This game only cost me about 8 bucks and provided more fun than it cost. Its many cds long and its only good because of Rob Schneider's voice overs. Without Rob Schneider this game would be so boring, but he adds just enough fun to the game to make it an entertaining play. Basically you're some guy who gets transported back in time and you have to get back to the present day while dealing with jungle warriors and knights. If you hate Rob Schneider then you'll abhor this game, but if you like him then its definitely worth the cheap price. I beat the game in two days and I had a good time doing it.
2 Reviews
Just for nostalgics and fast-clicking fans
Alfabeta30 December 2009
Warning: Spoilers
This is not a good game. It's not a good FMV experience either. However 10 years after it was made, the clips have a strong nostalgic feel to it (in a "90ies cable fantasy show/movie" sense) and the "save everywhere" option makes things much much less frustrating.
Rob was probably chosen because of his SNL gig, although he was relatively unknown when this was made. The authors just couldn't afford any star power. That being said, the production value is pretty decent (again, in a Beastmaster 2 sense) and actors, although campy do their job satisfyingly. Except Rob... He was let to ad-lib as much as possible, and he really isn't good at that. In most clips you'll have the option to let him comment and most of the time it won't be funny and you'll get the feeling that this option exists only for you to do something while the sometimes long clips run. Guess you could call this a part of the ADD syndrome. The whole game is made exclusively out of clips. There are no animated backgrounds, inventory, dialog trees (to a small degree, like the Dragon's Lair games but without the crazy difficulty). You click on the given options/icons on the screen (bubbles with words) and go to the next live action clip. It works, but it will not replace the P&C adventures, that's for sure. In the combat sequences you click on a pulsating spot on the screen. The spots and bubbles disappear pretty fast. This game won't let you think what to do for more than 3 to 5 seconds except in a rare resting places (usually near the end of a chapter), however you can freeze the game when ever you want, and unfreezing (just like saving) will repeat the last clip so you can try again. There are several difficulties and stages (as well as branching paths) in solving the puzzles. The easiest, yet most difficult to understand is the "slide the line" puzzle in which you have to click on the screen and draw an invisible line, while the clarity of the picture behind it shows you if you're drawing in the right directions. The only really difficult (read annoying) puzzle is "the blinking white light stones" puzzle during a dance ceremony (everything else won't give you more than a minute or two of trouble once you know what you're doing).
The game has four endings (2 bad, 1 bad for the girl and 1 good) which you choose through your actions or inactions in the last 10 minutes) and runs on 5 discs (it's not really a bother since when you finish a disc, you'll be done with it). A lot of puzzles repeat themselves as well as some locations. The game has small amount of violence, some skimpiness (no nudity) and one marijuana reference. Cutscenes (FMV clips) can not be skipped. The story is kinda convoluted and doesn't try to round up. It will explain the main plot-points near the end and that's it (this will be just enough to give you a sense of completion). Most of the game consists of following, helping or searching for the girl that you got shot for and dealing with different characters that stand or support you on your way.
The game's publisher Any River Entertainment fell through after this game came out (it was the last chance for the salvation of the company) but not just because of this.
Although A Fork in the Tale deserves most of the flak it got, a decade later it is a fun experience with a heavy nostalgic feel about it. Also for a fantasy story game it's not half bad (mainly because of the crazy wizards/mags and other interesting characters). Wheter or not the game would have been better with more time and money and less Rob is questionable.
Either way, if you don't mind the lack of fully explained/constructed story (but just enough) and you can take on a clicking fest, do try it. It will run on most todays PCs and systems.
Rob was probably chosen because of his SNL gig, although he was relatively unknown when this was made. The authors just couldn't afford any star power. That being said, the production value is pretty decent (again, in a Beastmaster 2 sense) and actors, although campy do their job satisfyingly. Except Rob... He was let to ad-lib as much as possible, and he really isn't good at that. In most clips you'll have the option to let him comment and most of the time it won't be funny and you'll get the feeling that this option exists only for you to do something while the sometimes long clips run. Guess you could call this a part of the ADD syndrome. The whole game is made exclusively out of clips. There are no animated backgrounds, inventory, dialog trees (to a small degree, like the Dragon's Lair games but without the crazy difficulty). You click on the given options/icons on the screen (bubbles with words) and go to the next live action clip. It works, but it will not replace the P&C adventures, that's for sure. In the combat sequences you click on a pulsating spot on the screen. The spots and bubbles disappear pretty fast. This game won't let you think what to do for more than 3 to 5 seconds except in a rare resting places (usually near the end of a chapter), however you can freeze the game when ever you want, and unfreezing (just like saving) will repeat the last clip so you can try again. There are several difficulties and stages (as well as branching paths) in solving the puzzles. The easiest, yet most difficult to understand is the "slide the line" puzzle in which you have to click on the screen and draw an invisible line, while the clarity of the picture behind it shows you if you're drawing in the right directions. The only really difficult (read annoying) puzzle is "the blinking white light stones" puzzle during a dance ceremony (everything else won't give you more than a minute or two of trouble once you know what you're doing).
The game has four endings (2 bad, 1 bad for the girl and 1 good) which you choose through your actions or inactions in the last 10 minutes) and runs on 5 discs (it's not really a bother since when you finish a disc, you'll be done with it). A lot of puzzles repeat themselves as well as some locations. The game has small amount of violence, some skimpiness (no nudity) and one marijuana reference. Cutscenes (FMV clips) can not be skipped. The story is kinda convoluted and doesn't try to round up. It will explain the main plot-points near the end and that's it (this will be just enough to give you a sense of completion). Most of the game consists of following, helping or searching for the girl that you got shot for and dealing with different characters that stand or support you on your way.
The game's publisher Any River Entertainment fell through after this game came out (it was the last chance for the salvation of the company) but not just because of this.
Although A Fork in the Tale deserves most of the flak it got, a decade later it is a fun experience with a heavy nostalgic feel about it. Also for a fantasy story game it's not half bad (mainly because of the crazy wizards/mags and other interesting characters). Wheter or not the game would have been better with more time and money and less Rob is questionable.
Either way, if you don't mind the lack of fully explained/constructed story (but just enough) and you can take on a clicking fest, do try it. It will run on most todays PCs and systems.
See also
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