Developer: Artifex Mundi
Publisher: Artifex Mundi
Platform: PC, Mac
Tested on: PC
Irony Curtain – Review
We live in a very unstable political climate these days. For many, video games are an escape from the daily worries, like who to vote for or who will plunge us into war. Instead, they allow us to drift into some kind of fantasy world where politics aren’t an issue. In Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love, however, politics are the main focus. The game is luckily supplemented with a healthy dose of humor and satire, making it an enjoyable parody instead, which is well worth playing.
Story
The game starts off with an action-packed cutscene throwing us straight into a war. Evan, a rather demure looking fellow, barely manages to survive in the chaos but doesn’t quite make it in time to stop a train from leaving the station. We then cut back to the past, where our story truly begins. Evan is a shy, kind of dorky, journalist who lives in a country ruled by capitalism. He is far more obsessed with Matryoshka though, a fearsome nation ruled by The Leader, which is at war with his own and swears by communism as the superior form of governing. Evan will tell anybody who will listen about the glory that is Matryoshka and writes about it in his self-published paper, even if his fellow citizens do not take that too kindly. Matryoshka is impressed by his devotion though, and Evan finds himself approached by Anna, a secret communist agent who wants to recruit him for their cause, throwing Evan headfirst into an adventure full of espionage, political intrigue, and plenty of hilarious situations of course inspired by the Cold War.
Graphics
Irony Curtain uses very nice looking 2D graphics that are similar to many other such games. The cutscenes are animated very fluidly, making it almost as if you are watching a cartoon. The art style might not vibe with everybody (Evan’s head look just slightly out of proportion at all times) but that is really only a minor gripe with what is otherwise a very good game to look at. The character designs especially are really fun.
Sound
The music here is pretty standard stuff. Nothing too memorable, but definitely nothing to complain about. What does stand out is the voice acting. Every single line in the game has been voice acted and they sound really professional and well done, especially paying attention to comedic timing where necessary, which really helps the funny dialogue work its magic.
Gameplay
Irony Curtain is a point-and-click adventure game, taking its inspiration from other such popular titles such as the Deponia series and Grim Fandango. In a sense, it is a homage to these classics. So the main gameplay focuses on walking around the various settings you find yourself in, clicking on everything interesting and seeing what happens. You can inspect things, sometimes picking them up and adding them to your inventory. In there, you can combine items to create new contraptions. You can also talk to people, with various dialogue options.
Mostly you will find yourself trying to work towards a specific goal, getting into a certain room for example, which will require you to talk to the right people, say the right things or find the right items. You might also need to solve some puzzles along the way. If you get stuck, you can hold the space bar in order to see at a glance all objects in your environment that are interactable. This certainly can come in handy, when you might miss something that is not just part of the background.
If you still are stuck, however, Irony Curtain will gladly throw you a bone. Every single location you visit will have a phone. Dialing a specific number, displayed near this phone usually, will contact you with a (un)willing in-game helpdesk, who you can ask for hints. You can specify exactly what you need help with, as well as asking them to just give you a vague hint pointing you in the right direction or nearly spell the solution out for you if you’re really clueless. For somebody who isn’t fond of looking up too many walkthroughs and getting accidentally spoiled, this is a welcome addition, as it allows you to get through parts that you might otherwise be unable to solve and complete the game.
Conclusion
Irony Curtain is a blast and not only that, but it also reminds us of point-and-click nostalgia in the best way possible. The humor is witty, the characters are charming and the gameplay is a lot of fun even if you’re not the best at figuring out what you have to do next. The topics are relevant to our current news too, making it a hilarious parody of the tensions plaguing the world today. No matter if you are a fan of these kinds of games and want to revisit this genre or you are a complete newcomer trying to find a good title to start with, Irony Curtain is a great game to get your hands on.
Irony Curtain - Review,
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