If you’ve dabbled in Flash games, The Several Adventures of Reemus should at least sound vaguely familiar. A point and click adventure series filled with goofy humor, bumbling characters, salt-and-pepper plants, and multiple endings, it has charmed its way into many flash enthusiasts’ hearts. Given its popularity and successful Kickstarter project, developer Jay Ziebarth has finally released a completely new, full-length, premium version entitled The Ballads of Reemus: When the Bed Bites (BR:WBB). Being rather partial to the series myself, I was excited to see how far the game would go in this enhanced version.
For those unfamiliar with the series, the main characters, Reemus and Liam, are a pair of bungling exterminators who manage to make things right in the end through random strokes of genius. The game opens up with Reemus and Liam tasked to eradicate a ginormous fly invading the tavern of the Kingdom of Fredicus, so that the locals can get their daily alcohol fix going. For their successful endeavor (and a conveniently ignored broken bed), Reemus writes a soul-bearing ballad to share their wonderful exploit with the tavern’s patrons. However, no one is interested in listening as they are still unable to buy a drink from the bar. The barkeep has not had a good night’s sleep due to his broken bed. Reemus, eager to have patrons attentively swoon at his song of courage, decides to get the barkeep a new bed, and so he and Liam embark on their next adventure.
Straightforward controls help move the game along. Like many of its kind, the mouse is the main driving force behind getting things done, and the trusty left mouse click is the only button one needs in BR:WBB. Talk to a guy demonstrating how to use a medieval blender? Left click. Skip past his wacky, lengthy marketing spiel? Left click. Test the blender by trying to throw a dead pigeon in it? Left click on the pidgeon and left click on the blender. It’s easy!
Kooky humor is one of the series’ highlights, and this game is no different. From condiment bottle plants to vegetarian termites, and mixing various ant pheromones to making a deal with human-sized fire ants — BR:WBB deals out the crack fans crave. Generally simple, most of the puzzles are straightforward with only a couple that stumped me for a bit. Liam and Reemus frequently split off to handle different areas, with some cooperation needed between the two to progress. BR:WBB also included some disappointing side quests that mostly focused on picking things out in the background. I honestly expected more from the developers since the side quests are advertised as a selling point, but perhaps I have been quite spoiled by The Book of Unwritten Tales 2.
Story-wise, BR:WBB is a mish-mash of just enough crazy, like its predecessors. The most absurd situations are played out like everyday occurrences and the game never takes itself seriously. Where else will you find fire ants divulging their steadfastness towards the lure of bacon or a termite queen having a perpetual baby shower for each termite egg she pops out? Unlike other games in the series, BR:WBB does not offer multiple endings, which is a small shame. However, given the length of the game and the nature of the series’ usual wacky, awry split endings, I think the developers made the right choice here. My only complaint is that this “full-length” three hour game feels too short — of course, compared to the episodes in The Adventures of Reemus, BR:WBB holds far more content, but in juxtaposition to other point and clicks, the experience feels brief. In part, this may be due to the game’s delightfulness and my own desire to enjoy more, though others might disagree.
Visually, BR:WBB is not exactly Van Gogh’s work. Stylized but simple, the two dimensional drawings possess mostly basic shading and carry a cartoonish feel that complements the quirky world Liam and Reemus live in. The animations are largely smooth and enhance the experience, despite some clear repetition, while the cutscenes are amusing. Pleasant background music lingers in every scene, but make no mistake, the highlight lies in the voice acting. Unlike previous iterations, BR:WBB boasts a fully voice-acted cast that elevates the enjoyment of the game. Often, I skip over voice acting because I read much faster than the speech and don’t want to waste time, but I found myself happily listening to the voice acting this time.
Ballads of Reemus: When the Bed Bites plays up the series’ claim to fame. With chuckle-worthy humor, fun characters, and a unique world, the extra voice acting and fully animated cut scenes are the cherries on top for any fan. With scene selection possible after finishing the game, players can always go back to complete sidequests they missed or re-live the gratifying experience of making a haughty artist break his own pottery. If you have not had the chance to get acquainted with Reemus, Liam, and the breakfast plant (it cooks bacon AND eggs), $4.99 is not too bad a price for three hours of wacky entertainment.
