Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations Preview

Oh My Glob!

Adventure Time with Finn & Jake has been a smash hit for Cartoon Network since its launch in 2010, but as is the case with many popular TV franchises, the related video games have been substantially “meh.” While Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!! gained mostly adequate reviews, both Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW! and The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom left lots to be desired from fans of the cartoon and gamers alike.

So when we went to check out the offerings Little Orbit had to offer for family-friendly gamers, our discovery of a new Adventure Time title started off with a little bit of trepidation, but after some time, I can safely say that Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations looks quite algebraic!

Finn & Jake Investigations will be an Adventure Time adventure game—makes sense!—akin to a modernized point-and-click LucasArts game of old. In it, Finn the Human and Jake the Dog have decided to set up shop as detectives, as were Jake's parents, Joshua and Margaret. In our demo, Abracadaniel had been framed for a theft, and it was up to Finn & Jake to prove his innocence by collecting clues to what actually happened.

Jake retains his shapeshifting abilities from the show, and Finn has his trusty sword for some action sequences. The game is designed to be playable, challenging, and fun for Adventure Time fans of all ages, from ten to… well… me (and beyond). As a fan of the show, I enjoyed interacting with so many of the characters from the show, including Princess Bubblegum and Pepperment Butler. The game's developer, Vicious Cycle Software, also says that characters such as BMO, Lumpy Space Princess, and the Earl of Lemongrab will make appearances.

For many of these characters, it will be the first time they will be rendered in 3D, as the entire game is built from the ground up using 3D models of the 2D cartoon characters. Many times, it gets a little creepy (exhibit A: The Garfield movies), but the 3D versions of the Adventure Time cast seemed very natural, to the point that I wondered why we hadn't seen them like this all our lives. The gameplay was intuitive and had a flair for point-and-click item-puzzle logic. That's not necessarily a bad thing; I loved games like Maniac Mansion and Day of the Tentacle, so I'm more than okay with this.

The game will launch with five episodes, with the possibility of more down the line. Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations is on the case October 2015 on all eighth-gen and most seventh-gen consoles.

Maybe Jake had it right all along in relation to Adventure Time video games: maybe sucking at something is the first step towards being sorta good at something.