An early version of the cute action-adventure ‘Ghost of a Tale’ released on PC a year ago. Today we find this indie gem on the Nintendo Switch. Is this a fun adventure or not? Let’s find out!
Little Tilo
In Ghost of a Tale, you’ll take control over Tilo, a small mouse that’s being trapped in a dark dungeon by the evil rats. The world of Tilo is lived in and has some rich history where the mice are considered as enemies of everything that’s alive. They once side with a mysterious green flame that could spawn the undead. This, of course, didn’t make the mice popular and they are living a rather hard life nowadays. As Tilo, it’s up to you to escape from the rat’s claws and discover the truth of what happened years ago. While doing so, Tilo also has to find a way to rescue his wife who got captured in a tower. It’s a fun and thrilling adventure set in a realistic world. What I like most about this is the fact that everything looks extremely realistic and you immediately recognize the different animals roaming around in this fantasy medieval world. The story will constantly push you forwards until you finally unravel the truth.
You’re not a fighter
Unlike many other RPG-inspired adventure games, you’re not really a fighter. Since you’re just a small mouse, you don’t really stand a chance against the bigger animals. Sneaking around and moving when nobody sees you is more your style and if you want to survive, you’ll need to master the stealth mechanics as soon as possible. Luckily, the game is rather forgiving and the AI of the guards isn’t impossible to misguide. If you time your movements precisely and push the right buttons at the right time, you’ll be able to escape your dungeon in no time. But that’s only the start of your big adventure. Although stealth plays a crucial role in this game, it isn’t the only mechanic. This game has a serious RPG-layer over it and that’s most noticeable during your quests. If you talk to the other creatures in the world and go through the correct dialogue options, you’ll unlock tons of extra quests. Most of those involve searching and gathering a specific item while some might prove to be a bit more challenging. Although the quests feel rather repetitive, the rewards are certainly worth the effort. If you complete a quest, you’ll gather new outfits, which will not only make you look a lot better, they’ll also boost your stats. This is crucial to make your adventure a bit easier while playing.
But, it’s not perfect
Although this is certainly a fun game with a lot of great elements, it’s far from perfect. The biggest issue is its visuals. Although the team went for realistic graphics, it’s not always that clear or well-made. During the first minutes of the game, it all was a bit too muddy, making it hard to see where I should go or where my enemies were located. On top of that, the game also suffers from bugs, and some frame drops in the more crowded environments. Of course, since this still is an indie game, it’s no surprise the game isn’t perfect and if you’re able to see past those flaws, you’ll certainly end up having a blast with this cute adventure.
