Baffling, imaginative and surreal in equal measure
This is a bizarre adventure that mixes elements of TV shows like The Prisoner and Twin Peaks to create a surreal experience that occasionally shines but which is likely to leave most gamers baffled and confused. It is certainly ambitious and bold, touching on themes unusual in videogames and the story is undeniably intriguing, with its ideas of redemption and notions of fate and the human race. The complex plot requires players to collect the souls of several famous historical characters, ranging from ancient South American god-kings to modern day mass murderers. This sees you travelling from a bizarre netherworld to various other equally strange locations, tracking down objects which are associated with the characters, figure out what its sin is and then lure the character to the appropriate location in order to redeem their soul. It all plays out like a monstrous version of Cluedo rather than a traditional adventure game and while it is certainly innovative, unfortunately the novelty value soon wears off and tedium sets in. The graphics and mood are certainly quite impressive, as is the voice cast, which includes legendary Hollywood nutjob, James Woods, but they can't disguise the lack of variation in the gameplay and which reduces the enjoyment value significantly. The story is compelling but doesn't sit well alongside the gameplay, making for an awkward feel to the game. Of Light and Darkness is certainly not a complete disaster, but it is most definitely not for everyone. If you like abstract, surreal games that are dark and complex this is worth investigating, but expect to be baffled as much as entertained through much of its running time.
