The Adventures of Betram Fiddle is the most peculiar of tales. One of intrigue, murder, horrendously amazing puns, the titular adventurer, and his one-eyed cyclops sidekick Gavin. While the first episode in the series was a bit on the brief side, A Bleaker Predicklement offers a far meatier experience with all the charmingly British wit that Rumpus’ series is known for. Which is fortunate, as it doesn’t come without a few bumps on its rump before arriving.
A Bleaker Predicklement opens not long after the conclusion of A Dreadly Business, with Bertram resorting to working as phone salesman to meet the demands of his upper-class leaning wife and their dog Fefe. Bertram has claimed to swear off adventuring, but within moments of his latest shift ending, a mysterious caller leads him to a new adventure. Unfortunately, Geoff the Murderer, the nasty fiend, is still skulking about London and frames Bertram for his latest killing! What follows is a series of item puzzles and hilarious puns worthy of the Sierra Interactive days of adventure gaming, all compactly presented on your mobile device of choice.
If you haven’t experienced A Dreadly Business, don’t be too worried. A Bleaker Predicklement introduces the majority of the main cast in a quick opening sequence, though I do advise engaging with the opening act, if for no other reason, to get more ponderously plentiful puns. The story is a standalone adventure that also carries on the plot of its predecessor, but with a new mystery enshrouding Victorian London.
You’ll bump into all sorts of colorful characters, from a pretentious Sherlock Holmes and his deprived assistant Watson, to a depressed painter in need of dreary implements and snoopish reporter always on the job. It all flows well, with inventory puzzles that only serve to add to the humor. Block a squirrel from fleeing, then jam it in an old piece of pipe to craft a brush. A bit of cement to make some tea biscuits absolutely rock. Be sure to keep subtitles on while puzzle solving – there’s actually some unique jokes for even the incorrect items to solve each puzzle.[sc name=”quote” text=”A Bleaker Predicklement is a top, positively splendid title to pass tea time with”]
Frankly, the only thing truly bleak about this game has to be its rather unpolished state. Despite a splendidly tongue-in-cheek presentation, A Bleaker Predicklement is in serious need of a patch. Numerous audio skips right at the end of lines delivered. Sometimes animations for people talking don’t appear to play right. Most egregiously odd of all – I encountered a way to trigger the debug menu inside one of the shops early in the game, seemingly granting me the ability to jump to any other portion of the game. To say these issues aren’t a little disconcerting is an understatement. One hopes that Rumpus can leech away the errors in their latest work, because a flawed conclusion to Bertram’s second outing seems like a crabby way to go. (*WINK*)
Overall, A Bleaker Predicklement is a top, positively splendid title to pass tea time with, warts and all; definitely one Predicklement you shouldn’t pass up on.
[review pros=”Gives your brains a tickle and your heart a good chuckle.” cons=”Dastardly bugs dampen the dramedy.” score=8]
[appbox appstore id1252384047?mt=8]
[appbox googleplay id=com.chorusworldwide.bf2]
