Juniper Crescent – The Sapphire Claw

A lot can happen in a year.

When Revolution Software was forced into extensive staff downsizing almost a year ago, the news came as another crushing blow to the adventure community. Not only did it throw Revolution’s own future into question, it also meant the genre had lost some key creative forces behind a stellar catalogue of beloved games. Fortunately, there was a silver lining hidden in those storm clouds, as genuine talent refuses to be silenced. Much like several small development studios have risen from the ashes of former adventure giant LucasArts, now a new company led by producer/writer/designer/artist (etc.!) Steve Ince has emerged triumphantly from the aftermath of Revolution’s upheaval. In an Adventure Gamers exclusive, Juniper Games is unveiling its debut project, Juniper Crescent — The Sapphire Claw, a highly promising game proposal sure to excite any fan of golden era adventures (or just plain good ones).

If the name sounds familiar, you’re probably no stranger to web comics, as the source material for the game is Ince’s long-running newspaper-style strip, “Juniper Crescent”. Centered around a diverse cast of residents in a quiet cul-de-sac in Northern England, the original comic produced an adventurous spin-off called “The Sapphire Claw”. Ideally suited for an interactive medium, the latter provided the direct inspiration for the game (though alas, the early online chapters of the comic have been removed from the website).

Sapphire Claw (the game) is a third-person “cartoon comedy escapade” involving the endearing, talking animals of Juniper Crescent. The story sees the gang leave behind their peaceful homes to travel the globe through exotic but dangerous locations, on a quest to find the famed (and perhaps only mythical) sacred artifact, the titular Sapphire Claw. The expedition is led by Scout, the One-Eyed Cat, but he’s ably supported by his feline, canine, and rodent (cute ones!) friends alike. Hot on their heels is Scout’s nemesis, the local cat crime boss Big Mog, and his two burly, dimwitted henchdogs, who hound (sorry) the team every step of the way. During the journey, of course, our heroes are confronted with plenty of challenges and meet other interesting characters, and the requisite hijinx ensue.

Although still early in actual production, the game’s conceptual development is well underway, with completed story and design, character profiles and dialogues, plus location and character designs, so there’s plenty to talk about already. Offering a hint of innovation along with an intelligent, engaging story and the very best features of old-school adventure gaming, Sapphire Claw looks poised to deliver what so many jaded players currently crave. With these promises will come great expectation, but based on the prototype demo of the game, the anticipation is well deserved.

Okay, stop… slow down. I can hear the onrush of obvious questions from here: 2D or 3D? Point & click or direct control? This was inevitable, with Ince’s last major project at Revolution being the controversial Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon. There will be no such controversy with Sapphire Claw, however, as the game will be completely rendered in 2D, using an intuitive, mouse-driven interface.