IFReviewed by
Ron Newcomb on 2007-02-09 11:10
I began playing The Traveling Swordsman based on its title alone. It's just a concept that personally appeals to me, and the opening setting is just like I've imagined it all these years. That said, there's no sword fights. There are some nifty puzzles, including one involving airships and windmills I didn't mind pondering over while waiting for some swash to buckle. There's a sense of accomplishment for completing a puzzle -- the next chapter's heading is a cool graphic -- which kept me playing in a Pavlovian way. And I did indeed play through to the end, in spite of the creeping suspicion that every one of those puzzles is a showstopper. I even think the plot twist at the end was cute, even as I wanted to scream. I can best describe this game as empty calories: you'll like it, in spite of yourself.
