Puzzle Agent

A promising start to an atmospheric series, ironically let down by its puzzles. [Sept 2010, p.63]

The humour, too, is a little underplayed. [Sept 2010, p.95]

A more casual and accessible game than the more complex series to usually come out of Telltale. [Issue#99, p.123]

Perhaps, considering the industry's rampant "borrowing," it's a little unfair to complain about Puzzle Agent feeling gratingly uninspired. But Telltale forgot one of the most basic rules: If you're going to crib enough to be compared to a franchise as solid and beloved as Professor Layton, that's got to be a comparison you want to invite, and one to which you can stack up well. Poor Nelson Tethers just can't.

Aside from a handful of disappointing puzzles, however, I still see loads of potential in Puzzle Agent. Its goofy, Coen-brothers-do-Twin Peaks storyline kept me glued to my computer monitor for the roughly three hours it takes to finish the game.

Yes, Puzzle Agent is a nearly lockstep Professor Layton clone, but unfortunately its puzzles are not as good as its inspiration's stumpers. And that's what ultimately undoes Puzzle Agent.

Anyone looking for the next Sam & Max or Monkey Island won't find anything like that here, but with Puzzle Agent Telltale took an intriguing step in a new direction towards puzzle-based adventuring, and the result has proven to be well worthwhile.

The way Telltale tied together the story is somewhat brilliant, even if it's not entirely fulfilling.

With sharp writing paired with a charming if amateurish cast, Puzzle Agent's appeal is rough-hewn, but improbably cohesive. Were it not so instantly likeable, you might not care so much about the fairly standard logic puzzles.

Puzzle Agent is cute and charismatic, although its puzzles leave something to be desired.

Puzzle Agent's dark and strange story proves to be quite compelling, but the hit-and-miss puzzles keep this pilot episode from truly impressing.

With all of its ingenuity and charm, this episode is a great first step in Telltale's Pilot Program.

Everything in the game is top-notch, except, of course, for the puzzles.

Some of that pleasure is tempered by an imbalance in the games puzzle progression and the reuses of a handful of puzzle templates, but with a little tweaking and another exotic case to be cracked, Puzzle Agent could become a series consistently worth solving.

Telltale Games has achieved to create an entertaining and full of humor game, full of intelligent, yet sometimes repetitive, puzzles.

Nelson Tethers is also smart enough to mock itself for the frequency with which puzzles unnecessary crop up: The hotel owner doesn't see anything odd in the fact that her assistant wrote your room key down in code, but Tethers roll his eyes before rolling up his sleeves and tackling another puzzle.

Short adventure game is based on mostly trivial puzzles and the only reason to try it instead of DS's Layton is for the visual style, created by Graham Annable. [Aug 2010]

The fact that it's a "pilot" leaves hope that future installments of the series can address the few issues it has, and make it a worthy addition to Telltale Games' roster of titles.

Puzzle Agent is an incredibly fun and well made puzzle focused adventure game. When you play as FBI Agent Nelsen Tethers, and solve the mysteries surrounding a factory in Minnesota, you can't help but be impressed by the game's good puzzles, great story and fun atmosphere.

If you're a puzzle fan, then the game does have some thought-provoking puzzles; however, it moves so slowly, you might not be able to stay awake long enough to get to them.

Hits more than it misses. [Sept 2010, p.95]

Coming from the Prof. Layton school, Puzzle Agent is a good experiment as for the artistic direction but it lacks in is most important part, the puzzles. More inspired riddles and a bigger attention in its development could given life to a better game. A sufficient start for the series, though.