- Unforeseen Incidents is a point-and-click thriller based on a conspiracy theory
- Explore Yelltown and discover what’s behind the mysterious epidemic
- Find out what we think about this title and whether we recommend it
Is it too soon for us to fondly remember games where a mysterious pandemic unsettles people? Unrelated, but you don’t have a cough or a runny nose, do you? Just kidding.
Today’s topic is Unforeseen Incidents, which has just been released on mobile devices by Backwoods Entertainment and Application Systems Heidelberg. Set in a diminutive town deep in the woods where a strange epidemic is raging, this mystery thriller puts you in the shoes of an average handyman named Harper Pendrell, who stumbles upon a deadly conspiracy that could have consequences not only for his home, but for the entire world.
The point-and-click genre is notoriously Marmite, so if you’re absolutely terrified of playing them, you should look away now. But if you’re open-minded or a seasoned veteran of the inventory-scavenging, tapping-everything style of gameplay, you should stick around.
How does Unforeseen Incidents perform? And how well does it work on mobile devices? Let’s find out!
Game
Gameplay-wise, Unforeseen Incidents is perfectly acceptable as a point-and-click adventure. You tap to move and interact with objects, dragging items from your inventory to combine them or exploit them in the environment. However, opening your inventory proved fiddly for me, as it requires tapping the top of the screen, and I accidentally pulled down my phone’s status bar more than once.
Movement is also fine, as you can skip the tedium of moving from screen to screen by double-tapping your intended target. No such luck if you need to move somewhere within a single screen (or background for that matter), as you’ll have to walk all the way there. These are all minor niggles, but they do make Unforeseen Incidents look a bit backwards compared to the more elegant design of the recently released Darkside Detective.
I will say that the puzzles are more intuitive than you might expect, often requiring the exploit of Harper’s multi-tool, which has different attachments like a screwdriver or pliers. It’s not quite the same as Monkey Island in terms of the weird logic of the puzzles, and most of them are fairly straightforward, if long, as you’d expect from the genre. Still, it falls into the “Oh, so that’s how it works” trap of every point-and-click title, so if that’s your main issue with the genre, this probably won’t change your mind.
Graphics
The visual style of Unforeseen Incidents can best be described as: “a hip European comic book that happens to take place in America(?).” The coarse and stylized art would probably look a bit more basic on a larger screen, but it blends in nicely on mobile devices. The art direction and environments can look a bit tumultuous, but the welcome return of a button to highlight interactive objects makes this a negligible issue.
The atmosphere of Unforeseen Incidents is very well conveyed by the design of Yelltown, and you feel the melancholic, run-down nature of this diminutive community. The energetic colors also look very good even on a diminutive screen, and highlight or merge objects when necessary. It’s a feast for the eyes, like any other game of this type, and proof that you don’t have to be 3D to stand out on phones.
Perhaps the only issue I might have is the lip-syncing and facial expressions. Some characters, like the journalist Helliwell, have only one facial expression, and their eyes roll like some crazy puppet. This wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for the fact that the camera keeps zooming in for some dramatic effect, making everything look a bit awkward. But these are minor issues.
I think the sound is where Unforeseen Incidents really shines. The soundtrack is incredibly varied in almost every scene and really sets the mood. The ambient sounds also allow you to drift through the world and are perfect for anyone who enjoys this style of uncomplicated listening. Some clever tricks include a soundtrack that is muffled in one room and clear in another, leaving you wondering what is diegetic and what is not.
As for the voice acting, it ranges from “pretty good” to “tacky but tolerable.” It’s not Shakespeare, and for fans of the Monkey Island series or other more amusing takes on the genre it may just be a little too droughty to be witty, but there’s nothing offensively bad or even mediocre about it. Although I admit the Professor’s bad Scottish accent invites a chuckle or two.
Efficiency
There’s really nothing to say here, it’s a point-and-click game, so I’d be genuinely surprised if there were any performance issues. Moving from screen to screen is almost instantaneous. Although if we’re going to expand this section to include all the technical aspects, I guess I should complain that there aren’t any separate volume sliders in the settings menu. At times, the music can drown out what the characters are saying, and the ability to adjust those levels would be greatly appreciated.
Plus, you can play in multiple languages and choose from a variety of font styles, including ones for dyslexia!
What I liked
While I admit that Darkside Detective is, technically and in terms of art style, the better game, I liked the atmosphere and tone of Unforeseen Incidents more. There is some comedy in there, but when it gets grave it can definitely set a very spooky tone. I also liked the more logical aspects of the puzzles, and the exploit of Harper’s multi-tool is a really frosty addition.
I also liked that you can get pretty much anything you need if you look around rigid enough. If you’re a diehard collector, there’s very little backtracking, which I think is always a plus in adventure games, since having to go back to your own place is always the least enjoyable part of the genre.
What I didn’t like
Again, it’s a compact list, but there are a few technical issues that jump out at me. The aforementioned facial expressions can get a bit intimidating after a while, and you’ll naturally find that puzzles quickly spiral out of control and your inventory bloats. But the last two are at least the kind of things you should expect in any point-and-click adventure.
I think my biggest gripe, though, is that there are a few things that clearly should have made it into a mobile version 2. The aforementioned touchscreen that displays your inventory, for example, and especially the really annoying puzzle where you have to adjust the radio dials. You can tell the developers knew that this last one would really put people off, because they actually make the number jump to the correct one when you’re close enough. Why they don’t just let you enter them manually somehow (considering that figuring out that the numbers are related to said puzzle is most of the work) is anyone’s guess.
Application
Unforeseen Incidents has a forceful core, and aside from some minor control issues, it has forceful graphics, sound, and gameplay that, while it won’t appeal to any point-and-click skeptics, will give open-minded gamers a good entry point into the genre. It’s a complete experience that I definitely enjoyed watching, listening to, and playing.
But since I compare games like Maid of Sker positively, I should temper that with the fact that Unforeseen Incidents is an upfront $4.99 purchase, only a dollar cheaper than Sker, and without the option to try a demo first. It is, however, considerably cheaper than the much shorter Darkside Detective, which is priced at $6.99 (not counting the sequel, which I also reviewed).
So if you’re a die-hard point-and-click gamer or are looking for something with a more grave feel, Unforeseen Incidents will probably be right up your alley.
