Standard Monkey Island-style questing
Rent-a-Hero shares more than a few similarities with the likes of Monkey Island and Discworld, including its general play style, humorous script and cartoon-like visuals, and while it fails to live up to these lofty standards, it remains an enjoyable, if short-lived, adventure. The game certainly scores some points for its inventive background and story which revolve around an island where everyone is a hero but where there aren't enough princesses to save or dragons to kill for them all to be gainfully employed. This includes Rodrigo, the player character, but fortunately a dwarf hires him to rescue his wife Jasmin, who has been kidnapped by some dodgy pirates. What follows is a largely entertaining romp that takes in a wonderful variety of well drawn and animated environments, as Rodrigo wanders around, solving puzzles and interacting with the numerous colourful characters who populate the land. It's fairly standard stuff for the genre, offering little in the way of innovation beyond the story, but despite this it's decent enough. The game's real problem is that it is rather short and won't take most gamers long to complete, but while it lasts, it's rarely less than enjoyable. The script is well written and amusing, especially if you enjoy the aforementioned games, while the visuals are equally strong and boast some impressive scenery, character design and animation. The voice acting is a bit stilted, with some wooden performances but this can be overlooked and overall, this is a neat little game but one which is unlikely to linger in the mind for long after you've completed it.
