Shiver me timbers!
Jazz and Faust is a Russian point-and-click adventure, but it's a little different from the usual Monkey Island, Myst and Discworld games, so if you are a fan of the genre, approach this one with caution. It's not a bad game as such, it's just a little strange while also being a little on the short side, so if you do pick it up, don't expect it to keep you busy for long. The story here takes you to the ancient East and charges you with uncovering the truth behind a mysterious conspiracy while seeking out hidden treasure. You actually play two different characters, one a smuggler who starts out in jail and seeks to find enough gold to buy his freedom, the other a sea captain, whose story starts innocently enough as he looks for a missing passenger. The two stories take place in the same world as each other, but are distinct from one another, with unique puzzles and characters, and with locations visited including sea ports, ghost towns and desert caravans. Jazz and Faust is certainly an intriguing game and if you do have any interest in the genre, you should seriously consider checking it out. It's not perfect by any means, with many puzzles which aren't overly interesting or logical rendering things a little frustrating, while the storyline isn't that compelling either, despite some unusual locations to explore and some well developed characters. The visuals fare better, with some impressive environments, although the character work is showing its age, while the game is only going to take a couple of days to finish. Despite these flaws though, this remains a curious adventure that is worth a look.
