Investigate the recent string of robot disappearances in an unusual blend of childlike fantasy and gritty film noir.
Bear With Me: The Lost Robots
Developer: Exordium Games
Price: $5
Platforms: PC (reviewed), PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
MonsterVine was provided with a PC code for review.
Set as a standalone prequel chapter to Bear With Me, the developers’ previous game, Bear With Me: The Lost Robots puts you in the role of a young boy named Flint, who teams up with the detective teddy bear, Ted E. Bear, to solve a kidnapping case. Robot kidnapping, that is. Robots have been disappearing, and now Flint and Ted must take to the streets of Paper City to find the culprit.
Right away, this creates an unusual atmosphere that is present throughout the entire game. On one hand, it’s a noir mystery that fully embraces the genre, complete with narration from Ted at key points in the story. On the other hand, it’s clearly a child’s fantasy as Flint joins the story his sister Amber had been working on previously.
This surreal blend of styles is one of the most interesting things about the game, and it also creates a secondary mystery in the background–why is Flint helping Ted when it’s clear his heart isn’t into it?
To solve the case, you’ll need to use traditional point-and-click adventure gameplay, with items to find and puzzles to solve. The item puzzles are fairly simple and logical, and on the few occasions when I didn’t know how to proceed, the problem turned out to be an item I’d missed rather than confusion over the puzzle itself. A couple of puzzles show up later that are a bit trickier, but still nothing too illogical.
Bear With Me: The Lost Robots lasts about 2-3 hours, and while the story isn’t groundbreaking, its dedication to imitating film noir makes it stand out. Its monochrome art style, jazzy music, and gritty narration all make it feel like a serious crime investigation even as it adds humor through sarcasm, puns, and a fair amount of self-awareness. The voice acting took some getting used to, but after a while, I felt Ted’s stilted delivery and Flint’s disinterested tone were intentional due to the sorts of characters they are. Once again, it feels like a child playacting a serious story, and it does that very well.
Now, The Lost Robots isn’t available as DLC for the original Bear With Me, but rather the original game is DLC for The Lost Robots, which feels a bit odd. And while it’s largely standalone, I couldn’t shake the sense that its emotional payoff is meant for players of the original game. It just felt like it was lacking something to give it more meaning. Nevertheless, if you like point-and-click adventure games and film noir, Bear With Me: The Lost Robots is an interesting take on the genre.
The Final Word
Blending the storytelling of film noir with the premise of a child playing with toys, Bear With Me: The Lost Robots is a point-and-click adventure game that manages to be a lighthearted romp and a gritty crime story at the same time. While this odd tone might not appeal to everyone, it’s worth consideration by fans of the genre.
MonsterVine Review Score: 3.5 out of 5 – Fair
