The Agent A review: An Enigma in Incognito for Nintendo Switch by Yak & Co., a puzzle adventure really successful and suitable for everyone
That of the graphic adventures with puzzles, once one of the most popular genres, has become today the equivalent of a white fly, suffocated among the types of products most appreciated by the general public. A small spark of hope has been revised on mobile platforms where, thanks to touch controls perfectly suited to this category of gameplay, some developers have tried to follow this path. Among the most interesting results of this trend one can undoubtedly include Agent A: An Enigma in Incognito, developed by the Australian team Yak & Co., actually composed of only two members; it is an episodic adventure that came out with the first chapter even at the end of 2015, with the next three that followed over time. On 29 August 2019 marks the arrival on iOS and Android of the fifth and final episode, and at the same time the debut of the complete title on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch, obviously with digital distribution. It is precisely on the Nintendo console that we got to take on the role of Agent A in an attempt to put a spoke in the wheels of the evil plans of the Ruby la Rouge spy. Let's find out the result in our review.
Point and click 2.0 structure
The structure of Agent A is extremely classic, since it faithfully follows that of the great first person graphic adventures of the past. You then find yourself visiting the settings through fixed screens, looking for clues and elements to interact with. The complexity of the puzzles is obviously destined to rise during the progression, even if the curve of the difficulty is very sweet and without peaks that can lead to frustration. This is probably one of the best qualities of the effort of Yak & Co., or the ability to place the level of challenge in a "sweet spot", a point that can be stimulating for practically all its duration, nor too complicated to seem out of range or so easy to insult the average player's intelligence. Obviously those who grew up on bread and riddles will have the easy way, but probably even veterans will find the virtues of Agent A evident. So, if the simplest puzzles are solved briefly perhaps in a single location, others require squeezing you are more likely to find the correct use of objects in different places, perhaps linked together. Clearly it makes little sense to describe the individual puzzles here, but suffice it to say that the years spent developing the whole adventure are a clear symbol of a creative effort and a quality of production that shines clearly without leaving any criticism for the mobile origin of the game. Also with regard to the artistic direction and the graphic component, this reasoning is perfectly valid: the setting is inspired by the 60s, but declined in a very pleasant cartoon look. Above all, the result is very original, colorful but at the same time convincing and successful: it is perhaps only in the few animated sequences that some limitations are noticed, while in the static screens that make up the adventure the artistic value of the work of Australian boys is more appreciated. . A little bit light, on the other hand, is the plot that, despite being coherent in its frivolity with the affinity to the animated series, could have been more engaging.
Touch controls
The control system obviously finds its ideal expression on Switch, given that the touch interface on which the game was born and grew on mobile platforms was also transported directly to the Nintendo hybrid. Here, then, that a single touch allows you to interact with objects, manipulate them, manage inventory and move to other rooms, while a touch with two fingers actually "backslashes" back to the previous room. It is a simple and effective solution, which is learned extremely quickly and which is perfectly functional to the game formula. Alternatively you can also use the traditional controller, in this case the Joy-Con, moving a pointer on the screen and delegating interaction and movements to the keys: an option obviously required in case you decide to play in docked mode, but yes reveals much less immediate and effective. Excellent translation of texts in Italian. Finally, longevity settles around 10 hours, with the variable in positive or negative depending on the user's ability. However more than enough considering the type of game and the selling price.
