Elroy and the Aliens review

Motiviti Games’s Elroy and the Aliens is an interactive love story that clothes itself in the flashy garments of science fiction. Love calls players to this wonderful, expertly crafted adventure: the affection between father and son, husband and wife, and the burgeoning devotion of a newly minted friendship between two people. This point-and-click tearjerker is enhanced by a comedic twist. Players will enjoy its humor as they travel through a beautiful two-dimensional world that includes environments on Earth and beyond. The locales are filled with well-animated characters and varied puzzles that suit the narrative. It’s not possible to save the game during certain rather complex challenges, but that (and the inability to label saves) are the only minor flaws in this enchanting adventure.

Elroy and the Aliens spans the galaxy! But it starts innocently enough on Earth. Engineer Elroy Deluna shows his newly constructed commercial rocket to Slope City reporter Peggie Wolfe. After the demonstration, he discovers a message from his missing father. And from that moment on, Elroy and Peggie are determined to track down Elroy’s elusive parent.

The brilliant, cartoon-like graphics portray myriad, visually stunning backdrops – from distant urban towers to intricate desert formations to a decrepit frontier-like town. The expert voice acting and animations breathe comedic life into the characters, who move fluidly. Their faces perfectly convey their emotions, particularly while gesticulating during conversations. My favorite location was the minefield because players control an amusing mine-detecting robot whose voice is funny and sarcastic. The sound design made me care about Peggie too. Her voice exudes warmth and friendship.

Voices aren’t the only sounds players will hear. I enjoyed the wistful music on the title screen, which made me feel as if I was entering into a sad situation that I was determined to rectify. Lively string melodies, eerie woodwind tunes, and jocular, brassy arrangements embellish the landscapes.

The classic point-and-click interface controls player movement, character interrogations, and gathering, combining, and using items. Left-clicking on an object selects it for use and right-clicking provides its description. Combining items requires clicking on an object from the open inventory at the top of the screen, then moving it over its partner and releasing the button. A click on a character elicits a description of that particular individual or a speech bubble. The bubble populates a topic list that players may activate to start or complete a conversation, which helps them learn about their goals and objectives.

The minefield was my favorite puzzle. Navigating it wasn’t too difficult. When I failed, the robot blew up while blaring a sarcastic comment like: “The only thing injured is my pride!”. Then he continued following my commands. (There was no death screen.) Other puzzles aren’t so easy, especially later in the game when players must activate several circuit boards. They accomplish this task by using mouse-controlled mirrors to direct laser light through holes. This difficult task would be more gratifying if players could save their game between each circuit board – allowing them to rest between each successful board and approach the next task with a refreshed mindset. (I was reluctant to quit the game between boards for fear that I would need to start at the first circuit when I played again.)

Players save their progress by pressing the “Escape” key, which activates the menu. Pressing the menu’s “Save Game” button brings up a list of save slots that are organized by date and time. Players cannot type individualized labels for their saved games to remember their progress, but it's usually easy to get back on track through questioning characters. When players click on “Continue” from the title screen, they access the autosave function.

Aside from the aforementioned slight frustrations, Elroy and the Aliens is a marvelous adventure created with the same passion and love that is present in its story. Colorful, whimsical graphics are complemented by distinctive personalities and professional voice-overs so compelling that – even when contending with the occasional intricate puzzle – players will be deeply invested in the characters’ success.