The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom Review

Such hunger that even a pie gives him wings

When it comes to indie games, there’s a rather mixed bag,
Of fabulous, so-so and unimaginably bad,
So when we heard of the game that we’re about to review,
We turned to a few trusted sources we knew,

It did look impressive, from all the screenshots on show,
But looks decieve easy, as all gamers know,
It’s a side-scrolling puzzler set in the silent movie days?
And conceived of by students, then co-opted by 2K?

But as the questions went out, friends were quick to reply,
And all answered back to say “Just give it a try!”
“Brilliant!”, “Thumbs up!”, “Original!” they cried,
So I forked out the points and set reservations aside,

The name of this game, in case you feel I’ve forgotten,
Is the Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom,
We take the role of a cad, a damn gluttonous thief,
Who’s penchant for pie stretches the realms of belief,

Held up by a pie fumes and summarily chided

But P.B.’s vast stomach leads him into trouble,
For upon breaking a clock, he finds himself doubled,
See without machine, nor a dagger, nor a DeLorean in sight,
Time is broken by a pie that soars and dips like a kite,

It’s the Chrono Berry Pie, if we be talking precise,
Who’s trying to teach P.B. to give up his vice,
But a learnt lesson would seem to be a miscalculation,
Because this Victorian chap has but one fascination,

It’s those pies! Tasty pastry! Any flavour of strudel!
And it’s not long before P.B. is scratching his noodle,
Because outside of time there is no-one to stop him,
From purloining said pastries to stuff himself rotten,

First comes the army of clones, like Star Wars: Episode 2,
Only these clones aren’t kiwis, nor crush droids like Windu.
They’re Winterbottom himself, torn from parallel clocks,
And by recording new actions, you use them like blocks.

To stack up, to climb on, or to hit over large gaps,
We reach new heights found by standing on stovepipe hats.
And when we tire of clones, and the baked goods they bring,
The Chrono Berry introduces some new miraculous thing.

This is how the game looks, flickering black and white

A portal that times us, offering co-operative incarnation,
Spews forth a human torrent to help solve equations.
But abuse of his clone selves, just for his personal gains,
Leads them to rise up, with a Marxist refrain.

If you’re to solve all the scenes, you can’t think in straight lines,
Because this game bases puzzles on the bending of time.
Things start out simple, and build difficulty from there,
Ranging from derisive grunts to the pulling of hair.

The Odd Gentlemen provide over 75 puzzles,
That rely on time juggling, over which the mind muddles.
But while challenging indeed, the game’s rarely too tough,
The difficulty is fairly balanced, which left me quite chuffed.

There’s a focus on fun that some games often forget,
Assisted by the theme in which the narrative’s set.
It’s like a silent movie, as you play the frames rattle,
Light constantly flickers over a soundtrack sans-prattle.

The Chrono Berry trails you with cream-laden crust,

Between scenes the story illustrates, with a singular slate,
An image with child’s rhyme that relates P.B.’s fate.
The charm’s undeniable, and is consistent straight through,
With far better writing  than found in this review!

The game’s flaws are few, or at least those we detected,
But for a game about time, it’s shorter than we expected.
After the story is finished, there’s puzzle scenes to peruse,
But only four hours to complete? P.B. may soon be old news.

So here’s hoping the devs have expansions in mind,
And offer them free for those who’ve paid them in kind.
Because while this game is good, just as I heard it,
There’s a lack of replay, which brings me to The Verdict:

Let’s begin with the Pros: This game drips with style,
It’s humour is sharp, while it’s visuals go the mile.
An original soundtrack, it’s puzzles well pitched,
A control scheme learnt easy, implemented without hitch.

As to the Cons there are few. Nothing of serious demerit.
But we were left wanting more for our Microsoft credit.
So while the game is great, a puzzler without fail,
It could serve gamers well to hold out for a sale.

Overall: The Odd Gentlemen haven’t failed to impress,
They’ve given us a Braid that’s more accessible, I guess.
And although our terrible verse should be forgotten,
It’s a 4 out of 5, pick up P.B. Winterbottom!

Note: I wholeheartedly apologise to anyone who read this whole review.  Sorry.  Really.  I know some really good prose counsellors in the area who can help you rebuild your life.