Review for Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes
Located amidst two placid lakes and surrounded by dense forests, the small town of Twin Lakes seems like a peaceful haven, far from the intensity of urban life. Nothing too exciting has ever happened there – that is until the mysterious disappearance of Tammy Taylor, an aspiring artist and an environmental activist. Does the big oil company which builds an oil pipeline right through the town have something to do with it?
This is the premise of Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes, by Wamill – a detective–based mystery game, viewed from a first-person perspective. As the name may suggest, it is at least partly inspired by Twin Peaks, the hit TV show from the 90s. It references the show in the setting, premise, and some plot and design elements.
You play the role of the titular detective, Sammy Jukes. As his commanding officer remarks, he is “the most average detective this office has seen”. What seems at first to be an open and shut case, worthy of Jukes’s reputation, will unearth a web of secrets, lies, shady politics, crimes and big money, spiced with some environmental and even philosophical issues.
During the investigation you will visit numerous locations such as the sheriff’s office, a church, a chicken farm, and a recycling center. You will also talk to the townsfolk, in an attempt to shed light on Ms. Taylor’s disappearance. Some people are more cooperative or trustworthy than others. As the game progresses you will learn that each one of them has, or had, something to do with the missing woman. Who is the criminal, and what is the motive? These questions are left for you to answer.
The graphics are highly detailed. Shop shelves and fridges are loaded with many kinds of food, drink and merchandise. Houses and offices are completely furnished. You can even visit the bathrooms. There are trees and grass swaying in the wind, gentle ripples on the lakes, while flocks of birds are flying above. The environmental effects and their accompanying sounds are very good. Even the sound of your steps varies according to the surface you are treading upon. You can roam freely through the streets, forest and lakeshores. It is possible to take shortcuts through backyards, hidden paths and front lawns.
Having said that, there is limited interactivity with the world itself. You cannot open closets or drawers at will, to see whether there is something of interest inside. It is impossible to inspect or buy anything at the shop, or rummage through garbage bins, or read the documents strewn around certain locations. In general, interactivity is limited to objects which help further the investigation. This is a pity, since this could have fleshed out the characters and background story. Maybe it could also have presented you with different lines of investigation.
Characters are presented in detail, but their gestures and facial expressions are stilted, and look a bit outdated. They do not seem to actually live in the Twin Lakes “universe”. They remain in their original position, no matter what. They never seem to engage in any work or other activities, apart from waiting for the detective. They always greet you using the same words. For instance, the lady at the rehabilitation center will meet you with “You don’t seem to be in need for a rehab”, regardless of how many times you have already entered the place, even when presenting her with a search warrant. This causes the game to lose some of its credibility.
Except for the characters needed for the investigation, the town seems to be bereft of other people. There are no cars in the streets, shoppers in the store, or customers at the diner. The houses are usually clean, tidy and empty. There are no children playing in the upper rooms, people reading or watching TV, or simply quizzical spouses demanding to know what you are doing in their home.
This is only one example of some small but disturbing illogicalities I found in Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes. For instance, there is a blazing fire at the fire station. True, this could happen, only there is no fire extinguisher in sight. Yes. At the fire station. You have to schlep it from another location in order to put the fire out. In the meantime, there is no alarm going off, and nobody seems to care about it. Another example is the one-armed town mechanic. He uses a prosthetic device. Somehow, his friend has managed to snatch it away from him. He chats happily with the detective, stating that he is capable of working with only one hand. He waits patiently for the detective to retrieve the device for him (using a chicken and a wolf. Don’t ask). Yet another case is when parents relocate to Thailand, without any prenotice or explanation, leaving only a laconic note behind. Their son is left to run the family business on his own. There are more scenarios like this, but I will stop here before giving away any spoilers.
There is a general air of passive indifference to the characters. Maybe it is due to the general state of the town, with its population dwindling, as the oil company building the pipeline starts to take over. It is noticeable, for instance, when a character prefers to stand soaking wet in the rain while posting to social networks, instead of seeking shelter. During the climactic finale, people just stand motionless waiting to be approached, instead of running around, helping each other to escape, as would have been expected. The ending is followed by a text-only aftermath which tries to wrap the story up on a humorous note. It is long, tiresome and utterly redundant.
In addition, I have some quibbles about the graphics. The houses in town seem to be of the same design. All the front doors are made of brown wood, be it the shop, lumberyard, church or bar. Inner doors are comprised of white wood. Almost all the signs, ads, book covers and posters are written in a single font. A different font is used for every computer interface or letter you will read. These may be pure design choices, or due to budgetary or time constraints, but they present an overall feeling of uninspired, outdated design, and a hastily produced effort.
Conversations use a simple Q&A interface. As the narrative unfolds, the detective has an increasing number of questions. He can ask each character the same questions. The answers vary according to the relevance of the inquiry, subject to each specific character. The responses rarely lead to a full, natural conversation and they do not vary, no matter how many times you rehash the questions. The characters do not seem to be bored, irritated or tired of these repetitive interrogations.
Voice acting ranges from good to mediocre. There were instances where I felt it lacked feeling, warmth or subtlety, or simply needed some fine tuning. Jukes himself is supposed to be a gruff, experienced detective, but actually sounds as if he’s just trying to act like one. Be advised that there is some cursing, and an occasional f-word.
Puzzles consist mainly of talking to people, fetching objects from point A in order to use them at point B, while issuing a search warrant somewhere along the way. Your progress is recorded in a journal. It is an important and useful feature, only I couldn’t find any way to scroll through it in order to reconsider previously obtained information in light of newer discoveries.
In the rainy weather, the empty, gloomy streets of Twin Lakes pretty much resemble each other. Luckily, there is a map feature. It shows the different locations around the town. Those you have visited bear the relevant character’s face or other indications. Though detailed and zoomable, it is not possible to navigate via the map itself. However, it remains in the lower-left corner of the screen, making navigation easier. It is a very convenient feature, since you will be doing lots and lots of walking, from one end of the town to the other, and through all the streets in between. Movement is quick and smooth, and there is an option of “fast travel” to some main locations. It is found on certain lamp posts throughout the town, identifiable by what looks like a swarm of fireflies. This “swarm” likewise indicates any point of possible interaction with an object.
A word about the soundtrack: combining elements from folk, country, blues and rock music, it creates the right atmosphere at the right time. There are also some abstract soundscapes, which add to the overall mystery hovering above the town.
Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes truly feels like a labour of love. Despite all the above, it is definitely not a bad game. On the contrary, it is quite compelling and enjoyable. The only issue is that it could have been a much, much better game. According to the end credits, it is the first installment in a planned series. Hopefully the next episode will be an improvement.
WHERE CAN I DOWNLOAD Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes
Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes is available at:
We get a small commission from any game you buy through these links (except Steam).Our Verdict:
In Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes, an unusually intriguing story is marred by instances of uninspired design, average voice acting and repetitive puzzles.
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