The Aggie Awards – The Best Adventure Games of 2019 page 10

Written by
AG Staff — February 7, 2020

Continued from the previous page...

Best Animation: Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure

How many times have we directed a game protagonist to use an item but all we see is some fade-to-black or generic hand gesture to simulate activity? It’s common for adventures to skimp on costly and time-consuming animations, particularly from smaller indie studios, but Stuck In Attic’s Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure flips that notion on its head. The 2D visual style is superb on its own, packed with personality and colour, but what really elevates the appealing presentation is its abundant animation, including delightfully expressive motions from its eclectic cast of characters that really sell the humour, such as private eye Don R. Ketype fruitlessly leaping to clasp a flag or the feline Kitteh showing ninja-like prowess in retrieving out-of-reach items. There are wonderful smaller details too, like when characters lean against furniture while talking or when a tavern patron narcissistically slicks his hair back. This is further perfected in the cutscenes sprinkled throughout, which are as expressive and stylish as any TV cartoon. For that we are pleased to award this Aggie to Gibbous… and do so very animatedly!

Runners-Up:

The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan

Blacksad: Under the Skin

Blair Witch

The Walking Dead: The Final Season

Readers’ Choice: Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure

Looking good in a screenshot is one thing, but looking good in action is the bigger challenge for an adventure game, and one that Gibbous manages to handle with aplomb. The wonderful cartoon aesthetic depends on lively animations to bring it to life, and clearly Stuck In Attic made it a labour of love to achieve just that. From wonderful facial expressions and poses and gestures, to strangely zombie-like passersby wandering the streets, to rewarding interactions from the protagonists, there are no shortcuts taken here. Then sprinkle in a few charming cinematics – we dare you NOT to laugh out loud as Kitteh continually bounds into view as the two protagonists race head-first toward the camera – and you’ve got the makings of a unanimous selection between staff and readers for Best Animation.