illogical puzzle. And when you are not doing that, you're solving some unoriginal puzzle that you have seen in other adventure games or brain teaser books.

The best part about this game is the graphics. This game is beautiful to look at and has a style that is unmatched by any other adventure game. The cartoony cel-shaded look really adds a lot to this game. The characters fit in perfectly. Every character is exaggerated in some cartoonish way - exaggerated facial features, exaggerated accents, exaggerated personalities, etc. All of the characters in the game are likeable and show that the game was made with lots of inspiration. The game's soundtrack is really good and most of the voice-acting is top-notch. The main character has this "gee whiz" dorkiness that actually ends up being kind of charming.

But it's just so hard to get into this game. The storyline is decent enough, but it progresses so slowly that you can almost forget what's going on in it. Gina (the beautiful girl on the box) disappears from the game for long periods of time, leaving her character totally undeveloped. Since the puzzles are not fun and interesting enough to keep you interested, you have to labor through the game to enjoy it. Many times you will find yourself resorting to a walkthrough, and then rolling your eyes at some of the absurd things that you are supposed to do to make it through the game. This is the problem with mediocre adventure games. The good ones manage to have logical and predictable solutions. The mediocre ones like this force you to try to read the developers' minds and guess at an inane solution. I really wanted to like this game, but it was a disappointment.

Excellent adventure game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 15
Date: October 20, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I am a huge fan of the Monkey Island series, mostly for the sytle of gameplay, but also for the humor and interesting "twists". Runaway has all of the aspects that I love of that series but with a sytle completely of its own. Runaway takes you on a roller coaster of adventure and suspense, but does it in a supremely crazy and comedic way.

I completely agree with the other reviewers that Runaway should have a "Mature" rating. A few people are killed right in front of you, and there is some mild drug use that is required for the character to complete a puzzle. There are other elements (drag queens, some racy dialogue, and skimpy clothing), but nothing more than what you see on TV.

I really had a lot of fun with this game. I did not realize how much I missed these games until I started playing Runaway. I am definitely hoping for a sequel.

So enjoyable!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 11
Date: February 28, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Runaway: A road adventure is a very original and enjoyable game. Where do i start, where do i start... I loved the puzzles. even though, as some mentioned, some of the puzzles are a little weird and not very logical, anyone can pick up after a while that that was part of the game. typical hollywood plot, mafia people, drag queens, aliens, beautiful girl who doesnt turn out to be who we thought... it all fits together. my point is that once you 'get' the mentality of the game, you should be fine. i personally loved the puzzles, and also the fact that you couldnt do certain things until something else happened made the game much more realistic in my opinion.

I am a big fun of the Broken Sword and Monkey Island games, and one of the reasons why i like them so much is because of the cartoonish, handpainted graphics. This is also the reason why i got interested in Runaway in the first place. believe me the screenshots don't do this game justice, and the animations in the game during the cutscenes are amazing. The characters are many, interesting and original so that you remember each and every one of them. the music is nice, the voice acting is not perfect but still alright. There is some pixel hunting, but nothing you can't find if you are patient and look carefully. Finally, the plot was not groundbreaking, but it did keep my interest and it was fun. i especially loved the way i was introduced to each new chapter, and the long ending scene, which was both satisfaying but then kept me wanting more. that's when you know you've played a good game. My only complaint? It should have been longer! If you are an adventure games fan, this one is not to be missed. I can't wait for Runaway 2.

P.S.: Unlike some reviewers who experienced bug problems, I experienced none. The game run smoothly from start to finish, even when I would switch from game view to Windows view.

Great fun game..

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: August 18, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game is worth buying, i don't know how i never heard of it before!! Graphics are similar to Curse of Monkey Island. This game is an adventure game where you control Brian and what he does. It's a fun mystery and funny at times too! The difficulty of this game is i'd say a 3 out of 5...I had to cheat a couple of times cuz i missed things that were right in front of my face. The game is not hard but not too easy either.
There are a few puzzles and some that involve a little knowledge of math, which were very fun for me. They're not that hard to figure out, just a little time. Oh and my favorite part is you can never die in the game so your palms don't sweat when you play it.

Spare 10 bucks and play it.

A very enjoyable adventure game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: January 06, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Last year has been a very fruitful one for adventure gamers. Runaway is a fine example of last year's harvest.

