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There are several arguments that are continually discussed in video gaming. Which console is better? Is PC gaming dying? Is the adventure genre finished? When it concerns the latter squabble there will always be some development studios, Private Moon in Agon’s case, that beg to differ.  Agon: The Lost Sword of Toledo is the second boxed game of the Agon series which follows a quintessentially English professor called Professor Samuel Hunt. He’s a polite speaking, well mannered gentleman who has an unusual ability to get information out of random people. While Lost Sword of Toledo is the second game, it’s actually the fourth episode (out of an eventual fourteen) and it can be played if you’ve played the originals or not. Set in the Spanish town of Toledo the game is a story of intrigue, mystery and adventure. We’ve been given an advanced look to see how the game is faring up.

In Agon you’ll find all the adventure cliché’s, from complex puzzles, keys, long instances of dialogue and static backgrounds. Anyone who loves the traditional adventure game will feel right at home and will find extended amounts of enjoyment. If you’re looking for innovation of the genre then you’ll be disappointed as the game stays true to its roots, and refuses to deviate from the set formula. It’s looking like a decent game, even bordering on excellent (for its genre) but it’s unlikely to win game of the year. It’s slow paced and heavily story based, but full of charm and character. It’s comparable to watching an old detective program like Murder She Wrote or a Spanish Novella / Soap Opera.

This is because of the focus on the voice acting. From the moment you say go, you’ll be partaking in lengthy conversations with distinctive characters who all have their own quirks and personalities. The voice acting is super (even if the lip-syncing isn’t) and their emotions are conveyed effectively (if not over the top on occasion.) Cut scenes in the game are artistic drawings that pop up one after another, bordering on comic book form. Each character can be talked to and they’re animated in full 3D. Luckily everyone speaks English and will divulge huge chunks of information to Professor Hunt without much pressing. Be aware, you will need to enjoy story based games if you’re playing Agon: The Lost Sword of Toledo. You can’t skip dialogue (annoyingly) and will have to sit through each conversation at its slow pace. Not every character is important but once you get them speaking there’s no way of getting them to stop.

The game isn’t completely dialogue-based. Navigation is the typical point-and-click affair and it will have you moving about drawn environments / backgrounds. They settings may be static, but a lot of time has been invested into them so they look beautiful in their own right. For an adventure game, the quality is top notch and the town, Toledo is full of life and personality. It’s helped by the brilliant sound design and music. The score is used sparingly to help raise tension, emotion or excitement. The sound effects (like mumbled conversation, birds chirping or the wind) are subtle but perfectly implemented.

Gameplay isn’t restricted to just talking and moving about, you do have puzzles to solve; finding which key goes where, what this person actually means. The game gives you a diary, used to look over past conversations with characters and an easy to use inventory screen where it keeps all your items. You’ll travel between areas using the interactive map and have to work out what does what. I’ll repeat the fact that it’s nothing new, but it’s so well put together that you ignore the sense of stagnation. Fans of the series will be delighted to know that this is looking like the best episode yet and its release date couldn’t come quicker for those looking for a docile, pleasant game.

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