Dating sims seldom enjoy the mainstream success in America that they have in Japan, instead being relegated to a niche fan base or, if they are lucky, perhaps a modicum of mainstream acceptance. This is perhaps why the developers of Sprung decided that the most opportune time to release their experimental adventure game would be during the early days of the DS platform's life, when there would be fewer competing products vying for consumers' money, and thus the game would be more apt to find gamers willing to take a chance on its quirky and offbeat style. Sprung is an odd game, to be sure, and it is more likely to play the role of a guilty pleasure than a breakthrough hit for either Ubisoft or the DS itself. However, beneath the game's unusual exterior lies an experience that is somewhat endearing, unquestionably humorous and perhaps more than anything else a nice surprise.It is always a welcome treat to come across a game that is anticipated to be an embarrassing failure, only to find that the title exceeds initial expectations. Sprung, against all odds mind you, turns out to be a surprisingly addictive adventure game that will have you suffering from a near-terminal case of the giggles, unless you are were born without a hint of a sense of humor. Sure it's crude--and sometimes, perhaps, overly so--but the tone of the dialog is perfectly in line with the atmosphere of the game, that being twenty-somethings on the hunt for sex, love, and that ever-elusive meaningful relationship.

The two main characters in Sprung are Brett and Becky, and each character offers players a unique adventure. Brett is a lonesome guy who is secretly out to seduce Becky, his friend for as long as he can remember. Becky, on the other hand, is just looking to get away after going through a painful breakup. Both have decided to head out to Snow Bird, a ski lodge in Colorado, to get away from the trials of real life as they immerse themselves the resort's dating scene. Along the way the characters meet up with an interesting cast of friends, rivals, and the occasional hulking Indian.

Sprung is broken up into a long series of scenes that each play out at the resort. Each scene presents the player with a certain objective, and it is up to the player to determine, though a number of different dialog and action choices, how to achieve this goal. Sometimes, especially early on, the path is more or less laid out for the player, and achieving the goal of the scene a simple matter. As the game progresses, however, things get more complicated, and players will find themselves retrying scenes over and over until the proper order and type of dialog choices and actions are selected. While there are times when there are multiple paths to achieve victory in a scene, there are usually only a couple of paths to the objective. This makes the bulk of Sprung boil down a game of memorization coupled with trial and error, and this will no doubt turn off players looking for a more dynamic adventure. Still, the road is littered with such witty dialog that those who can put up with the shortcomings of the rather simplistic gameplay are in for a treat.

There are, however, occasions when a glimpse of dynamic gameplay does make itself known. Saying exactly the right thing at the right time will unlock what is called a Golden Line. These lines can be collected, and used to access certain hidden levels throughout the game. These levels offer exclusive encounters with some of the characters in the game, and this goal of achieving perfection infuses a bit of replayability in a game that otherwise would have been good for a single play though with little incentive for a return visit.

Additionally, much like any adventure game, there are a host of items that also play a role in getting to the end. Sprung features a great many items, and they have a variety of uses. For example, while attempting to woo an Asian temptress by the pool, you find out that she needs something to maintain her blood sugar, so you run off to buy candy from the hippie girl who has been eyeballing you, only to find out she needs you to snatch some mushrooms for her from someone else. Still other item uses are more straightforward, such as presenting a love-to-be with a gift to win his or her affections. Choosing the right item to use, as well as when is key in proceeding through the game.

As mentioned earlier, humor plays a key role in Sprung's presentation. It is impossible to take a game like this seriously, so to have the experience itself littered with amusing and well-written dialog is a boon for the adventure as a whole. For instance, there is a scene a little way into Brett's story wherein he must play a sort of Cyrano de Bergerac role while trying to assist a local hipster in winning the heart of a lady. Before going into the potential disaster, both guys plan out their attack, going over what to say, but in practice words are often poorly communicated, and the resulting banter is laughable, but in a good way. However, players must keep a keen eye on what is being said, as they must recover despite the plan's self destruction and achieve the scene's goal (in this case getting the two to hook up). This is just one example of an area that will most likely have to be replayed several times in order to memorize the correct dialog choices, but luckily this is rendered as painless as possible through the use of a checkpoint system. Again, this sort of gameplay is sure to alienate some gamers who do not have an affinity for games whose primary game mechanic is based around retention.

Sprung's presentation is visually impressive, opting for a whimsical comic book-style of art that plays well with the game's comedic overtones. However, the music is atrocious, and most players will no doubt find themselves fumbling for the volume slider in an effort to dull the pain. It wouldn't be so bad if a majority of the tracks used in the game were not a simple grouping of four or five notes set to loop throughout the scene.

This is a game that proved to be much better than expected. For players looking for a unique adventure game, Sprung is sure to deliver an experience quite unlike any other in recent memory. However, the somewhat elementary gameplay is sure to turn away a number of gamers who are looking for something a bit more well-rounded. For what it is, Sprung dishes out a worthwhile and memorable experience that is both entertaining as well as quite funny. I only wish I had known some of these lines when I was dating.

Dec 7, 2004 | 0 comments
Jason Dobson