Nick Bounty: The Dame with the Blue Chewed Shoe.
- March 31, 2020
- Pinhead Games
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Nick Bounty: The Dame with the Blue Chewed Shoe" is a comedic noir-style adventure game where players take on the role of detective Nick Bounty, solving a real murder case. The game features 3D environments, an innovative evidence gathering and analyzing system, and a star-studded voice cast. Players can choose one of three sidekicks to customize their experience. This game is inspired by classic film noir detective movies and adventure games from Lucas Arts and Telltale Games.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features great humor and witty dialogue, making it an enjoyable experience for fans of the genre.
- The voice acting is top-notch, with recognizable talent that adds charm to the characters.
- The graphics and overall presentation show a significant improvement from previous titles, enhancing the noir atmosphere.
- Controls are clunky and frustrating, with poor pathfinding and movement mechanics that detract from the gameplay experience.
- Technical issues such as lag, glitches, and camera control problems can hinder immersion and enjoyment.
- The puzzles are overly simplistic, often leading to a lack of meaningful detective work, which may disappoint players looking for a deeper experience.
- humor20 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, characterized by clever and absurd dialogue that elicits genuine laughter. Players appreciate the campy, silly fun and the engaging voice acting, which enhances the comedic experience. Overall, the game is recommended for fans of humorous point-and-click adventures, with many noting its ability to blend humor seamlessly with detective storytelling.
“It was great humor, enjoyable story plot, good graphics, and just all around silly fun.”
“You play it for the humor and that's where you find some silly fun and a bunch of genuinely sweet jokes.”
“The dialogue is laugh out loud hilarious in parts, the voice acting is brilliant, and the three sidekicks are great fun.”
- story14 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 7 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's story is characterized by its humorous and engaging plot, featuring comical characters and clever writing that pays homage to classic detective narratives. Players appreciate the lighthearted silliness and well-paced progression, with a satisfying conclusion that ties up the narrative effectively. Overall, it offers a fun experience for those who enjoy a blend of humor and mystery, though its appeal may vary depending on personal taste.
“Engaging story with a nice twist.”
“The writing is great, the story is fun, there's lots to do.”
“The (sometimes excessive) puns, the intriguing story and a case that's tied up perfectly at the end.”
“Whether or not the fun characters, humor, and storyline are worth the trouble is up to you, I guess.”
“The whole story is silly in general.”
“It's not a big deal anyway, since it's a heavily story-and-dialogue based game.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for being less demanding and overly reliant on automated conclusions, which diminishes the sense of detective work. Additionally, changes to game mechanics from previous entries have resulted in clunky controls and poor pathfinding, though some players may still find enjoyment if they can overlook these issues. Overall, the game seems to prioritize narrative over gameplay experience.
“In a weird way, it fulfilled my desire for an L.A. Noire-style game, despite being very different in tone and gameplay.”
“What drove me nuts is that the game mechanics have been changed from previous entries.”
“Gameplay could've been more demanding, because it is a little disappointing you collect so much evidence and analyze it, but the game draws all conclusions for you automatically, so you do not do any actual detective work.”
“What drove me nuts is the game mechanics have been changed from previous entries.”
“This makes for clunky mechanics and the pathfinder is terrible.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers notable replayability primarily through the choice of three different sidekicks, each leading to unique scenarios and dialogue variations. Players can enjoy a fresh experience with each playthrough by exploring different character interactions and outcomes based on their partner selection. Overall, the comedic noir elements combined with diverse choices enhance the game's replay value.
“It has replay value thanks to the ability to choose from 3 different sidekicks, and the characters are comically brilliant.”
“And has replay value as 3 different scenarios depending on who you chose as a sidekick.”
“Being able to choose a different sidekick for the case provides excellent replay value.”
“It has replay value thanks to the ability to choose from three different sidekicks, and the characters are comically brilliant.”
“And has replay value as three different scenarios depending on who you chose as a sidekick.”
“You get all the charm of a comedic noir game, plus a surprising amount of replayability mainly coming from Nick's potential decisions to hire one of three partners for the case.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game show noticeable improvements over the previous title, featuring enhanced detail, subtle particle effects, and effective lighting that contribute to its enjoyable and humorous atmosphere. However, some users feel that the graphics, while cool and fitting the noir aesthetic, do not fully meet modern standards, with a few describing them as clumsy or underwhelming for the release year. Overall, the visuals are appreciated for their charm and style, despite some mixed opinions on their execution.
“The graphics seem a step up from the previous title, with more detail in scenes this time around and some subtle particle effects and lighting.”
“Graphics are cool noir, and the plot (beautifully silly as it is) moves along at a nice pace.”
“It was great humor, an enjoyable story plot, good graphics, and just all around silly fun.”
“The controls feel a bit clumsy and the graphics are not really impressive considering the year this came out.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is marred by significant path-finding issues, frequent glitches, and occasional crashes, which can disrupt gameplay. However, some players report that despite these problems, they were able to complete the game without major frustration.
“The speed is fine, but the path-finding is pretty buggy - upon clicking a hotspot, it is very common to see the character spin around it at least once to find the one 'correct' angle to interact with it.”
“But the path-finding is terrible, the lip-syncing is off, there's crashing and glitches, and it lags occasionally.”
“The game is a bit rough around the edges, but aside from a few amusing visual glitches and pathing bugs, I finished the game with zero frustration.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect tedious due to poor controls, which are reportedly worse when using a controller that relies on a cumbersome mouse pointer mechanism.
“The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I spent hours doing the same tasks over and over again, and it just became a chore.”
“The rewards for grinding are minimal, which makes the whole experience feel pointless.”
- music1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game effectively captures the charm of classic Sam and Max titles, enhancing the humor and storytelling while occasionally breaking the fourth wall. It showcases a strong sense of competence, contributing positively to the overall experience.
“The humor and music capture everything that was great about the old Sam and Max Telltale games, occasionally but never too often breaking the fourth wall, and demonstrating enough competence from Nick himself to keep the story moving.”
