Game Info
GAME NAME: Master Reboot
DEVELOPER(S): Wales Interactive
PUBLISHER(S): Wales Interactive
PLATFORM(S): Nintendo Wii U
GENRE(S): Puzzle/Adventure
RELEASE DATE(S): July 24th, 2014
This week I’ve left the PS4 behind to take on some more Wii U eShop titles. My first is the 2nd title from Wales Interactive to grace Nintendo’s latest home console. The first, Gravity Badgers, was a fun gravity-based puzzle game. This title, Master Reboot, is a lot more ambitious with 3D worlds and a heavy story-based gameplay.
Master Reboot is set in a futuristic world where your souls and memories are stored in a machine called the Soul Cloud. Here your memories are able to be revisited by family and friends. As a worker in the Soul Cloud, you one day stumble upon what seems to be a virus that has taken over. As you play through the memories in the Soul Cloud, starting as early as childhood, you will start piecing together what has happened in the life leading up to the demise.
The story is intriguing as well as frustrating at the same time. It is very vague and tough to figure out what’s going on most of the time but as the story progresses you will collect blue rubber ducks throughout the levels for clues and then moves forward further with a cut scene following the end of each level. The variety in level design is pretty awesome. You will be taken to different locations such as a carnival, hospital (which is always creepy), school, playground and many more.
All gameplay is first-person driven and similar to the point-and-click adventures you would be use to playing on the PC. The controls are very tight, it’s your standard walk with the left stick and look with your right stick affair. The Y button is your action button and the ZL is your run. Everything about the controls feels natural and you even get a little gun to use in the carnival level, making it feel at home in first-person. There are some really cool level designs later in the game that require some different gameplay aspects of platforming, but I don’t want to spoil it, so grab the game and find out yourself!
Master Reboot doesn’t hold your hand one bit and you will sometimes find yourself stuck in an area trying to figure out what to do next. There isn’t any “action” per-say, but a creepy little girl will follow you around and sometimes terminate you from the Soul Cloud. I’ve also taken wrong turns and had a big scary teddy bear take me out as well. There is one area in the hospital that made me jump more then once, even when I knew it was coming!
Graphically, Master Reboot has a very unique computer-anime style. The different locations you are sent to all have a very unique look and are very creepy. The atmosphere is very well done as I always feel like each area is surreal. The music plays into the horror atmosphere with big booming instances to make you leap from your seat. All is very well done in creating an environment that has a dreary look and equaled musical composition.
The Recommendation
Master Reboot is a great horror/adventure title with puzzle-based gameplay. It offers a unique gameplay style that isn’t really available on the Wii U. The story can be confusing through some points but overall you will get the gist of what is happening by the end and the puzzles make the game a fun ride along the way. Wales Interactive has impressed me with their first two titles so far on the Wii U and I can’t wait to play their next.
