So, this is my first game in the second installment of the series, and I take it involves a duck solving crimes and uncovering dark secrets? Well, this one involves going on a trip with his croc roommate and uncovering even more shenanigans, and I have to say, this was fun.
It has all the treasure troves of quirky writing, colorful and distinctive characters, and ridiculous secrets. Like, I swear, if I didn't google that the developers are from Germany, I wouldn't have understood the ending. If the Duck Detective games retain this level of quality, then I'm anticipating for the next one to try pushing that envelope one more time.
Mind you, I never got around to playing the first, and didn't seem like I had to either. It's pretty short, too, but it really puts you in the task of putting so much together with little info and hidden clues.
- Rock bottom
You're introduced to Eugene McQuacklin, out of job, out of divorce, and stuck in a bottomless pit of misery and nihilism. Well, I guess some due to his own volition. For some reason, reminds me of someone. Apparently, he now lives with his assistant, who worships him.
Despite not knowing he's being mooched off, with a lot of bread slices and throwing it around his bed. I mean, none of these two are right in their heads, but the best detective stories always start with broken characters. Well, broken so far. His assistant, Frederson, feeling joyous, even goes further by bringing him to a camping trip he never consented to.
Not off to a good start, the manager is a pigeon on constant panic mode, dealing with a stringent military vet with a son, a major chess player/influencer who's a VIP with a caretaker who also happens to be Frederson's girlfriend, and a friendly Capybara.
Add a haunted mansion, and we got ourselves a mystery. A Scooby-Doo mystery. What I like about the setup is that it's never made apparent to you what's going, everything only starts unfolding because of Duck's constant obsession to solve the case. He doesn't even have his own luggage for clothes, since he wears the same coat and suit almost every single day.
A lot of the time you'll ask questions, look into object of interests, do observations to obtain keywords, and these keywords are used to fill in the blanks, before making his Deducktions. If you've played the Golden Idol games, it's pretty similar. The attention to detail is captivating, and if you're super into detective games, it gives a lot to follow up on. Half the time, though, I'm dealing with some of the most unhinged characters out there.
His girlfriend is an antelope, and VIP's manager, if you use the magnifying glass on her, looks like a demon possessed her, with the veins popping out. Pigeon manager lady I talked to, seems to falling apart in the seems. The VIP (Arnaud) is a rabbit who constantly grooms himself, and bosses people around. Hell, he also got a stalker who is playing around with him, by stealing his lucky scarf.
Various factors leading from one situation to another, kind of like that Knives Out movie, and a TV show I've watched, I swear, something seems familiar. There's foul play, one leading to an even bigger situation involving the haunted mansion, and Matilda, the military vet who doesn't like the fact that her son keeps playing with the Capybara guy, and she's probably the scarf thief too.
- Decipher the mess
I want to show more, because the characters and dialogue carry so much momentum. It's funny, silly in a myriad of ways, and is like one of those children shows that finds ways to deals with adult issues. You know, the birds and the bees, and all that? I'm dropping a hint for what's next.
It is easier to put the pieces early on, but I have to find locker combinations in order to obtain important information. The game isn't super difficult, but really put my thinking hat to work. Around the last point of the game, all kinds of twists unfold, people aren't all who they seem, and that pigeon lady is way too much into rituals and superstitions.
End result is a case that makes careers, someone is found out to be a spy from East Kanten. I mean, it's a German game, you'd get it. The boy finds out who his father is, friendships broken due to zealousness, military information being leaked for vanity, an entire conspiracy unfolds before me as I get crackling. The Duck solves the case again, and that's it, now I know, he's Duckman reincarnated.
I was given the option to choose who to arrest between the three major suspects, and in the end I picked I pretty well. Unfortunately, didn't end well for our McQuacklin. He also broke the law, and now he's taken to the slammer as well. Dude can't catch a break.
Above screenshots and GIFs are from personal recordings only
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