Torin's Passage

Critical Patch - 49 KB - This is an official released patch that fixes a bunch of problems with this game including some very MAJOR bugs. One of the bugs it fixes is a save/load bug where after the first level you are unable to save your game properly. Do not attempt to play this game without this patch!

NOTE: Instructions to install this patch are included in the download.

This game begins with your character, Torin (a simple farm boy living just outside of the city gates), being asked to go to town to buy some tools. On the way, his family is swept up by a magical whirlwind and a creepy old stranger advises him that a wicked sorceress named Lysentia has kidnapped them and taken them to "the lands below". So Torin, like a good family member, embarks on a quest to find his family, journeying through five different levels (or worlds) in the process. The storyline is delightful with Torin's quirky pet, Boogle (who looks like a cross between a cat and Roger Rabbit and is capable of transforming into different shapes to help Torin) providing plenty of comedy relief, and Torin finding love along the way (and what teenage adventure wouldn't be complete without that?).

Game play can be as hard or as difficult as you want it to be, thanks to a unique "auto hint" system that allows you to simply press the question mark icon at the side of the screen when you get stuck. The hints range from the obvious (well, heck, I could see that!) to outright giveaways of the puzzles, but they cost you more and more points the more you ask. I had some trouble with a few of the game's puzzles due to the "scroll icon"; in other words, there were things I wasn't able to see from Torin's vantage point that could be seen by scrolling down, and was forced to use the hint feature a few times(I finished with 962 out of 999 points). If you are really up for a challenge, you can turn the hint feature off at the beginning of the game. The puzzles are challenging enough to be fun without being hard enough to disrupt the storyline. All but one took less than an hour to figure out, not counting the two that I used the hints for. Kids will probably take longer.

The game reminded me a lot of King's Quest 7, both for the "cel animation" style of the graphics, as well as the interface (with one all purpose cursor and an inventory). Those of you who felt KQ7 was "too Disneyfied" probably wouldn't care for Torin's Passage either. The only weakness of this game was that it lacked depth as far as character development- unlike KQ6, for example, which actually brought a tear to my eye at times.

In the end this game was made for the strict purpose of being played with your child. Certain elements were implemented for the adult audience, and other elements were added for the children. Forged together they make a great game that manages to give you a bonding experience with your child.

By: PsychDoctor