The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales is a game that took me by surprise. Its original concept, unusual art style, and witty dialogue impressed me throughout. Furthermore, if you subscribe to Xbox Game Pass, you can try it for free. As such, you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.
Developed by DO MY BEST and published by tinyBuild, this is a surreal adventure title. Moreover, it has some unusual puzzles and minor branching storylines. Accordingly, it’ll test your mind while offering plenty of replay value. On top of this, the bizarre plot has plenty of twists and turns and many unusual characters.
The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales is a collaboration of strange stories.
I’m a fool for unique concepts. As such, The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales thoroughly impressed me. Its use of different perspectives to highlight the norm and fantasy was fantastic. Additionally, the blend of combat and exploration elements kept me on my toes.
You are Etienne Quinn, a once-acclaimed writer who has lost his ability to write. Having committed heinous crimes, the powers that be have shackled him for 30 years. Yet, Etienne has a chance to work illegally to remove this bind. By taking famous artefacts from each book, he can pay off his debts and get back to his writing. However, this route has its dangers and strange happenings occur at every turn.
A mysterious criminal world.
Having your special gift removed is enough to drive a person insane. Consequently, the hero doesn’t think twice when he’s offered a way out. Yet, this decision leads him into a mysterious criminal world and a fantasy realm. At the start of each mission, a suitcase is delivered to your door. You never see the courier, and your task is often shrouded in secrecy. However, once you open the lid, all is revealed.
A set of clues gives you an idea of what to expect. But it isn’t until you interact with the book that the madness truly begins. Here, you are transported within the story itself. Subsequently, you’ll interact with its characters and endure some pivotal plot points. As you venture deeper into the text, you’ll discover the location of your quest item. Furthermore, en route, you’ll have to solve problems, fight creatures, and use ink to manipulate your surroundings and overcome obstacles.
Ink and health.
Like many classic adventure titles, The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales has some basic character mechanics. You have 2 stats to focus on, and a handful of skills to master. Accordingly, it is easy to get to grips with and little explanation is required at the beginning.
The hero must keep his health and ink bar full. If he loses his health, it is game over. Alternatively, if his ink runs low, he cannot complete certain tasks and fighting becomes problematic. Therefore, you must search your surroundings to find food and other items. Thankfully, you can replenish your ink during combat, but more on that later.
Excellent storytelling.
The core gameplay was fantastic. Yet, I want to acknowledge the excellent storytelling. The exploration elements work perfectly with the 2 protagonists’ dialogue. The hardy duo of a writer and his sentient caged page was incredible. By searching every scene, the pair find clues and meander from problem to problem. As they encounter a puzzle, the duo muse upon the possible solutions. Mostly, this leads to amusing interactions. However, occasionally, there were serious or dramatic moments that make you pay attention.
Each of these ordeals makes up the progression element of the gameplay. By solving each puzzle and opening new pathways, the pair can complete their tasks and get one step closer to home. However, occasionally, you must create tools to overcome your problems. By scavenging and searching crates and boxes, you’ll find resources. These items can be used at a workbench to make a crowbar, pliers, lock picks, and ink bottles. This was a clever way to force players to search their surroundings. You could ignore some of these unessential layers, but you’ll also miss masses of enjoyable content.
Fighting.
The combat is probably the weakest area. The turn-based encounters force you to tackle a range of strange creatures. By picking your skill, you can stun, attack, or drain ink from your foes. As such, you must think wisely if you wish to succeed during every fight.
You’ll have to balance your health and ink levels with an aggressive approach. Moreover, you’ll hope that luck is on your side. If you are lucky, your enemies will miss you and you’ll remain unscathed. However, this rarely happens and you’ll need to eat food if you wish to survive. Additionally, if you are low on ink, you’ll reduce your level of attack whilst you devour each creature’s ink. Consequently, you must consider each layer if you wish to be victorious.
The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales blends viewpoints.
The action flows from 1st person to 3rd person perspectives. This was a fantastic design choice as it highlights reality vs the surreal book world. On top of this, the 1st person viewpoint creates a sense of oppression that matches the daunting atmosphere. Whenever I explored each book, I was amazed by the varied backdrops. Furthermore, the different themes and character models were great. Additionally, the muted colours and small spaces were fascinating to look at and explore.
I was disappointed by the lack of spoken dialogue. Instead, you endure a mumbled sound that has subtitles. I think the game would have benefited from some acting, but sadly, this wasn’t to be. Instead, I enjoyed the excellent soundtrack and often absurd sound effects. Moreover, the fantastic text was well-considered, easy to read, and simple to follow.
I hated the controls.
The controls were sluggish and annoying. For reasons unknown, the hero stares into space whenever you reach a dead-end. Now, this wouldn’t be an issue if he moved immediately. However, it can be seconds before you gain full control and this breaks up the action. On top of this, moving objects and throwing switches can be tedious. As such, this was an area that needs some work.
With branching storylines and plenty of choices, this has loads of replay value. Though each act is relatively compact, this still has loads of longevity and scope to return. However, a lack of collectables or elements of lore was disappointing. Subsequently, it would have been nice to have some hidden Easter Eggs to search for.
The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales is a cracking indie title.
Indie games go from strength to strength. As such, we are enjoying much higher quality from smaller development teams. Even so, The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales surprised me. Nearly every element was exceptional, and I adored the surreal storytelling. What’s more, it is free if you subscribe to Xbox Game Pass. Accordingly, I loved it and I recommend that you buy it here! Can you steal every artefact and get your life back? Collect the suitcase, enter the book, and tackle every crazy plot.
