SFGaming Freeware - Adventure

Freeware - Adventure - Seiklus
By Cly5m
Current version - 1.2
Operating systems supported - Windows

Seiklus is a platform game with very little in the way of challenge, but one of the most enjoyable freeware gaming experiences for the few hours it lasts.

The basic story of the game is that the character has been struck by a meteorite and has fallen down to earth. To find his way back up to his girlfriend, he needs to collect gems to open the door. The adventure aspect here is that these gems - 600 of them, 100 of 6 different colours - are spread around wonderfully designed and detailed locations. There isn't a lot I can actually say here without destroying some of the charm of the game, but the worlds are incredibly varied. At the start of the game, you are given the choice almost straight away to either climb a tree or to go underground, and both of these eventually lead to more locations. These locations, in addition to gems, contain treasure chests with items that give you more abilities, such as being able to see invisible platforms. Even after reaching your girlfriend, you've probably only completed about 80% of the game - to complete 100%, you also need to find 100 black gems which are hidden in much less obvious areas, and use these gems to open another door, which then leads to one final quest around the world before you finally reach 100%.

The graphics use a simple cartoon style, with lots of little quirky features that really make the game stand out. Each area of the world has a unique graphical style that makes it a pleasure, rather than a chore, to repeat previously visited areas when trying to find those last few gems. The game's music consists of chip tunes which may not be to everyone's taste, but if you're an Atari ST fan (or any other computer from the time) then you'll probably feel right at home. There aren't many sound effects in the game, but to be honest, if there were sound effects for things like jumping, you'd get so bored with hearing them so often.

So, although you'll probably finish this game in just a couple of hours, it's a small download and ideal for a day when you need a quick break from reality. In addition, in the game's seiklus.txt file, there's some info on how to donate - if the author recieves enough donations, which he really deserves to, he may create a sequel. Like Q-Lat2, this game shows that games are a form of art, and that a game doesn't have to be 3D to look good.

If you enjoy this game, but seek more of a challenge rather than a relaxing adventure, I recommend Zeux's World - a review will be added when I find the time - which is also a pretty stylish platform game with lots of secrets and varied levels.

Graphics - 9/10
Sound - 9/10
Gameplay - 9/10
OVERALL - 10/10
Download size - 2.5 MB.

Links
http://autofish.net/clysm/games/seiklus/ - get the game here.