Originally published April 2, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
Kirsty Capes reviews Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist…
After being consistently baffled by The Stanley Parable, I thought I would have a go at the latest offering in what appears to be a series of non-games from co-developers Davey Wreden and William Pugh, the latter of whom put out Dr. Langeskov (et al.) through his studio Crows Crows Crows.
Much like The Stanley Parable and Wreden’s The Beginner’s Guide, the conceit of Dr. Langeskov is that it requires the player to question the very nature of what a game actually is. After mixed reviews for both Stanley and The Beginner’s Guide, many critics felt cheated out of a (quote-unquote) ‘true’ gaming experience, due to the premise of a first-person character being hand-held through a series of obstacles and required – almost encouraged – to rebel against what the mechanics of the game expected you to do.
Dr. Langeskov is different, but not by much. Simon Amstell is on board to voice the narrator/guide of the game, and this time the player is behind-the-scenes of the game itself, prompted to fulfil certain actions in order to complete the gaming experience of a third-party, unseen narrator. Right from the get-go the atmosphere draws heavily from theatre / performance conceits, and thus the player is made to feel as though he or she is part of an elaborate machine, which keeps the cogs of the ‘real’ game turning. It’s all very complicated and incites all sorts of questions about the nature of gaming and what, exactly, constitutes a ‘game’.
William Pugh, much like his contemporary Davey Wreden, seems to be telling us that anything is a game, as long as you are playing it; as long as you are buying into the premise and multi-faceted conceits presented to you by the world, and therefore the developer (or in Amstell’s case, the guide). Simon Amstell provides a comedic narrative which isn’t as potent in Stanley or The Beginner’s Guide, and if there was anything missing from those games in terms of voice, Simon Amstell delivers it in Dr. Langeskov. He is self-deprecating, verging on self-congratulatory, but he is easily forgiven for his likability and the intelligence of the game itself. On top of this, the environment is riddled with visual teasers and clues (or red herrings?) which allow the player to interact with the game outside the parameters set out by the ‘plot’.
Confused? Don’t worry. I am, too. Dr. Langeskov is free to play on Steam and only takes about twenty minutes to play through. So, ultimately, it’s an entertaining and comedically engaging effort which, if it doesn’t make you laugh, it’ll at least make you go “huh”. Obviously, if you’re an achievement hunter who likes to dissect every aspect of a gaming experience and find every Easter egg, then you could easily spend hours exploring the world of Dr. Langeskov. Perhaps you’ll find the grappling hook. Who knows.
Rating: 8/10
Kirsty Capes
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https://youtu.be/b7Ozs5mj5ao?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
