Following Freeware: May 2011 releases
Treadsylvania
Darkness has fallen on the land, with the minions of the vampire holding the countryside in their thrall. Only one place still stands against the forces of evil, the remote village of Treadsylvania. Now two monster hunters have come to this outpost with the intention of bringing an end to the vampire’s rule. To unlock the gateways of his castle lair, the hunters must find and defeat his three lieutenants, each a powerful monster in its own right. With the land in turmoil and obstacles constantly thrown in their path, will the monster hunters be able to bring this reign of terror to an end?
This edutainment title from New Mexico State University’s Learning Lab combines a light horror tale with safety tips for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), the hunters’ chosen mode of transport. The graphic presentation uses a comic book format, with story panels animating in turn as you mouse over them. Whilst the cartoon style is moderately detailed, the individual scenes use limited colour palettes, each panel utilising different shades of the same colour in most cases. This dominant colour changes from area to area of the map, giving them a slightly different feel. Control is point-and-click, with clicking and dragging used to deal with some challenges. A map showing available locations appears when you leave a main location such as the village. This includes an inset mini-map that highlights areas you can currently reach and those you have already cleared. A spooky backing piece plays throughout, replaced by sudden crescendos and faster paced dramatic music when the action demands it.
A real effort has been made to make the ATV safety message part of the ongoing action of the story. Nevertheless, some players will find the message a bit intrusive at times. Using an imp swarm to force the hunters onto asphalt – unsafe for ATVs – rather than simply attacking them seems an odd choice for the vampire to make. Those willing to look past this will find an enjoyable, if rather light, adventure. Many of the puzzles revolve around safe use of an ATV, but there are also a handful of objects to be collected and used, as well as some standalone puzzles. The latter relate to defeating the vampire and his lieutenants and are moderately easy tests of wits rather than arcade skills. Players do not even need an especially quick hand for the more action-oriented challenges, and failure simply leads to starting over on that challenge. This is most definitely horror-lite, with the easy confidence of the hunters largely dispelling any fear of the creatures you face.
Treadsylvania can be played online at Kongregate.
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