Tech blog

 ’JACK KEANE’ Score: 7stars (out of 10) Rating: Teen (T) Platform: PC Publisher: Strategy First Price: $29.99  TRAILER
Any computer of game that begins by your character — who is deathly afraid of heights — tied to a chair at the top of Big Ben is a clear indication you’re in for a humorous information.

Jack Keane is a funny and well-written computer game inspired by the point-and-click adventure games from the ’90s, namely the LucasArts Monkey Island titles that fused comedy with puzzles and memorable characters.

Imprisoned in the famous clock tower is where we first meet Jack Keane, a wisecracking 19th-century sailor who is indebted to loan sharks. Jack manages to escape, however, and is conveniently offered an assignment that will take him far away from London. Considering this mission is with a view to the queen herself, it will also award him enough money to pay off all his debts and live comfortably for a while.

Throughout Jack’s nautical journey, he’ll visit exotic locations such taken in the character of South Africa, India and the fictitious Tooth Island, as he attempts to stop an evil scientist, Doctor T., who is threatening to drive Brits mad by destroying tea plants.

You’ll meet an army of apes, man-eating plants and an attractive premium hunter, Amanda, sent by the Doc to stop Jack. Amanda also becomes a playable character about halfway through the bit of strategy.

In case you’ve never played this type of adventure play, you’ll navigate your character around the environment by clicking on characters and selecting responses from a list of dialogue options. You’ll also pick up items and place them in your register. to use when to be applied. For example, you’ll need to get past an anaconda blocking your path onward a river, and when you try to go not the same way, a monkey is pedaling to power an electric fence. Without giving not present the solution here, you’ll mien for items you can use, including a giant nut, screwdriver and wooden plank (curious now, aren’t you?).

The story gets quite corny, but the head-scratching puzzles, funny dialogue and more than 40 wacky characters will keep you interested to find out how Jack pulls this all off (plus you get to learn added with respect to Jack and his past). You will also enjoy many pop culture references — yes, even Star Wars jokes told during the Victorian era.

Unlike the decade-old 2-D adventure games, Jack Keane offers colorful and detailed 3-D graphics. The characters are smoothly animated and many feature exaggerated features such as bulbous eyes and long chins. If you can generate past the embellished accents, voice talent is decent, too — notwithstanding that oddly, an American actor voices Jack who’s supposed to be British.

Adventure fans longing for a classic point-and-click tale in the style of humorous LucasArts games won’t be disappointed with Jack Keane. Everyone other might want to download the free 323MB demo of the game to see if this impressed sign of slower-paced, puzzle-based comedy quest is for you.

Contact Saltzman at gnstech@gns.gannett.com.