I say old chap!
The idea of a spiffing adventure around the world, inspired by Jules Verne's classic hero is an undeniably appealing one, and while 80 Days seems like it's going to deliver the goods, it ultimately proves to be too repetitive to make it a must play. The story follows the original novel, in that Phileas Fogg finds himself in a race around the world, and must return to London in 80 days in order to win the bet. You play as his faithful servant, Passpartetout, and it's up to you to make the arrangements, choose the route and pretty much take care of everything. It's sort of like a modern version of The Oregon Trail, as you need to make decisions about what provisions to buy, your route, how you will travel and all sorts of other things. It plays out a little like a text adventure, but with some stylish visuals thrown in for good measure, so you can expect to meet various characters and read about the situations you find yourself in, before making your decision about what to do next. Although this sounds quite intriguing on paper, it ultimately fails to live up to expectations. It's quite fun for a short while, thanks to the stylish steam-punk visuals and the well developed world you will explore, while the humor and sense of adventure is also well conveyed. However, you soon realize that the gameplay is little more than a multiple choice quiz, with little real sense of involvement on the part of the player. Although there are almost limitless options in terms of routes and resources, they don't really feel that much different, making this appealing only in short term when it should be one to keep you coming back for more.
