Review: Diggs Nightcrawler

Diggs Nightcrawler is a film noir-inspired augmented reality game developed by SCE London and Moonbot Studios. It’s the second Wonderbook title for the PlayStation 3 so, if you’re interested in giving it a shot, be warned; you’ll need a Wonderbook, PlayStation Eye camera AND Move controller before you start. Whilst I’d never played a Wonderbook title before I had experienced other augmented reality titles so, to be honest, I wasn’t entering into this with high expectations. Luckily Diggs Nightcrawler was an enjoyable and entertaining title that changed my perception of augmented reality as a functional control means rather than a gimmick.

Set in Library City, the tale is introduced by the soon-to-be-whacked Humpty Dumpty who implores you to join Diggs Nightcrawler to solve his impending murder. In true film noir style, the story is told to us by Diggs as events unfold. In an interesting twist, Diggs addresses you directly in a fashion similar to inner monologues of old detective movies. It’s a surprisingly effective means of storytelling and, coupled with physical interaction with the Wonderbook, makes for a very immersive experience. The game takes characters and elements from various popular fairy tales and combines them into a new, original story that’s full of humor, references and intrigue. Similar to many Pixar or Dreamworks movies, the story is simple enough for kids to enjoy but with a healthy dose of references only adults will get. Even if you’re not a fan of the gameplay you’d be hard pressed not to find the story both enjoyable and amusing.

Gameplay-wise, Diggs Nightcrawler is laid out more like an interactive story as opposed to a “traditional” game. The player mostly just watches scenes play out whilst tapping, tilting, wiping or bending the Wonderbook to help them progress. Every time you turn the page a new scene unfolds on screen like a moving popup book. Transition between puzzle and story sections is seamless and the ability to fully control the environment at all times ensures that the game never feels disjointed or forced. For example; early on in the game you’re chatting with Humpty’s “dame,” Itsy Bitsy. Whilst talking there’s not a lot happening on screen however you can rotate the Wonderbook to look around the room and find interesting jokes or side details. It completely changes the feel of playing the game and ensures your attention never wanders; an essential ingredient in a game so strongly focused on narrative.

Spattered amongst the story sections are a number of mini games. These range from things like tilting the book to navigate a stream, rotating it to make it thru a maze, or even using your vantage point to view an obstructed path and making a loud noise when it’s clear. The mini games may sound gimmicky but they are surprisingly fun and varied enough that they never feel repetitious or forced. As an added bonus the “controls” feel so natural and easy to use that it’s  hard to imagine this game without the Wonderbook. A big part of this is the responsiveness and accuracy of the input. Whilst there was a little “edge blurring” when my hand was above the book every tilt, turn or fold was instantly recognised and replicated on screen. All this combined to create the feel of a complete game rather than just a “proof of concept;” an essential mechanic rather than just an interesting gimmick.

Diggs Nightcrawler is a short game with just 3 chapters of around 20-30 minutes each. To provide replay you are given the option to redo each chapter using your Move controller like a magnifying glass to examine and photograph various details or elements. This mode is more than just a gimmick, however, as you are provided with a list of objectives for each scene. Can you rotate the book and use the magnifying glass to find the signed Itsy Bitsy Spider photograph? Can you find and photograph the sheep hiding in the graveyard? It’s a great concept and gives you an excuse to play thru the story again but, I felt, became repetitious quickly and will only be completed by trophy hunters or big fans of the game.

Where Diggs Nighcrawler really turns it up to 11 is in its presentation and atmosphere. Library City looks amazing! The graphics are sharp, scenes meticulously detailed, animations smooth and special effects perfect. Little things like a trickle of water running off the edge of the book and falling away are small and unimportant but add to the overall feel and experience of the game world. Playing Diggs Nightcrawler I couldn’t help but liken the level of detail to something you’d expect from a high budget animated flick like Monsters Inc or Shrek. Every element of the game is themed right down to the fact you’re using a popup book to follow the story of a bookworm along a case about nursery rhymes! The level of detail and care taken is obvious and enhances the mood of the game from start to finish. This is further enhanced by period themed voice acting and music. Muted trumpets coincide with Humphrey Bogart style monologues suiting the mood of the game perfectly and rounding off a perfect presentation.

So is Diggs Nighcrawler worth your investment? At $25 (or $35 with a bundled Wonderbook) the answer to that question depends on what you expect. The game is exceptionally easy and will take most people around 2-3 hours to complete. The gameplay, whilst enjoyable, isn’t enough to draw you back in more than once or twice and the heavy focus on dialogue means, unless you really love the story or after an easy platinum, you will be limited. My advice would be to compare this to an animated movie rather than a game. Is $25 worth it for a top quality, detailed and enjoyable 3 hour movie? If so then I say buy it, if not then it may be better to hold off for a price drop.

For me it is well and truly worth the investment. My kids (4yo boy, 7yo girl) and I liked the Wonderbook method of controlling the game and thoroughly enjoyed the story. A top quality movie experience with the added fun of interaction for a third of the price of going to the movies.