The Wanderer: Frankenstein's Creature

A fantastic homage to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. A peaceful, painful, and sublime point and click game with the touching story of a creature made up of human body parts. The landscape stretches out around you in vibrant watercolour shades, and the soundtrack brings the emotions. The game is a beautiful living book, far from the common Frankenstein clichés. An emotional contemplative experience.

Everyone knows Frankenstein… But not many get it right! The original novel has been the subject of uncountable adaptations since it was first published over 200 years ago. And the tale of this monster made of human flesh has often been distorted, especially in film.

The Wanderer: Frankenstein's Creature, produced by ARTE, is a chance for you to experience the real story as written by Mary Shelley, and what an experience it is. This is a far cry from that scary monster, often portrayed as a kind of Dracula with no back story!

Based on the original novel, the game is played entirely from the monster's point of view. You'll see his personality develop as he considers his place in a world in which he is not welcome. The game lets us ask that fundamental question: who is the real monster in this story?

At the start of the game, when the creature wakes up in the laboratory where he has been resuscitated by Dr Viktor Frankenstein, his creator (who is not seen in the game), everything is white. Like an infant, the monster will set off to discover the world around him, and it is these discoveries that light up the game.

The most striking thing about The Wanderer: Frankenstein's Creature is its visual aesthetic. Between desolate mountains and vibrantly colourful sequences, you'll feel like you're moving through a watercolour painting. It's simply magical!

And if anyone asks you whether video games can ever be a work of art, this is the game you should show them.

In terms of gameplay, interactions with the world are rather limited, but in each of the scenes there are puzzle sequences like memory and rhythm games. Other than that, though, you'll mainly be wandering landscapes interacting with objects and talking to people.

In some scenes you will play music for people, while in others you'll do jobs for them, always trying to get them to accept you. When things go wrong, you can choose whether to retaliate or to flee. It's up to you to decide how you will play your creature: bitter and vengeful, or innocent victim.

The story has some happy moments but it is often harrowing, and players will begin to feel real empathy for the poor creature. The decisions you make over the course of the game will affect the creature's fate, and lead to one of several different endings.

There are five to discover, each as poignant as the next. And because the game is short, with a playtime of 90 minutes tops, it's a real pleasure to play again without getting bored, no matter your age. Children will be just as engrossed as more seasoned gamers, here.

We'll conclude with one truly breathtaking aspect of the game: its soundtrack.

Our advice? Play with earphones to for the best experience. The piano and cello soundtrack can be gutwrenching, immersing you even further in the story.

More than a game, this is a work of art in which you are the hero, and it never gets old.

One to play right away!