81
A fun adventure prologue thanks to likable characters, nice production values and a good sense of humor. Writing and puzzle design are not on par with the original though.
75
Even The Three-Headed Monkey would not be unable to distract you from The Critter Chronicles’ shortcomings but this prequel to The Book of Unwritten Tales is still likeable. It’s just smaller in every aspect.[CD-Action 02/2013, p.56]
80
If you have a story with a purple monster, talking ships, environmental activist, and Yeti you can make a really funny game. The people from KING Art made a great one. [Jan 2013]
6
Although it seems to be marked as stand-alone, I treat it as a kind of prequel DLC for the first game. Nothing groundbreaking, definitely worse the core game, but still fun.
5
note: I have not played the first "the book of unwritten tales" so i can't compare this game to that game. There is also a possibility that i missed out on jokes or references because of this. I did enjoy my time with this game for the most part. The presentation is nice and i enjoyed the voice acting in the game. The lack of support for 16:9 ratio kind of **** but it is hardly a deal breaker. There could also have been a bit more environments in the game but overall i enjoyed the presentation of the game and i found it to pretty charming. The story and character was also pretty charming and they kept me interested throughout the game. I wouldn't call anything especially good but they were enjoyable enough even though there could have been some more characters in the game. Overall i found everything except the puzzles to be enjoyable though nothing amazing. There are however a lot of really nonsensical puzzles in this game and i can't imagine that people could figure them out without simply trying every possible combination. It might just be me who is dumb and i am sure that there are people who really enjoy the challenge but they were just to many nonsensical and far fetched puzzles in the game for my taste. And it did somewhat screw up my enjoyment of the game. If you are fine with that then this game is a charming and competent adventure game.
5
Caution: this game doesn't work with Creative X-Fi soundcards, you will get stuck after the intro. The technical part of this game is horrible, there's no master volume setting or sound device selection, you can't change the mouse pointer speed and 16:10 screens are not supported (black bars left/right). The previous part had the same problem but there was at least a workaround available. Imho overall worse than the first part. Most of the riddles are absolutely absurd and not in a funny way. They can sometimes just be solved by randomly + multiply clicking items / persons. Almost none of them can be solved by logic or intuitively. It nevertheless overall is a somehow entertaining game and at least some jokes are actually funny. Graphics and sound are okay (for a point&click adventure) despite the mentioned problems. The story of the game is okay but nothing special.
The Book of Unwritten Tales: Critter Chronicles
Released On:
Dec 5, 2012
Metascore
Mixed or Average
73
User score
Mixed or Average
6.9
My Score
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All Platforms
Metascore
Mixed or Average
50% Positive
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
50% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Dec 17, 2012
90
Critter Chronicles is definitely one of the best adventure games in the entire world. It has a nice, simple story, fantastic dialogue, great sense of humor, exceptionally likable characters, excellent English dubbing and really pretty graphics. Hardcore gamers can think it's too easy, but I think a higher difficulty level would cripple the game's fluid gameplay and an irritated gamer wouldn't appreciate many funny moments. Besides - the game has a hard mode. If you like adventure games, you simply can't not play Critter Chronicles.
Apr 8, 2013
81
A fun adventure prologue thanks to likable characters, nice production values and a good sense of humor. Writing and puzzle design are not on par with the original though.
User score
Mixed or Average
46% Positive
17 Ratings
17 Ratings
46% Mixed
17 Ratings
17 Ratings
8% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
Nov 8, 2013
8
Critter Chronicles is a point and click adventure game with a comedy theme. Most of the puzzles are inventory based, with a few minigames thrown in. None of the puzzles are too hard, although I did get stuck once on a minigame and had to consult a walkthrough. About half of the game was completed by my nine-year-old with a little help. I think this is a great game to play with your kids, they love the sophomoric humor. Some of the jokes are laugh-out-loud funny. Overall I thought this game was a little more polished and clever than the first one. I definitely recommend playing BoUT first before playing this game, since the story makes more sense this way. Overall the game was very entertaining for the story and the comedy, the puzzles keep you busy but are not all that challenging.