It is a "typical" point and click adventure game, which has all the necessary ingredients to make it a success:
(1) Great Plot
(2) Fun, logical puzzles, with no pixel hunting
(3) Very nice graphics, atmospheric and humorous
(4) Pleasant main characters with good voice acting, that dont irritate the player
(5) Atmospheric ambient music and great rock themes.

Conclusion: Another fine example of European programming and and a must have game for all adventure games fans.
Please note that Runaway could become the introductory title for nonadventure games fans, as well!

Runaway Ran With Starforce

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 14 / 21
Date: August 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Runaway is a Starforce game. Those of you not familiar with Starforce should read the "Prince of Persia :The Two Thrones" PC game user reviews, here, at Amazon.

I own and installed Runaway. Its an amicable enough point and click adventure game. There are certainly worse.

However, most games don't "Runaway" with your computer.

After I installed Runaway, and unfortunately for me, two other Starforce laden adventure games, I began to suffer the varied problems that Starforce is reported to cause.

I had to replace my hard drive, on a computer new enough to be under warranty.

Starforce authors, and the developers that use it, claim it to be a safe, effective means of copy protection. They have also claimed that Starforce detractors are angry gamers that can't copy their games.

I've never used pirated software, nor have I ever engaged in commiting the crime. Yet, because I like to play PC games, I have to suffer the consequences of pirating without being
informed.

Starforce installs hidden drivers on your computer, that cannot be removed easily...if at all. The company has provided a removal tool for these hidden drivers, but many posts have filtered in that either pieces or even all the software refuses to leave (after its use).

Trisynergy did not ask me if they could install hidden drivers on my hard drive that are very difficult and stubborn to remove(that interfere with my own computer's drivers).

While I can not prove that Starforce games caused the damage to my computer, I have no evidence that it did not. The excuses and procalamations I recieved from another Starforce using company included and blamed my hardware configuration...after I informed them I had a 17" Toshiba Desktop Replacement Notebook with a P4 at 3.2Ghz and 1.5 GB RAM. It would be hard, for even me, to wreck the hardware configuration of my notebook.

The choice is yours to make.

MJH

Great fun game to play!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: July 26, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I've been an adventure gamer for many, many years now. My first adventure games were created by Sierra. I loved their games. I remember having to type in what you wanted your main character to do. Talk about frustrating. They were also very expensive...mostly $40-$50. But I still loved it. (Can't wait for the new Leisure Suit Larry to come out!!!)
Adventure games have come a long way since then...most have lost something along the way. I didn't feel that way with this game. I loved this game!!! I don't think I could've gotten a better game for the money. I highy recommend it to all old and new adventurers alike!!

Totally absorbing and original game.....

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 11
Date: September 11, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is so different from many of the adventures that are out there right now. It is no wonder that it's been such a huge hit all over Europe, and if the word gets out here in the US, I think people will really enjoy it, too, since the characters are excellent, the screen art is absolutely amazing and different and the story is entertaining and fun.

The game starts out in New York but turns into a sort of road trip across America, passing through ghost towns, deserts, chicago and a whole assortment of other places. Like I said before, the artwork in this game is so great (the portrayals of the Indian lands and ruins are awesome) and is much different from the other games I've seen lately. You can spend lots of time just looking at the amusing details in the background, but that is only a small part of it all...

The game in general and puzzles are neither too difficult nor too easy, the secondary characters (especially Rutger the yawaskel-growing dude and Sushi the teenage computer brain girl who helps you out of the mess you're in) are all hilarious...and the situations are just so different from other games I've played (enlisting the help of a trio of drag queen commandos!, meeting with Hopi Indian spirits)...

I definitely recommend playing this adventure if you feel like getting addicted to a game for a while and want something different but highly entertaining.

fun characters

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: May 13, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game is reminiscent of the Monkey Island series by Lucas Arts which is not a bad thing at all. The animation is great and the characters have tons of personality. Game play is pretty fun, I got a little drifty due to lack of challenge. The problem solving is not based on reality logic. You have to use logic according to what you have in your inventory. It's a very short game, I think I logged about 5-7 hours total and like I said, my attention was drifting frequently. Even though it wasn't a huge challenge, it's still a good game for the adventure players. I find games like Syberia way overrated and zero challenge except for the fact that I must finish it so Runaway IS worthwhile. Interesting factoid: the main female voice (a few characters played by her) is also a voice in quite a few games out there...Nancy Drew in particular.

I recommend buy it, play it, resell it!

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