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Category: Adventure game
Seller: Chillingo
Requirements: iPhone OS 2.0 or later
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch
File Size: 338MB
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Price: $0.99
Age Rating: 9+

I’m happy to see more adventure games being released for the iPhone and iPod touch. They’re well suited for these devices in regards to both graphics and controls. A prime example of this is Dracula: The Path of the Dragon - Part 1 from Chillingo. It’s the first of a three part series, and it does a great job of laying the groundwork for adventure games to come.

The game takes place in 1920 in…wait for it…Transylvania. You play Father Arno Moriani, having been sent there to investigate a potential candidate for sainthood. Guess what you find instead. Go on, guess.

So, this is neither a game version of the classic novel nor a modern twist on vampire lore as with Twilight. In fact, it’s not even a port of the PC version of the game. This new tale has been completely rebuilt from the ground up for the iPhone, allowing for easy controls and a simple inventory system. This is a good thing, because we all know by now that straight ports of PC games never work, right?

Movement is based on nodal system, as you warp from point to point. At each point, you get full 360° movement, which you achieve by sliding your finger around the screen. If you can interact with an object, the icon will change to let you know. To move to the next node, you simply tap the screen when the arrow icon appears. It’s very easy to manage, and unlike many other iPhone games, everything works as it’s expected, every time. However, the inclusion of a map would certainly help. It’s easy to get discombobulated as you try to work your way through the village.

The graphics at each node are nicely detailed. They’re dark, but I guess that’s to be expected in a vampire game. The dialog is acted out, and fairly well, I should point (voices and text are available in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish). However, it’s not always well recorded. Some of it sounds too heavily compressed, as if it were recorded in an empty basement. When speaking to the various characters, you’re presented with questions to ask. Aside from “Leave,” none of them send to affect the conversations; you can ask all of the questions in any order, and even go back and have the same conversation again.

Now, the puzzles themselves are typical of what you’d find in a PC adventure game; find things, combine things, use things. None of the puzzles are too tough or completely illogical, so hardcore gamers may be put off by the ease of getting through this. Indeed, you’ll spend more time looking for the next item/character/location than you will in figuring out what to do when you’ve found it, but this exploration provides a good opportunity for the developers to show off the moody graphics.

The only real complaint most adventure gamers will have, then, will be about the length. Chillingo will tell you that part one only offers about three hours of gameplay, but for $0.99, this is fair. What’s key is that the game offers a fun, immersive experience in the timeframe that it gives you, and Dracula: The Path of the Dragon does just that.

Buying adventure games in episodes makes sense, and it’s a set-up I’d like to see continued (especially if you can elect to continue the game through an in-app purchase, as opposed to buying and downloading a separate app). As I mentioned, the iPhone and iPod touch are perfect vessels for these types of games that require more thought and fewer awkward control schemes. And games such as Dracula: The Path of the Dragon will look even better on the iPad, so hopefully Chillingo is keeping that in mind for parts two and three.