Jan 30, 2014
7
Not that bad of the game, but feels less funny than the previous version. It is shorter, which I appreciated. Characters now move and run across the screen more often, but still one has to wait out animations and most cutscenes without the ability to skip them, which is kind of a downside if one wants to hunt for the hard-difficulty achievements right after finishing the game.
Dec 17, 2012
80
We return to the fantastic world created in The Book of Unwritten Tales with the prequel to a great adventure. With less strength than its predecessor but just as magical and highly recommended.
Feb 4, 2013
72
Despite limited environments and unstable puzzle design, Critter Chronicles is saved by the subtle charm of its characters and by some witty ideas. [February 2013]
Jan 14, 2013
70
A fun and well written prologue to last year's adventure hit. This game tells a smaller and a more personal story that is somewhat hurt by really awful puzzle-design at certain places.
Jan 9, 2013
60
It's more of an expansion than a proper sequel, and the puzzles are not as logical and enjoyable as the ones in the original game. But it still offers a genuinely funny and pleasant overall experience.
Jan 27, 2013
57
The original game, The Book of Unwritten Tales, was peppered with lazy, on-the-nose jokes, like a film in the Scary Movie franchise. The Critter Chronicles is no better. Pop culture references killed the fairy tale.
Apr 4, 2013
7
Though it's marketed as stand-alone, this really is more of a prequel expansion pack for the original TBoUT. It doesn't make much sense without first playing the original as many of the characters aren't introduced. Overall, it doesn't really have as much depth. I completed it in about 7 hours half as long as the original. It's still funny and enjoyable, but I'd recommend the original TBoUT over this any day.
Dec 12, 2020
6
Although it seems to be marked as stand-alone, I treat it as a kind of prequel DLC for the first game. Nothing groundbreaking, definitely worse the core game, but still fun.
Jul 12, 2015
5
note: I have not played the first "the book of unwritten tales" so i can't compare this game to that game. There is also a possibility that i missed out on jokes or references because of this. I did enjoy my time with this game for the most part. The presentation is nice and i enjoyed the voice acting in the game. The lack of support for 16:9 ratio kind of **** but it is hardly a deal breaker. There could also have been a bit more environments in the game but overall i enjoyed the presentation of the game and i found it to pretty charming. The story and character was also pretty charming and they kept me interested throughout the game. I wouldn't call anything especially good but they were enjoyable enough even though there could have been some more characters in the game. Overall i found everything except the puzzles to be enjoyable though nothing amazing. There are however a lot of really nonsensical puzzles in this game and i can't imagine that people could figure them out without simply trying every possible combination. It might just be me who is dumb and i am sure that there are people who really enjoy the challenge but they were just to many nonsensical and far fetched puzzles in the game for my taste. And it did somewhat screw up my enjoyment of the game. If you are fine with that then this game is a charming and competent adventure game.
Oct 4, 2014
5
Caution: this game doesn't work with Creative X-Fi soundcards, you will get stuck after the intro. The technical part of this game is horrible, there's no master volume setting or sound device selection, you can't change the mouse pointer speed and 16:10 screens are not supported (black bars left/right). The previous part had the same problem but there was at least a workaround available. Imho overall worse than the first part. Most of the riddles are absolutely absurd and not in a funny way. They can sometimes just be solved by randomly + multiply clicking items / persons. Almost none of them can be solved by logic or intuitively. It nevertheless overall is a somehow entertaining game and at least some jokes are actually funny. Graphics and sound are okay (for a point&click adventure) despite the mentioned problems. The story of the game is okay but nothing special.
SummaryThe Critter Chronicles tell the story of how adventurer Nate Bonnett and Critter, his hairy sidekick, first met, all set before their appearance in Wilbur's and Ivo's adventure in The Book of Unwritten Tales. Enjoy a thrilling and hilarious point-and-click adventure in the fantasy world of Aventasia. Travel from the Northlands to the Mag... Read More
Rated Tfor Teen
Platforms:
- PC
Initial Release Date:Dec 5, 2012
Developer:
Publisher:The Adventure Company
