Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure

"The Revival Of Point and Click"

Any one who has said that point and click games are dead should whole-heartedly eat their own words by buying this game. Zack and Wiki, without a doubt, is one of the better games that I have played in a long time. There are only a few things that truly inhibit this game from being the paradigm of excellence!

As always, I shall start with the good and work towards the bad.

Gameplay 9/10 - There are many facets to game play here that truly shine. Without diving too much into the story, as that is covered later, you play Zack using your Wiimote. the basics are that you point and click and he will move there/interact with whatever you click on in a preset fashion as designated by the game. Sounds simple enough right? The game utilizes the Wiimote most excellently. Every item that you encounter along the way has a unique use for the controller giving the game a very unique feel to it and allowing it to stand out as the most fun aspect of the game. For you adults out there, I am sure that many innuendos will come out of this as well. Every level has the same goal in that Zack is attempting to get to a treasure chest that is usually guarded via someone or something; it's up to you to guide him to getting the treasure. During each level, you are graded based upon performance. For the type of gamer that has to absolutely get everything done that there is to do in a video game, this is where you spend most of your time. The puzzles often have multiple solutions with one that is considered the best and will reward you the most points. However, sometimes the solutions to the puzzles can be so obscure that the only way you would find them is by mistake which leads me into the only real flaw of the game. The only reason it received a nine is because at times, the controller can be clunky and move in a rather annoying manner. Normally, this is not a problem; the game is revolutionary in its field for the integration of the Wii's remote technology so I expected there to be some issues. However, in certain instances you are pitted against time in Zack and Wiki's adventures. Timed events coupled with clunky controlling will lead to many an angry controller thrown out of frustration. This is about all there is to the gameplay. It's simple, elegant and fun. What more could one ask for in a game?

Graphics 10/10 - The graphics are very well done and remind me heavily of Zelda: Windwaker except better. Cartoony in style, they embody all of the awe that the Wii is capable of. I honestly can't say anything bad about the graphics in this game. They mesh perfectly with the maturity level, characters, sounds and gameplay. If this were a 360 or PS3 game, I would expect more. But that is not the case. Needless to say, this, when coupled with gameplay, is where the game shines its brightest.

Story 8/10 - Without spoilers, the premise of the game is that Zack and Wiki are hunting treasure. They encounter this crazy pirate named Barbados and head out to recover lost pieces of his skeleton. I won't comment much further on the story just know that for the beginning half of the game, it is near non-existent and the story that divulges out later on is a bit cliche. Honestly, as a gamer, this was not the producer's forte. But it is by no means bad. It's simply there if you want it. There's no amazing plot twist or anything out of the ordinary that will blow your minds.

Sound 8/10 - The sound is also similar to the story in terms of quality. It's there and it does what it is supposed to but it does not captivate me. It augments the gameplay by setting the mood but does nothing really beyond that. While, there are a lot of songs and what not, the sound is kinda plain which is why I gave it a lessened score.

Replayability 5/10 - This is without a doubt the worst part of the game. After completion, I put this game up on the shelf and it has nary a day seen my Wii since. The game is not really replayable at all. To me, this will be one of those games that is remarkable enough that I won't sell it back to Gamestop. It will come out maybe once a year for me to play over because the game itself IS fun but not replayable like Super Smash Brothers: Brawl or DDR. It really is a game that once completed will get put away until one day you find it randomly like a year later and decide to take it back out for a spin. Be my guest to play it over and over again... I don't really see a reason though.

Rent or Buy? Buy! If you are into puzzlers and thinking games, Zack and Wiki is right for you. It's not that expensive and it will keep you thinking for a while. If you are not sure if you will be into this type of game there is always renting and hearsay from your friends.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/26/09

Game Release: Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure (US, 10/23/07)