Review: 80 Days

August 15, 2014 Kimberly Gibson

Just as the name suggests, 80 Days takes on a world adventure in 80 days. The objective of the game is to travel around the world by strategically scouting out faster routes while also keeping track of funds and avoiding possible set backs. 80 Days is more of an interactive storybook rather than a RPG. It kind of reminded me of the Goosebumps books I read as a kid when you flip to the page of your choice and had the possibility of multiple endings. With that being said, I think that the game can get a bit redundant as I was expecting something a little less linear. However, I know that there's a big audience out there that would really appreciate the storybook aspect of it. I also think that 80 Days could be utilized as a learning app for kids who want something more visual along side the story plot. What I really liked is the variation, it would be difficult to run out of possible routes which allows you to go back and have another adventure while still coming across surprises. In my first attempt I nearly killed off my characters on several occasions! It was that blasted Cholera outbreak in Manila.

As far as graphics go 80 Days is very visually pleasing. Everything was crisp and clear. Although I was pleasantly surprised at how clean the graphics were, I think I would have like to see more animation or something more stimulating when traveling to different cities. While stopping at cities you are able to explore but it's all done through dialogue. I kind of wanted to see the markets and feel more connected to the adventure, especially since it's a time period game that has a steampunk vibe. So that does kind of take away from the excitement of choosing different routes.

I have no complaints about the background music; however I think it would have been nice to hear some of the dialogue or at least have that as option cause I know at times that can get annoying too.

Oh I almost forgot to mention that you can see how other players are faring in their journey. It helps you get an idea of different routes to embark on. I really liked that the globe is spotted with all these players which connects you to the game more.

Overall, I think even with my criticisms 80 Days is a well put together game with a lot for the player to do. In other words 80 Days makes for a fun interactive storybook that allows for lovers of Jules Verne's book Around the World in 80 Days, to get their fill of the adventure.

Score: 4/5

Developer: inkle Studios Price: $4.99 Platform: iOS