Wallace & Gromit Episode One Impressions

Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures is the latest episodic game series from developer and publisher Telltale Games. We recently completed the first of the four planned episodes, Fright of the Bumblebees; however, you won't be seeing a proper review for Grand Adventures for some time yet. That's because it's not possible to purchase these episodes individually and so, at the time of this writing, we've played only 25 percent of the content we've purchased. Of course, we can give you our impressions of the first episode so you can see how the series is shaping up. Read on for our thoughts on Wallace & Gromit's first Grand Adventure.

Fright of the Bumblebees begins at a logical starting place: breakfast. It's Gromit's turn to prepare the morning repast, and as you guide him through this gadget-assisted ritual, you'll notice that his wry looks and exaggerated walking animation are adeptly replicated. While the game isn't claymation and lacks some of that medium's subtle delights, Fright of the Bumblebees captures the look and feel of the characters and their world. The elaborate contraptions, goofy neighbors, and cozy suburban feel of West Wallaby Street are all faithfully represented here. The top-notch voice acting rounds out the impressive presentation, which really nails the whimsical charm of Wallace & Gromit franchise.

Once breakfast is done, Wallace and Gromit go about their daily business: coming up with harebrained schemes to get themselves out of the messes caused by their previous harebrained schemes. This sort of action is very well-suited to the point-and-click adventure gameplay of Fright of the Bumblebees. The duo's existing problems and their new business plan provide more than enough activities that need puzzling out, and you'll do so predominantly by moving from area to area, collecting items, speaking with townsfolk, and figuring out what to use your items for. The map is pleasantly small--you'll visit only a few locations--and the narrow scope means you'll never be at a loss for what to do next. Your adventure proceeds at a good pace, and if you get hung up, there are good hints to help you get moving again.

Moving Wallace and Gromit (you alternate between them) around with the keyboard is easy, and you use the mouse for everything else. In addition to bringing items to different places and using them appropriately, there are a few one-off puzzles and action sequences that break up the pace nicely. It's not a difficult game, and though you'll probably run into a few head-scratchers, they're nothing a hint or some creative thinking can't solve. The game lasts a few hours and feels ideally suited for play across a few short sessions. The light difficulty and silly sense of humor can make longer sessions tiresome, but taken in chunks, Wallace and Gromit's first episodic outing is good wholesome fun.

Fright of the Bumblebees a great debut for Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures, and we're looking forward to seeing how the series progresses. Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures is also slated for episodic release on Xbox Live Arcade (release date TBA), where each episode will be released (and reviewed) individually.