The Pretender: Part 1
The Pretender: Part One, is a fantastic new platform based puzzle game by Tim Knauf and Tristan Clark of Launching Pad Games, with very pleasing art work by Vin Rowe. Although the developers have just released the game as part of a game competition, and still consider it a work in progress, we think it's quite spiffy already and ready for some exposure.
You are a Victorian era magician. Your act had been growing a bit stale, so you were given a magical book to spice it up. Unfortunately, the book's magic is real and far beyond your parlor tricks. During the show, a door to another dimension opens up and sucks the entire audience into it. You must travel through this world and guide each poor ghostly figure back to the magic door on each level so they can get back to their Earthly life.
There are three different forms you can take to help you on your quest: your corporeal magician form; an airy figure that floats and that can manipulate wind; and a hideous earthen monster that can smash and move rock. By using a combination of forms you must figure out which routes to take, and which obstacles to destroy or move, to solve the puzzle of getting each audience member to the door. The tricky part is that ghosties can only follow you one at a time.
Use the mouse to access menus. Use [arrow] keys to move around. Press [space] to use powers or to click through the dialogue of story mode.
There are four sets of levels of increasing difficulty, and you need to get only four levels correct in each set to unlock the next set. There are optional story levels that you can skip if you just want to puzzle, or you may play through to see the short story unfold.
Analysis: Launching Pad Games have paid significant attention to making The Pretender a joy to play and navigate through. Most of the levels aren't too difficult to figure out, and you may reset a level at any time to try again if you get stuck. Luckily you can skip a level here or there if you get really stuck by clicking on the map. Not having to complete every level in order to progress is an option that really helps avoid frustration. You can always go back later and solve the levels you skipped. The game also saves automatically so you can play at your leisure. Each level has a name, like chapter headings, which is useful when asking for help with a hint. Even making the story levels optional was a choice that had the player in mind.
The story is simple but gives the puzzles a mysterious feel, and the puzzle design and characters are all nicely integrated. The sparse sounds and bits of dialogue from the ghosts are a nice touch, and the intro music also fits the mood well.
Occasionally the game gets a bit persnickety when you are trying to move from a ladder to a platform, and you may have to move up and down a bit to find just the right spot to allow you to move sideways. Also, it was a bit confusing that the magician's wand makes a spark but doesn't have any powers unless you are in airy form. The air wand power with the sail boats is fantastic, but it would have also been nice to have a minor power when you are just in magician form.
If you choose to play through the story levels the game ends on a cliff hanger (thus the Part One in the title). So for those interested in the story, you'll have to wait for the saga to continue. But the puzzles are the main attraction here, smart and elegant brain teasers that get increasingly more complicated as the levels progress. Altogether a fun and challenging new puzzle game from a promising new group of Flash game developers from New Zealand.
Walkthrough Guide
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Hint-through
Beginner
Otherside
All your obstacles are rocks; all your bridges are winds.
Pleasant Stroll
Get that fellow at the top of the ladder first!
A Hindrance
Choosing wind next to a blocked updraft is a bad idea.
Sky Sailing
No trick here. Just remember to leave at least one ship on either side.
The Tower
Only one path is available at first. Sort that out for a bit... Now, you can break bounding stones from above.
Easy
East to West
Make a bridge with the boulders, or you'll be stuck! Walking on top of updrafts is also key.
Wind Walker
Whatever you do, don't box in that fellow in the updraft. Use the rocks to walk through wind.
Vertiginous
You have two options at first. Pick the one that clears the rocks out.
Blocked Way
Clear the middle way first, or you won't be able to get to the top.
After you rescue the left side, push that boulder in at the very top... then unblock the very bottom.
When exiting at the end, keep right!
Double Vision
The boulders go in the holes, and the bounding rocks are broken from the outside.
Medium
Transporter
When the topmost boat is on the right shore, get all your rocky business done.
For the second half, boats ought to stay moored, from top to bottom, right-left-right.
Whatever you do, open the bridge back to the right side *before* becoming wind again.
Nooks
You'll be repeating that manuever at the top left corner quite a bit, so keep it clear.
The bottom right boulder goes in the center hole.
The top boulder goes in the updraft.
Do the bottom-left boulder last, and then ride away, wheee!
The Platforms
You'll be getting the middle chap first, but...
...your objective is the bounding rock at the bottom-right.
Get the spectacled fellow next, since you'll need room to move.
Now you want to end up windy to the immediate right of the rock transformer up top...
...and from there you can escort the lady past the bottom wind transformer, and on home.
Ride the Air
Take the scenic route first, and yes, even with the destruction of the platform, get the boulder to the right of the door down to your starting spot. Take care that walking on it doesn't budge it.
During the ongoing daring rescues, whatever you do, place the boulders in this order:
1) the first one you moved below your first spot and out of the wind
2) the other one by the door directly on top of the towering updraft
3) the last boulder directly on top of that one. ...profit!
No Moss
It's hard to see her, but go get the grand dame first. Then...
Place the leftmost boulder first!
Now escort her home, and ensure that you don't fall in a hole.
Now you may place the center boulder, put your windy clothes on, and rescue the young lady.
Hard
Choices
Work out order of rescue on your own, but here are the keys...
At the top right, become a rock then FIRST jump down from the boat and push the boulder in.
Now whenever you're at that ladder with the wind and the rock transformer to the left... remember that you don't actually have to touch either transformer. Going right is an option!
Rocky Travels
A simple story of a boy and his boulder...
To rescue the lady at the top, roll the boulder just clear of the updraft.
.... now here's the trick....
Before you can escort that lady all the way: stay rocky, and break all the way down -- everything *except* the boulder (and what it's on).
The next boulder move involves fetching the spectacled chap *before* fetching the last lady. Roll it completely or you'll get stuck!
Precision
The no-boulder moving solution!
Because I tried it with the boulder, and it is possible, but it's maddening. This is a good one to work out on your own.
Are you positive you want to know?
Oh, all right. The trick is edging up to the fellow on the left *without* touching him. ...got it?
Now get that lady out of the air, and the rest of it is rock work all the way to the exit, minus that windy elevator up.
Falling Down
From top to bottom, get your boats right-left-right.
Now break everything except the last platform.
THIS IS THE KEY.
Hop back up to the top-right...
...and return the middle boat to the right shore.
Don't waste your trip as you fetch the lady. Break the platform she's on at once.
Fetch the gentleman without using any boats.
Now, in your rock-suit, you may escort the mid-air lady.
The Tower II
Get the spectacled fellow first, and do the following: do not let the right boulder fall. Also you can get the next step done while he's trailing you, or after....
Break that one boundary stone.
Move the left boulder allllll the way over past the bottom wind transformer. Break only the left/bottom platform and nothing else!
Get top hat guy next by breaking the platform directly above the wind transformer... and nothing else!
Only the two platforms should be broken, and the boulder out of the way on the right; now you may rescue the ladies on the left.
Now the rock work...
then the windy ride...
rocky road down...
and one last boulder to move. And you're done!
Posted by: Shudog
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June 9, 2009 9:25 AM