Point and click adventure games once ruled the gaming roost. Early 90s classics like LucasArts' Secret of Monkey Island were a heady mix of puzzles, storytelling and easy to use controls.
But the rise of 3D graphics essentially killed off a genre which has now been commercially dead for over a decade. But a revival may be on. The Wii and the Nintendo DS – both having controllers ideally suited to the genre – have seen a number of point and clickers released and now the PC is getting back on board.
Vampyre Story was created by a team of ex-LucasArts employees and the pedigree shows throughout. For a start it looks fantastic – all gothic cartoon and comedy bloodsuckers – but it is the story and puzzles that charm. The conundrums are usually straightforward "use object" puzzles, although retro fans will be enjoying some of the more obtuse teasers. Occasionally niggly controls are an issue, but Vampyre Story is a treat for adventure veterans and newcomers alike.