A Story About My Uncle

An enjoyable action adventure game, with a plainly charming background story, delightful attention to detail, and appropriately atmospheric world, graphic, and level design. I would love to see future games in this world, perhaps with a different gameplay style

And here's the caveat, and why this recommendation must come with a warning: 1st-person 3D platforming is an abomination, and though A Story About My Uncle offers an original take on this rightfully uncommon gameplay genre, it cannot fix its essential problems. As you whoosh through the air in big parabolas you have to use your mouse to see around you, while also using the caret to aim and grapple a limited number of times before you plummet to your death. These awful controls coupled with unnaturally confusing visibility and restricted grapple distance are a recipe for frequent frustration. Perhaps there are some amazing gamers out there who always jump just right in three dimensions, and always grapple just the right surface at just the right angle, but I imagine most of us will have to try and try again until they succeed. Furthermore, those of us with a fear or apprehension of heights will find it not only frustrating, but also nerve-wracking.

This would all be OK if the game were forgiving of slips and bounces, but it's not. As you progress it becomes increasingly difficult, with the last level being purely evil. Persevere and keep trying (30 times for me in one section) and you will be rewarded with a certain degree of satisfaction at beating a challenging game. I say "certain" because I feel that this genre always involves a certain amount of luck in addition to skill. It's kinda like winning at poker.

If this warning doesn't turn you off—it might even turn you on!—then do buy this game. It pulls you quickly into its originally realized world, and will leave you with a smile when you finally reach the end.