by Mario Besu
◆ What is there left to say about one of 1996’s most unique point-and-click adventures, a game that completely charmed Sony PlayStation and PC players back in the day? The first thing that catches your eye is the striking visual style. You guide our hero Klayman through a world made of clay, for which the developers built entire sets while the animations were shot frame by frame using the stop-motion technique, resulting in something that remains fascinating to this day. I’m particularly fond of the low-res, grainy FMV sequences that have that old-school ’90s vibe.
Anyone who watched Cartoon Network, ABC, NBC, and other TV channels will remember the commercials for products like Domino’s Pizza, California Raisins etc. so this will feel right at home. Even the start menu is in full claymation style. Interestingly, some of the developers of Earthworm Jim also worked on Neverhood, and you can definitely feel that same atmosphere and style here as well.
Speaking of music, it significantly contributes to the strange and bizarre atmosphere and fits perfectly throughout the entire game, as do the sound effects themselves, which seem to have come straight out of 30s cartoons. Also, if I’m not mistaken, the entire soundtrack won some awards as well. On the other hand, the puzzles require you to use more brainpower, and often a pen and paper. The good thing is that there’s no quest log or similar features so you have to figure things out on your own. Progression is mostly linear and involves a lot of trial & error.
The levels themselves, as well as the buildings, objects, furniture, and the like, are strange and unusual, straight from the minds of creators who are “out there.” Sometimes you’ll have to put in some effort to find the right object or button for further progress, but in most cases, the choice will be obvious. The game has an interesting story that you piece together through CDs our Klaymen finds during his journey, and through them you’ll learn how the Neverhood was created, what role the main character plays, and so on. The game has a “good” and a “bad” ending depending on the choices the player makes. In Neverhood, you can expect plenty of humor, slapstick, and comedy as you play, and there are also some “dramatic” moments I don’t want to spoil for you. On your first run, it might take you about 4 to 5 hours to complete the game, making it ideal for a free afternoon.
There is also a sequel, Skullmonkeys, which was released in 1998 as a platformer and features the same style and humor. There is also a spiritual successor from the same developers, released in 2015 under the name Armikrog, which you can play on WinOS, OS-X <Apple>, Linux distros, Wii-U, and even on Xbox One and PS4. Neverhood is highly recommended, you can even run it on Windows 11 in “compatibility mode” without major issues, and I highly recommend using a CRT monitor for the full pixel experience. Alternatively, you can run one of the available emulators and play on your phone or tablet, the game doesn’t require precise controls, so a controller isn’t necessary. Finally, it’s important to mention that the game is connected to the legendary Steven Spielberg, specifically his company DreamWorks Interactive, which was the publisher.
◆ Where can you get the game? Unfortunately, it’s not available on digital platforms <even though it’s one of the most requested games on GOG> so you have the choice of tracking down a physical copy, with eBay being a safe bet, or turning to abandonware archives as practically the only route to get this masterpiece.
◆ A smart move to avoid infecting your computer with the digital equivalent of an STD is to visit a good old archive.org and dig around a bit. It’s the safest way to grab a clean copy and start playing immediately.
It’s worth mentioning that there is also a remastered version of the game made in the UE4 Unreal Engine by a fan, but unfortunately, only the first few parts of the game were completed. More details are at the link below :
If you’re interested in the game’s development, here’s a great 20-min video
One response to “Neverhood – Sony & PC | <classics review>”
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