From fairytale uncles, wooden heads, scissors and magic ...

Once had the good Mondfee a crystal with which it ruled the Kingdom. But then the evil Moon Bear King stole him, distributed his splinter his twelve generals and subjugated the country. In order to maintain his power, he steals the souls of the children of earth. So it was with the protagonists Kutaro, stole his soul and his body was in the transformed a wooden doll. When he is sent by a mysterious old witch on a dangerous mission, it is after all the flying cat Ying Yang aside.

The platforming genre is not exactly a reinvention in the gaming world. It reminds me always a bit of my childhood ("Giana Sisters", "Mario" and Co.), for several years now I only play it very rarely. With "The Puppeteer" Now there is a wonderful, innovative, charming and endearing and atmospheric genre representative who knows how to convince completely in many categories and only a few places a little faltering.

First of all, the staging, the story, atmosphere and the protagonists. These points are not only showcase the game, but also the most remarkable aspects. There is really everything. There's an audience, as it is every actor should wish: whispering, mitfiebernd, loyal, outraged, relieved - sorrowful shouting for joy and to death, you might say. You feel well supported. And then there is the narrator with the absolutely right voice of the good old fairy tale uncle who emotional, exciting and alive the story and this covers a lot of emotions. The characters are charming and create the tightrope between wit and Ernst confidently. Atmospheric comes "The Puppeteer" exactly so, therefore, as I would like it: dark and playful. A little reminds the staging of Tim Burton; So for six year old courageous and brave adults.
The stage, the stage, the stage ... is wonderful. Especially in the prologue of the Act, the stage is really fast rebuilt furious - because you're still up on the roof of the castle, shortly thereafter in an enchanted forest, and many more ... all within ten seconds. Since it is a real pleasure to watch the spectacle. When you play yourself, the production on stage is still very chic and adorable, but can not keep up with the telling part of course.

For gameplay. Here there are small minimum criticisms in terms of variety and long-term motivation. As I said, the stage is the game world that is changing at a rapid. It even plays Kutaro with the left stick, can jump, later cut the magic scissors (which you can also move through the air, for example. By cutting through curtains or petals), throw bombs, or swing the grappling hook. With the right stick the cat Ying Yang is controlled at the same time. You can find hidden items, by flying in front of it and examined the places. Since it is theoretically all alone creates, perhaps is already clear that the co-op is not the allerspannendste thing that you can imagine.
Everywhere you can find Moon Funkel (coins equivalent); for a hundred you get, very old tradition, an extra life. This one needs when one has lost all heads. Of these, one can simultaneously carry three, you get hit, you can collect the weghüpfenden head quickly, otherwise: just take the next head put. These are available in a huge variety and they look very cuddly, but bring otherwise quite little. Each head can have its own head action. Sometimes the level lights up the symbol of the head in the background; one has the right head and this makes the head action, opens a small bonus level or you get little moon glitter. That was it but also with the mind. Opponents who are Igler, sometimes quite similar, so by the limited number of options in combination with the opponents of varying duration gameplay sometime a bit lost, which is, however, offset by the grandiose staging again.

The game is absolutely commendable extent (measured by the extent to which the usual shooter - my real genre - so have). For the first five of a total of seven files took me about eleven hours you can imagine the scope therefore. The trophies are distributed fairly - in the beginning you will be showered briefly, then you have to earn them, but every now and then gets a. Who really wants to unlock everything is - even though there is only one difficulty - may be a piece of old with the puppeteer. Speaking of difficulty. Well, younger players might yet have to fight a little with it, but I felt it at any time as very difficult. Although I am not too good in the genre, the counter of extra lives has increased steadily, most recently until somewhere in his mid-thirties.

Conclusion: The game is really wonderful staged. Only through the narrator I was taken very quickly thereof; it uses the good old theater well for himself and tells a darkly cheerful story of listening. The gameplay is every now and then slightly rudimentary, so you like the game while playing, but it sometimes seems a little monotonous, which is compensated by the optical.