I remember Inherit the Earth being well-received way back when. Far from an instant classic it still had the hype of a solid also-ran, worth a second look from SCUMM-engine aficionados. But for whatever reason, I didn't play it then. Despite my affinity for point-and-click adventures.
The crisp 2D graphics and world-building set it up for a slam dunk. Set in a fantasy world inhabited by anthropomorphic animals, you follow a fox, elk, and boar out on an adventure-filled quest; find the magic McGuffin, clear Rif's name (ie. the fox). Along the way, you'll find remnants of the long-gone mythical civilization of the humans, possibly some clues to the disappearance as well. COOL! Sign me up.
Unfortunately, Inherit the Earth kind of falls apart soon after. It's really short, ending with an anti-climactic thud and the puzzle-solving is virtually non-existent. It's a string of dialog prompts to work your way through, and a couple of items to find.
I guess you could say that about most adventure games. But seeing as the game has the bare minimum of items and objects to interact with, it robs you of any sense of accomplishment. Found a key? Nice. Try using it on the only keyhole in the whole damned game. Have to get past an angry swarm of bees? Yeah, maybe just smoke them out by lighting the dry twigs on fire that are DIRECTLY UNDER THE HIVE.
What's even worse is its penchant for tedious mazes. During its short runtime, you'll have to trek through 4 of them. Jesus Christ, FOUR. Do you think that's maybe enough? More if you count the confusing and mazelike isometric villages you'll visit.
Sure, games like The Secret of Monkey Island or Legend of Kyrandia also leaned on mazes. But at least those games had the decency to feature some kind of problem-solving to help you navigate the mazes. Inherit the Earth opts for monotonous hallways leading to the ONE item you need, and then out again. Fun times!
The crisp 2D graphics and world-building set it up for a slam dunk. Set in a fantasy world inhabited by anthropomorphic animals, you follow a fox, elk, and boar out on an adventure-filled quest; find the magic McGuffin, clear Rif's name (ie. the fox). Along the way, you'll find remnants of the long-gone mythical civilization of the humans, possibly some clues to the disappearance as well. COOL! Sign me up.
Unfortunately, Inherit the Earth kind of falls apart soon after. It's really short, ending with an anti-climactic thud and the puzzle-solving is virtually non-existent. It's a string of dialog prompts to work your way through, and a couple of items to find.
I guess you could say that about most adventure games. But seeing as the game has the bare minimum of items and objects to interact with, it robs you of any sense of accomplishment. Found a key? Nice. Try using it on the only keyhole in the whole damned game. Have to get past an angry swarm of bees? Yeah, maybe just smoke them out by lighting the dry twigs on fire that are DIRECTLY UNDER THE HIVE.
What's even worse is its penchant for tedious mazes. During its short runtime, you'll have to trek through 4 of them. Jesus Christ, FOUR. Do you think that's maybe enough? More if you count the confusing and mazelike isometric villages you'll visit.
Sure, games like The Secret of Monkey Island or Legend of Kyrandia also leaned on mazes. But at least those games had the decency to feature some kind of problem-solving to help you navigate the mazes. Inherit the Earth opts for monotonous hallways leading to the ONE item you need, and then out again. Fun times!