The Whispered World

A gorgeous adventure with a touching story is marred by mildly frustrating moments and mystifying puzzles. Recommended for the old-school adventurer.

The Whispered World is beyond anything else a beautifully crafted adventure game of the old school formula. It's an utter joy to explore the world that, aside from beautiful artwork, is filled with both easy and challenging puzzles. But all of these wonderful components are dragged down by the god awful voice acting too horrendous to overlook. It's a shame since this is in every other aspect a great piece of entertainment.

The Whispered World is an incredibly charming adventure game, with lots of quality humour, interesting characters and a story that's more exciting than it seems at first. A worthy buy, despite some weak and illogical puzzles.

A correct game, but without anything to make it stand out in this genre.

Of course, a totally linear game is nothing without its plot, and The Whispered World doesn't disappoint in that respect. It's a relatively unique take on the 'reluctant hero saves the world' tale, with the kind of memorable ending that'll divide opinion straight down the middle.

What you're doing isn't terribly interesting. [July 2010, p.97]

This is a glorious, wonderful world to explore, a painterly land bristling with character and emotion. It pains me that I can't recommend it wholeheartedly.

Dreadful voices. [Aug 2010, p.83]

Bad translation... If you can speak German, get the native version. [July 2010, p.100]

If you are really, really longing for a 2D adventure with lovely hand-drawn graphics, then you'll enjoy The Whispered World for a couple of days. But chances are you'll quickly stop playing and immerse in a much more exciting activity – rummaging through the game's data folder in search of beautiful backgrounds for your desktop.

Absolutely enormous, endlessly gorgeous, but maddening (especially in its final moment), The Whispered World is a muddled shame.

A pleasant adventure, but by no means revolutionary.

If, like me, you have warm fuzzy memories of the glory days of LucasArts, Revolution and AdventureSoft, you'll enjoy The Whispered World. And I did. But there are simply too many shortcomings here to give this game a hearty recommendation. Muted praise.

It's magic, it's a fable and it's a dream, but The Whispered World is also a nightmare for its bugs in the Italian version that compromise an adventure that, otherwise, would be one of the most interesting of the year.

It's a shame the drama doesn't punch at the same weight (as the visuals). [June 2010, p.105]

There's something wrong with a genre where self-parody is interchangeable with inspiration. [Issue#96, p.120]

An astounding story wrapped in frustrating, illogical adventure gameplay. [July 2010, p.59]

I felt generally accomplished, yet the weight of disappointment in my gut could not be ignored.

If, like me, you have warm fuzzy memories of the glory days of LucasArts, Revolution and AdventureSoft, you'll enjoy The Whispered World. And I did. But there are simply too many shortcomings here to give this game a hearty recommendation. Muted praise, then, for a whispered world.

It's just a shame that it's not as good as it so clearly should be. [July 2010, p.98]

Dense dialogue and illogical puzzles get in the way of The Whispered World's outstanding artwork and surreal atmosphere.