Loom
Reviewed by Michael LoCascio
Let's see.. how should I go about describing Loom? Well, you
control this guy in a robe with a hood over his head - all
you can see of his face are his two eyes. So, one day he
wakes up at the top of a cliff, and is notified that he has
to pay a visit to some other people wearing robes with hoods
over their heads. So you stroll on into this tent, only to
helplessly watch as the guys with hoods on their heads
transform some lady into an egg. Suddenly, a swan comes
flying on in, and before you know it, all of the guys with
hoods on their heads have turned into swans! So they all fly
away, leaving a stick behind - a stick that you can play
musical notes with. Off you go, stick in hand, to find all
the swans who just flew the coop. Thankfully, the sky opens
up, creating a boat out of a tree for you. After you cross
the sea, you run into a man who lectures you on clarity and
a couple of other guys working on a giant sickle. After
making a few sheep green you're kidnapped by a dragon, who
later comes after you, only to kill some other kid, who just
happens to come back as a ghost to hunt you down. And that's
just the beginning - wait until you meet the guy with the
big hat who uses your little stick to tear apart the
universe. And then there's this ugly bald guy who says he'll
allow you to look into a crystal ball if you'll - and I
quote - let him 's ee something of yours' ('ahem'). After
some dragon pops out of no where and knocks you off the top
of a building, you'll run into some more swans, and then the
truth will be revealed!
Got all that? Eh.. I didn't think so.
Loom originally appeared on the PC and was quite a success
before making a very smooth transition to the Turbo's Super
CD unit. It's a strange game to say the least, and it
certainly isn't for everyone. It plays like a game;
actually, it's quite reminiscent of Sierra's line of King's
Quest titles. If you enjoy that type of game you'll probably
be enthralled with Loom; if not, stay away.
In Loom you assume the role of Bobbin Threadbare, the
aforementioned 'guy in a robe with a hood over his head.'
Bobbin is a weaver, which not only means that he must always
walk around with a hood over his head, but also implies that
he can use specific patterns of musical notes to make
incredible things happen. One day he is summoned by the High
Council of the Guild of Weavers, along with his mentor
Mother Hetchel. That's when things start to get wild and
people start changing into birds. It's a very confusing
ride, and you may never completely understand every element
of its story, but if you stick with it, Loom can be a very
captivating and entertaining adventure game.
Following the horrifying bird scene, Bobbin sets off to find
the weavers (who have all been turned into swans). Along the
way he'll meet a plethora of interesting characters.
Apparently, everyone in the land of Loom belongs to some
guild or another. While Bobbin belongs to the mysterious
Weavers' Guild, he'll encounter folks from the Glassmakers,
Shepherds, Blacksmiths and Clerics Guilds during his journey
to find the swans. Eventually, Bobbin stumbles upon an evil
plot that the Clerics are devising. The Clerics are
enlisting all of the other guilds to aid them in their
plans; of course, they're keeping everyone in the dark about
what's really going on. Only interested in profit for
themselves, the other guilds basically do as the clerics
wish. Not only does Bobbin wish to thwart the Clerics' plans
once he learns of them, but he also possesses the one object
that the Clerics covet the most: the magical distaff.
The distaff is the tool that Bobbin uses to play patterns of
musical notes. At the bottom of the screen, beneath the
playfield, the distaff is shown, and it is divided into
eight different parts - each part representing a different
musical note. During his journey, Bobbin will discover new
patterns of notes that will cause miraculous events to
occur. Each pattern consists of four different notes;
focusing on a particular object and playing a pattern on the
distaff is the method by which you will progress through the
game. It is essential to record the patterns once you
discover them, as the patterns will vary each time that you
play through the game. Among the powers that Bobbin can
attain are the abilities to turn straw into gold, see in the
dark, change the colors of objects, turn invisible, and
strike fear into the hearts of living things.
Loom is a very difficult game to categorize; it isn't long
or complex enough to be considered a role-playing game, but
it certainly doesn't fall into the action genre. As
mentioned above, it is an adventure game along the lines of
the King's Quest titles - which implies that it moves at a
very slow pace and requires that you do some thinking if
you're going to get anywhere. You don't directly control
Bobbin; instead you'll move an arrow around the screen to
command Bobbin as to what to do next. Point to a place on
the screen, click on it, and Bobbin will make his way over
to that location. Point to an object, click on it, and
Bobbin will perform an action involving the object (for
example, you may choose to play a pattern from your distaff
in order to produce the desired effect on an item). It's the
type of point-and-click game that has been prominent on
personal s, but has never made a real splash in the
video game industry.
Judging by the harsh criticism that Shadowgate 64 received
upon its release, it's pretty clear that slow titles which
require a great deal of puzzle solving and involve little
action are no longer welcomed by most gamers. It's a shame,
really. These types of games often contain a great deal more
depth and challenge than your typical first-person shooter,
but action seems to be the name of the game these days. Loom
won't deliver much action, but it will keep most players
entertained. It is a fabulously funny game; Bobbin is a
witty, cynical young lad, who isn't afraid to crack
distasteful jokes or tell off the most powerful of villains.
The eclectic bunch of people and creatures that he
encounters during his quest provide plenty of laughs as
well; if nothing else, Loom has a wonderful sense of humor.
The graphics in Loom are fairly decent. None of the
character sprites in the game contain much detail, but the
background graphics are often very well drawn. As you would
expect from a game that focuses so much on sound, the music
in the game is brilliant. Nothing overbearing or explosive;
the music possesses a leisurely, ethereal quality that adds
to the majestic feeling of the game.
There's little doubt that the slow game play in Loom will
drive some younger gamers out of their minds. Truth be told,
Loom can be a relatively tedious affair at times. It's also
very short; I powered up the game just before writing this
review, and completed the entire quest in under three hours.
However, if you enjoy this type of game then you'll most
likely love Loom. It will make you think, and it will keep
you entertained with its witty sarcasm and entertaining
characters. And if you ever happen to figure out what the
game is about, please let me know.
Overall: 8 out of 10
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