Like No Other: The Legend of the Twin Books is an isometric point-and-click adventure game by Actoon Studio, reminiscent of 90’s titles like Day of the Tentacle, The Curse of Monkey Island, and Full Throttle. You take the role of Dan, an intrepid older gentleman in search of the rumoured “Twin Books.” He’s enthusiastic to explore the abandoned streets of Red Pines, but for gamers, is it worth the trip?

The most notable first impression was how incredibly polished the art direction was. The stylized hand-drawn characters and environments reminded me of 90’s cartoons (think Nickelodeon’s CatDog or Rocko’s Modern Life) giving it the “blast from the past” feel while still being a brand-new experience. It was easy to get caught up in exploring the maps just to see the attention to detail the design team put into the almost cel-shaded, comical set-pieces.

The opening cutscene psyched me up for a fun little road trip. Dan was a fun choice because of his old man “bumbling” personality, which was further enhanced with an incredibly strong voice-acting performance and a wonderful frolicking animation that hooked me from the moment he exited the Jeep.

Sound design was also strong. Almost every interaction or movement had a voice line or sound effect to accompany them. Interactions with the environment almost always prompted a comment from Dan. For most situations, small contextual cues or commentary were welcome. Until moments that required searching interactable objects resulted in Dan uttering “useless,” or “I can’t use this,” which made me want to explore less.

Controls were fairly easy to pick up, particularly the use of the mouse for turning a makeshift crank, which I wish they carried into more gameplay. I did have some issues with pushing items – being so sensitive and “light” to move, and before I knew it, the prop would be flush against the wall like a blockade, requiring me to awkwardly move Dan to progress. The sensitivity of movement and some controls stunted gameplay for that reason.

The plot to recover the book was an interesting concept, but the way it played out felt like they hit writer’s block. There were small glimpses into the story and references to other characters, but ultimately, it led to a lot more questions than answers.

The quirky gameplay of the old-school classics, cheesy dialogue, and interaction combinations left me missing the old Lucas Arts games. “Like No Other” is marketed as a “family-friendly experience” with no violence or overly difficult concepts, but it felt devoid of that point-and-click charm. Minimal room for messing around with misplacing items and prompting fourth-wall-breaking remarks on the choices of the player seemed like a missed opportunity for a ridiculous joyride rather than a leisurely drive.

Clocking in at around 45 mins to an hour and a half, depending on the time taken to solve puzzles and collect caches. There are no difficulty settings though some puzzles took me a while longer to figure out, some of them more frustrating than complicated.

Like No Other is a linear and short journey that doesn’t quite go the distance. If you’re craving a nostalgia trip for point-and-click adventures, this may be one worth giving a try for a throwback. Whether it’s worth trading in a chill experience for the not-always-so-satisfying puzzles is the real riddle of Like No Other: The Legend of the Two Books.

Written by: Yasmin Noble