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Runaway: The Dream of the Turtle

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8.8 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 26 critic reviews
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Based on 16 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: CDV Software /Focus Home Interactive

Developer: Pendulo Studios

Genre(s): Adventure

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: March 12, 2007

Summary

The adventure is made up of 6 main chapters. Players can explore more than 100 different places in all four corners of the globe: Alaska, Hawaii, underwater or in the sky, in the heart of the jungle or on board a huge yacht. There are tons of different colourful places, marvellous backdrops for an unforgettable adventure. Pendulo Studio has concocted a large number of tasty puzzles and scintillating enigmas of advancing difficulty levels for players to solve. But Pendulo Studio has also taken care that nobody will get stuck for too long in certain game passages; difficulty levels in comparison with the first episode remain the same. All players have to do is open their eyes and ears for clues that emerge throughout and deploy the basic level of nous required for all adventure games. [Pendulo Studios]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Runaway: A Road Adventure

Cheat Codes & Hints: GameSpot Hints & Cheats

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Just Adventure

Brilliant story and characters, clever and challenging puzzles and a gripping pace, all presented almost perfectly.

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3DAvenue

A funny, challenging and very creative adventure title that should have any fan of this classic genre enthralled. The storyline is odd but filled with great characters and twists, the voice acting is second to none, and the design and makeup of the game itself leaves little to be desired.

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Quandary

I prefer more puzzles (as opposed to inventory conundrums) in my games as a rule but didn't miss them here. It's bright, it's breezy, it's a great bit of fun — what more can you ask for!

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Four Fat Chicks

Runaway 2 improves on its predecessor in every way. It's bigger, more colorful, even more wacky. Locations and characters are outlandish, as is the storyline. Obscure puzzles and hot spots, as well as occasional repetitiveness, still plague this release. But I would still give The Dream of the Turtle a hearty recommendation, especially if you enjoyed "Runaway 1."

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AceGamez

Upbeat, well-developed, clever, taxing and enjoyable, Runaway: The Dream of the Turtle should evoke one of those little impulses you won't be able to resist until you've played it to completion.

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Gamer's Hell

In the end, the prettiness of Runaway: The Dream of the Turtle does not entirely make up for its average sound and gameplay, but despite some of its flaws, it is still an entertaining game, and fans of the original, or those seeking a nice looking and light-hearted adventure game, will more than likely appreciate this sequel.

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Game Over Online

It does some things well and some things badly, and overall it lands somewhere around average. Fans of the first game will no doubt like the sequel, but for everybody else it’s likely to be an iffy proposition.

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Cheat Code Central

The Dream of the Turtle has the basic point-and-click formula down to a science. It does have a style all its own and it's different enough to make it an interesting alternative for those looking for something different.

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

As point-and-click adventures go, Runaway 2 is a decent effort with good art direction and relatively high production values.

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Worth Playing

With its cheeky sense of humor and immense visual appeal, Runaway: The Dream of the Turtle can be a good time for adventure gamers with a taste for the wacky, enough so that it could renew interest in the original title. Unfortunately, the more esoteric puzzles will leave you scratching your head, and the linearity of the gameplay will sometimes require that you take missteps before the correct solution will be accepted.

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IGN

Runaway doesn't get everything right, in fact, there are some very frustrating aspects to the gameplay, but the story is wacky enough and art style fun enough that adventure gamers may way to give this one a shot.

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Eurogamer

The absence of any truly teeth-gnashing puzzles means that experienced players will rattle through this tropical romp in short order, but the experience will at least be an overwhelmingly enjoyable one.

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Adventure Gamers

If you loved or hated the first Runaway, you'll love or hate the sequel for all the same reasons. For newcomers, The Dream of the Turtle is a solid adventure, but one that falls short of its abundant potential.

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ActionTrip

Runaway: The Dream of the Turtle never really lives up to the likes of long-established adventure franchises from LucasArts. Quite simply, they don't make 'em like they used to.

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Gamers' Temple

The Dream of the Turtle is not quite a nightmare, but it’s not a good dream either.

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PC Gamer

Occasionally amusing and sometimes bewildering, the latest "Runaway" is an odd mixture of flaws and fun. [May 2007, p.65]

Gaming Nexus

The visual calisthenics in Runaway 2: The Dream of the Turtle are a sheer triumph. But the dialogue-tree hula hoops will simply leave you out of breath.

