Magret & FaceDeBouc ‘The buddy-buddy case’

Adipson Studio, the talented developers behind Grandma Badass, have returned with their latest self-published adventure, Magret & FaceDeBouc “The buddy-buddy case.” This interactive whodunit is set in an outlandish world full of talking animals. Colorful, graphic-novel-like graphics and well-animated characters entice players to seamlessly become a part of this topsy-turvy milieu. Whimsical sound design forms an attractive backdrop for a hilarious narrative. The point-and-click interface gives players an integral role in forging a lasting bond between the two protagonists – Magret and FaceDeBouc – by effectively assisting them to conquer wacky challenges. 

The characters that populate this peculiar, imaginary world clearly belong there, like hands in impeccably fitted gloves. The personalities of the titular protagonists perfectly balance each other. Magret is a duck with green feathers. When he moves, he waddles; he sometimes speaks formally and deliberately. He doesn’t enjoy the sight of blood. His trainee partner, FaceDeBouc, is his antithesis – a goat who stomps when he walks. He speaks bluntly and sometimes crudely. Unlike his partner, he doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. I enjoyed the jokes they told each other, reminiscent of the humor a child hears on the playground (though some of the dialog is obviously inappropriate for young children).

As the story begins, Magret and FaceDeBouc learn that Mr. Couane, a porker of a shopkeeper, has been murdered and turned into breakfast meat. The intrepid detective duo must identify the culprit quickly. Fulfilling their duty requires them to find evidence and complete inventory item puzzles. One memorable conundrum involves using an object to distract a shopkeeper to gain a laxative in order to get some special fertilizer and put it to laughable use. Another funny challenge involves shattering a glass item, then reassembling it with an element that is never used on glass. When picking up this item, some of the English text turns to French in mid-sentence, then back again to English. It was slightly jarring, but I chuckled at the accidental, impromptu language lesson. When I reached the end, I found the finale to be surprising, enjoyable and unpredictable. 

This bright, vivacious world is reminiscent of Looney Tunes. My favorite location, the flower shop, boasts colorful flora and, during the light of day, the locales are bright and cheerful. At night, everything is bathed in soft blue tones, though the night scenes maintain the cartoon feeling that the day scenes establish.

The sound design partners with the graphics and animation to enchant the player. I enjoyed the jaunty title track, along with the mellow piano tune at a bar called “Uggly’s good tips.” This sedate music was calming and cleared my mind, preparing me for the game’s many challenges. The voice acting is in French with English subtitles. Hearing a cartoon duck quack in French was hilarious, even though I couldn’t understand the words.

Interacting with this comical world is easy thanks to the familiar PC point-and-click interface. Thankfully, there is a full explanation of the controls that new players will easily understand. The interface is responsible for five main tasks: controlling the protagonists, conversation between characters, accessing and using items, saving and loading the game, and getting hints. You can choose to control either Magret or FaceDeBouc by clicking on their portraits in the upper-right corner of the screen. Pressing the spacebar reveals clickable hotspots. Events occur within a large number of locations, which are accessible via the map screen.

Conversation is essential to learning about the story. The player can see evidence of the detectives’ different personalities while talking to other characters. Magret is polite and solicitous, “the good cop.” FaceDeBouc takes a more direct and brash approach; he is “the bad cop.” You initiate conversation through left-clicking on the character with whom you want to speak and choosing from among the list of questions that appears on the screen. 

The detectives do a good job of keeping track of the results of their conversations by taking notes, which are then available in a notebook. You access the inventory by moving the mouse to the bottom of the screen. Hovering the mouse over an item provides its description. Left-clicking on an item, moving it to an area of interest and left-clicking again puts it to use. Saving and loading are accessible through the main menu or the settings menu. Clicking on “Save Game,” lets players label and save their progress. The final function of the interface is to give hints. Clicking on the appropriate icon puts players on the right track if they need help. 

The interactive elements in this game are easily mastered by adventurers of any skill, guiding the detective duo throughout a murderous mystery that oozes campy humor. Its nimble story, entertaining cartoon aesthetic, and memorable puzzles make Magret & FaceDeBouc “The buddy-buddy case” an up and coming classic.

The Good

• Amusing story arc
• Tongue-in-cheek dialogs
• Oddly sympathetic characters
• Great graphics and sound
• Controls are well-explained
• Hotspot indicator
• Comical puzzles
• Unexpected ending

The Bad

• English text turns to French then back to English during the glass puzzle
• Though the graphics would appeal to children, the language and themes are not child-friendly

Our Verdict

Excellent

A superb game that excels in just about every area, held back only by one or two notable flaws or a collection of smaller ones that prevent the game from earning full marks.

Magret & FaceDeBouc “The buddy-buddy case” is an absurdly appealing and engaging adventure. Its mystery is solvable through the partnership of two maverick protagonists. The winsome mood is enhanced and inspired by the jaunty sound design and cartoon-style graphics. This game should increase Adipson Studio’s reputation as a developer of high-quality adventure games.