Runaway: A Road Adventure
2001 Pendulo Studios
Designed by Ramón Hernáez, Rafael Latiegui, Felipe Gómez Pinilla
Relevance:
*) mix gas
Not too irrelevant, but it screams "puzzle!".
*) ufo tones
Mastermind, in drag. Those wacky aliens! Not too bad, it seems in character
for the game.
-----
Reasonability:
*) wake Gina
If shaking and handling her won't wake her, it's hard to believe that some
water would do so, and especially that she would awake alert.
*) refresh battery
This requires uncommon knowledge. It should be clued in-story.
*) coffee
Using a lathe to grind the beans? I don't see how that is supposed to work.
It would be easier to crush them with some makeshift pestle (e.g., ladle).
*) move freezer
There's no motivation for it. You can't see the trap door, and there's no
reason to expect it, or anything else of value, to be hidden under the
freezer.
*) fix basketball
With an old bellows? You need an air pin. At least it makes cartoon sense.
*) get footrest
The motivation for attacking the motorcycle is very weak. There's no reason
to expect anything to come of it.
*) make peanut butter
Peanuts don't melt. It's probably supposed to be a peanuts+butter=p-butter
joke, but that level of surreality doesn't match the tone of the game.
*) make bullets
Lipstick cases don't usually come with primers. It makes cartoon sense,
from the shape, but it doesn't match the game's tone.
*) create distraction (blow well)
Why the well? The blast could be anywhere. It's out of character for our
goodie-two-shoes hero to destroy valuable property for no good reason.
*) helping Joshua
Motivation? Why am I wasting my time with him? He's offering nothing to
help my quest, and I'm in a bit of a hurry.
*) strap to run ufo machine
Okay in general, but his comment that cutting it would make it too short
is silly. The bike isn't fixed in place.
*) get wrench (from trough)
This is one of the stupidest challenges ever! There a number of reasonable
alternatives, the required solution isn't realistic, and it doesn't even
make cartoon sense.
*) inspire Saturn (telepathic helmet)
What's my motivation? Brian would likely want to help him out just to be
nice, but the serendipitous result draws attention the creator's hand.
*) fill train water
Five *$&^@%# times?!! After the second fill (or even first), it should
have been a cut-scene.
*) blow train steam
Motivation? Steam wouldn't blow out metal bits (and not bones and clothes).
Also, that's not the stack that the steam should be coming out of, it's the
coal stack. Also also, the boiler/fire geometry would be wrong for an
engine on its side (this last is okay for this game, but I'm on a roll).
*) open pods
The poker should work as well. A hot scalpel shouldn't cut any better than
a cold one; it could only burn off the pod (without burning the beans
inside -- can't just throw them into the fire).
-----
Real-Time:
*) get mask from safe
I'm not sure, but the story seems to suggest it's timed. You've got 30 secs
to click on the mask, so it's not much of a constraint if it is.
-----
Difficulty:
*) bed dummy (the whole plan)
A good idea for a challenge, but the narrow scope makes it too easy to
stumble upon.
*) coffee
Realising the beans in the bowl are coffee is the hard part.
*) open gunpowder barrel
A good makeshift drill. Although it would be unlikely to really work, it's
realistic enough for the tone of the game.
-----
Story:
I was surprised he ran off with Gina in the end. He seemed to be more
interested in Sushi, disappointed in Gina for her lies, and otherwise lacking
any demonstration of connection to Gina. Other than she's gorgeous. Oh. Never
mind.
-----
Significant Challenges:
Ch1:
*) bed dummy
*) refresh marker
*) wake Gina
Ch2:
*) restore crucifix (swap)
*) keypad
*) open artefact safe
*) refresh battery
*) hurry Olivaw (laser)
*) coffee
Ch3:
*) move freezer
*) open trapdoor
*) get pill
*) fix basketball
*) overcome helicopter guard
*) get footrest
*) bus door
*) open peanut barrel
*) make peanut butter
*) open shed
*) open gunpowder barrel
*) make bullets
*) get tanning oil
*) oil gun
*) create distraction (blow well)
Ch4:
*) strap to run ufo machine
*) get wrench (from trough)
*) create objet d'art
*) mix gas
*) ufo tones
*) inspire Saturn
*) fill train water
*) blow train steam
*) bank cellar
*) open safe
*) menthol tobacco
Ch5:
*) make mining tool
*) get nail
*) anchor rope
*) enter crypt
*) village maze
A maze that's in perfect context! It's what should be there. Thankfully,
they kept its size to a minimum.
*) make splint
Ch6:
*) get drug from Rutger
*) get scalpel
*) open pods
*) open trailer
*) blow train steam
*) appoint Oscar sheriff
I like it.
*) movie talk
Really just a maze.
*) record voices