Loco Motive Review

It’s no surprise that LucasArts classic adventure titles continue to inspire developers to this day, with the company having a profound impact on the point-and-click genre thanks to some of the most revered and loved adventure games to hit our computers. One recent title to claim such inspiration is Loco Motive from Robust Games and Chucklefish, a game that this point-and-click lover has been looking forward to for some time. It’s got pixel art, slapstick humour, and ludicrous puzzle logic – all the LucasArts staples to make it a great time. But does it all work together like the good old days? Jump on, get your ticket punched and read on to find out.

Set in the 1930s onboard the Reuss Express, a first-of-its-kind steam-powered train, the wealthy Lady Unterwald is mysteriously murdered right before announcing who will inherit her estate. But who is the culprit? With a train full of family and colleagues all vying for a slice of the pie, it could be anyone. From there, the story follows three characters (and suspects): Arthur Ackerman, Lady Unterwald’s paperwork-loving lawyer, Herman Merman, a failing novelist passing as a detective, and Diana Ostman, a secret agent.

Bloody murder

Each of these characters take turns driving the narrative forward with their own chapter and eventually work together to solve the mystery of Lady Unterwald’s death. The chapters also help shed some light on the character’s backstory and connection to Lady Unterwald, which are quite enjoyable, especially Herman’s. 

The bulk of the game will see you exploring the Reuss Express and chatting with its eclectic passengers to find clues to uncover the killer’s identity. There’s a lot of dialogue to get through, and often it’s important to ask every question to glean as much as possible for the game’s puzzles. In some games, especially those where the gameplay mechanics are limited, too much dialogue can be a bore, but the writing in Loco Motive is genuinely funny and I frequently wanted to hear every exchange available.

Point-and-clicks have always thrived on their stories and characters, and Loco Motive is no different. The over-arching story may not be as exciting as hoped, with the ‘twist’ somewhat predictable, but there’s no denying how good the writing and performances are. It’s easily one of Loco Motive’s highlights – I was constantly chuckling to myself at the dialogue, and the best thing is that Loco Motive’s slapstick humour doesn’t feel forced, which is a testament to just how good the voice acting is.

Herman Merman, detective un-extraordinaire

I also can’t sing Loco Motive’s praises without talking about the artwork and animations, which are sublime. Pixel art can often be overlooked for feeling a little simple but Robust Games has done a marvellous job at including as much detail as possible into every environment. However, it’s the animations that really stand out and help make every sequence feel alive – it truly is impressive just how good they are.

Where the singing starts to become a bit of a groan is the game’s puzzles. I may be a lover of old point-and-click games, but often the puzzles are my least favourite memory, and with modern day game design it’s hard to convince players that simply combining every item is fun. I often found myself doing this in Loco Motive, trying any item and character pairing to progress because I had no real idea what I was required to do, and this is when Loco Motive (and other adventure games) lost its fun factor. Of course, you don’t want puzzles to be too easy and you want to feel a sense of accomplishment now and again, but not to the detriment of the story or game.

Thankfully, not every puzzle in Loco Motive is designed this way, with many logical enough for the player to piece together organically. If you find yourself in a bind, using one of the phones scattered around the Reuss Express will have you dialling a hotline to get some pointers. It’s a clever implementation that’s made better as it’s named after Herman’s rival Dirk Chiselton.

The pixel art and animations are excellent

Unfortunately, my time with Loco Motive came off the rails a couple times due to bugs that stopped me in my tracks. I’m not usually one to complain about minor bugs, but these had me chatting with the devs to find a fix. While most of them were patched quickly, I sadly encountered one a few days ago right at the end of the game that required me to use an older manual save that saw me lose just under an hour of progress. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and although a lot of the issues are sorted now, the game was probably announced for departure a smidge too early.

Final Thoughts

Loco Motive does what it sets out to do – be a modern and faithful homage to the LucasArts adventure games. I’ve said it before, but modern game design has seen puzzles evolve beyond simply combining every item to progress and unfortunately, Loco Motive’s crime is that some puzzles pay too much homage, hurting the experience as it brings the game to a halt when you feel invested. Thankfully, the game’s captivating characters, funny dialogue and excellent pixel art animations mitigate the annoyances, and regardless, adventure fans should give Loco Motive a ride at some point.

Reviewed on PC // Review code supplied by publisher

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