Theropods

Theropods is more interesting than it is great, but it's still not a bad point-and-click.

Therapods is a love letter to point-and-click games of the past and also an amazing game in its own right. I thoroughly enjoyed playing this, and I would love to see a continuation of the franchise in the near future. Definitely one for fans of point-and-click adventure games.

A visually charming but ultimately underwhelming adventure, Theropods has a neat prehistoric setting mixed with a light sci-fi premise, as well some fine pixel art and fluid animation, but all that never delivers anything memorable. The story struggles to engross one into its world, while the simplistic or trial-and-error puzzle solving rarely provides satisfying moments of discovery. For the current asking price, there are far better point-and-clicks out there to spend three hours (max) on.

With top notch audio design and fantastic visuals the developers manage to tell a story with lots of depth and heart without using any dialog, subtitles or wall of text. Theropods is a game that demands your full attention and doesn’t disappoint you once it has it.

If you need a fresh, bright presentation, an intense and touching tale of friendship and family, Theropods has all of that. It’s backed by some retro-feeling gameplay and puzzles that take some time to work out, but are all worth completing. Theropods does a lot with its short runtime, delivering a point-and-click adventure worth taking.

It’s hard not to be charmed by the solidarity of the two protagonists in Theropods and to see their efforts save a village to completion. Fans of point-and-click games that emphasize the puzzles over dialogue will appreciate the way that the game speedily moves you along, but those looking for a story beyond two strong, silent protagonists won’t have much to chew on long after the experience ends.

As the debut of a small, first-time developer, Theropods can be considered a fairly solid effort, capable of keeping players engaged for a few hours with its atmosphere, brain-teasing puzzles, and charming characters. And, of course, it’s not every day that you get to face off against prehistoric reptiles in an adventure game, which alone makes it worth giving a try. Preferably when it’s around 50% off.

Aside from some frustrations due to unclear object interactions, the puzzles were mostly clever and logical. It’s a short experience, taking only about three hours to complete, but it’s packed with action, strategy, and an emotional narrative that feels satisfying. If you enjoy old school point-and-click adventures, dinosaurs, and sci-fi, then Theropods is worth checking out.