Leisure Suit Larry

Land Of The Lounge Lizards (SCI Remake)

The remake of Land of the Lounge Lizards (which was a remake of a text adventure) could have turned a funny game with subpar game design into a masterpiece. Instead we are left with pieces. And none of them are masterful.

Too many of the pieces borrow from Leisure Suit Larry 5, and if you know how I feel about that game, there's no wonder this one turns me off. The graphics are wretched with a color scheme that makes What Dreams May Come seem bland. The sound and game design (doodied up with point'n'click silliness) do nothing attractive. And the actual plot itself is still irritating.

What keeps this game from adventure game hell are two minor improvements from the original version. Primarily, the ease with which Larry can now win at the casino eliminates the monotony that horribly paced its predecessor. Less important, the close-up shots of Larry's conquests (see: babes) are done very well; if only the rest of the game could have received so much detail.

Unfortunately, the horrible presentation detracts from the charm present in the AGI offering. Thus, much of the humour is lost. And since everything that made the original inferior is still here, there is no real reason to play this game.

Unless of course you loved Larry 5.