Adventure Gamers · By Deirdra Kiai · Published January 21, 2008
"Overall, Zack & Wiki's gameplay is a fun attempt at adding something new to the adventure genre, yet its occasional unfairness and lack of meaningful story elements prevent it from being a true classic. I would venture to say that it feels more like a tech demo than a fully realized game a lot of the time. Still, what Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure does contribute to the genre is very significant in its own right, as a first step in moving adventure games towards a more immersive experience. Hopefully, it will inspire more developers to evolve these gameplay innovations and perhaps even integrate them seamlessly with strong narratives. If and when that happens, we might just get that great revival of adventure games on the Wii that we've been waiting for all this time."
The Good: Clever puzzle design; innovative use of the Wii remote; cute and atmospheric visual style.
The Bad: Weak story and characters; occasionally clunky controls; unfair deaths; poorly-implemented hint system.
Bottom Line: While not spectacular as a game in and of itself, the gameplay innovations it presents to the adventure genre might make it worth a try.
Score: 3 out of 5 stars