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PC Zone UK

A bit more attention to the puzzles, the pace and the script, and this old-school adventure might have been more of a turtle's dream than a turtle's head. [June 2007, p.77]

G4 TV

If you’re into quirky stories, environments worth exploring, memorable characters, and a gameplay experience that doesn’t feel like a jumbled bag of puzzles, this is your game.

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Boomtown

The ending is abysmal, although it is nice to see that the crew decide to have a party to ensure that they feel that enough has been accomplished for one day.

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Hardcore Gamer Magazine

Runaway: The Dream of the Turtle starts off as a great adventure game, with plenty of potential, but basically throws it all away. [June 2007, p.58]

games(TM)

You’re essentially playing an endurance test in videogame form. It’s not terrible, but it is horribly annoying. If you’re aware of that before going in you may just love it. [May 2007, p.121]

GameSpot

Perhaps the biggest disappointment about Runaway: The Dream of the Turtle, though, is that there is probably a solid adventure buried under all the teen-girl posturing and awful dialogue.

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PC Format

Someone obviously told the voice actors that the script was dreadfully witty as they proceed to deliver e-ve-ry li-ne slo-oo-w-ly just so you can get the full effect. It makes every conversation impossible to listen to without wanting to cut your ears off. [May 2007, p.67]

PC Gamer UK

Runaway gets halfway there, but just doesn't have any soul. [June 2007, p.91]

GameSpy

A failure. Despite the excellent art, and even ignoring the frustrating puzzles, the biggest problem here lies in a group of obnoxiously stereotypical characters working their way through bad dialogue and a poorly plotted and paced script, topped off with three horrifying words: "To Be Continued..."

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.8 (out of 10) based on 16 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

N7pSTR Rexus gave it a1:
Bad graphics and old gameplay is the only thing you will find in this game.

John T. gave it a10:
At this point in time hating on adventures is the cool thing to do, you will very rarely see a game site giving a 2d adventure game (or any for that matter) a good review, despite the quality of the game. So don't listen to the majority of the reviews on this one. This game is great, quality graphics, great voice acting, interesting puzzles, and a great comic style. One of the best adventure games in many years.

Rob E. gave it an8:
A cute, fun adventure game. The Graphics are wonderful, and it's nice to see hot babes in this genre. The characters seem to be cell shaded 3d, they look great. Many of the puzzles are entirely annoying however, like you'll know you have to do something, but it won't give you a positive unless you do something else first.

Andrew M. gave it a9:
Wonderful. If there is such a thing as a classic adventure game, then this comes mighty close. It improves on all the weak spots from the first, which were few, and delivers a genuinely entertaining, witty and challenging adventure experience. I loved it! Bring on the sequel...and please another after that.

Zeke J. gave it a10:
This game is surprisingly cool. This game is apparently 100% "Made in Spain" (though you would never know it from playing, besides some historical references in a couple of hilarious screens!) Being an adventure buff myself, I had already played Runaway: A Road Adventure, with some of the same characters, though I actually liked the characters in Runaway: The Dream of the Turtle even more, especially Lokelani, a hot Hawaiian bartender in a skimpy outfit who claims to have gone out with men from all over the planet! But getting to the main point, the game is purely and simply FUN, probably 'cuz the different places you travel to are wildly different, including tropical & snowy places, cities, boats, ruins... And the graphics and artwork are breathtaking. The visual style is completely different from any other adventures, which makes the experience refreshing. I played almost straight through over a week, since I was dying to find out where the adventure would take me next. As for the puzzles in this point-and-click game, I would say they are moderate. Some in the beginning were a bit easier, but a couple had me stumped as I moved on to later chapters. As always, the characters give you many a clue and hint, and in The Dream of the Turtle, the characters have a lot to say! Which is good, because the dialogue and script are really funny and well-done. One of the aspects I most enjoyed was that the writing seemed very well-thought-out and was actually aimed at an audience with a thinking mind on its shoulders! This includes a uge number of references to books, movies, famous personages, and other games. And some really good humorous moments, especially one involving the invocation of a poultry god in which we hear numerous gutt-bustingly funny poems dedicated to some sort of chicken deity. More technically speaking, the music and sound effects are both excellent. You can tell that an enormous amount of effort was put into every detail in this sense, as with everything graphic, as well. Anyway, I think the game will be a total surprise for everyone who decides to jump in and play.

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Game Info

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