It's the familiar RPG drill: a magical, mysterious entity taps the shoulder of a humble, non-hero to embark on a god-chosen quest to rescue a girl in trouble. Assuming the role of Edwin, you're transported through a fateful portal to face evils unbeknownst to the ordinary world and to complete your own Elf Story, a point-and-click adventure from Eric Posas of ESP Animation that is as much about supping up the viscerally animated details as the gameplay itself.
Incorporating elements of narrative adventures and action RPGs, Elf Story's only controls are a sometimes changing cursor which directs when and where you can click as well as the occasional tutorial guidance to prompt your actions. Begin your "Call to Adventure" in Edwin's bedroom and, after a multi-threaded dialogue with his spiritual guide, head out into the realm of danger with whatever weapons you have found, bought or traded for. Most the fun comes from discovering the goodness hidden in each scene. Explore carefully: because there is no backtracking, all discoveries must be accomplished at just the right moment or forever hold your peace. All of the challenge comes from figuring out just how to survive despite some nebulous battle mechanics with extremely precise timing and hot spots, making gameplay both simple and tricky.
While Elf Story is overflowing with gory sights and subtle parody, it's surprisingly short, ending suddenly after a few enemy encounters and an almost arbitrary boss battle against an ugly ogre. It also isn't a game for everyone—some will love it, some will send me hate mail for suggesting it. To those seeking a cohesive story, merry adventure and a user-friendly interface, here is a glistening puddle of frustration you'd do well to step over. But for those who love racking up awards for every success and fail, and who delight in discovering the many ways to kill or die in an oozing, bloody chaos of body parts, Elf Story is a deeply satisfying pool of entertainment into which you can dive and splash about happily.
Walkthrough Guide
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Elf Story—Walkthrough and Strategy Guide
Edwin's Bedroom
Click on Edwin to wake him up.
Then, click+hold on Edwin and drag upward to get him to stand.
Click on his bed to move nearer to it.
Look under the corner of the mattress to get a KITCHEN KNIFE.
Then, pick up the pillow and get a GOOBER.
Click the closet door to move closer to it. Then click it again to open it.
Get the FANBOY HOODIE.
Then get the BASEBALL BAT.
Click on the TV to move closer. Then click the TV again to begin a dialogue with a spark. You then have three choices:
"Nah."
Death. The one and only way to die in stage 1.
"Who Are You?"
Begins a conversation with the spark to learn more about the backstory for the game. Responses vary slightly depending on how sarcastic/cynical you are.
"Let's Do It!"
Skips most the conversation so you can get right to the jumping through the portal part.
When the spark leaves, first get the SUPER PRETENDO CONTROLLER on the right side to take with you as a weapon.
Then click the remaining controller to examine it more closely.
Click START: the right "/" button in the middle of the controller.
This will transport you to stage 2.
Tree Hut Interior
Click on the branch in the back of the room to move closer to it. Then, click it again to break it off.
Click on the vases to move closer, then click them again to smash them open.
Pick up all the KUPOS by clicking on the first one then hovering your cursor over the rest.
Click the circular hatch on the left side of the room to move closer to it.
Then, click the hatch again to shove the BRANCH into the hatch.
Click+hold on the branch then drag to the right to use the branch to pry open the hatch.
Get the KEY.
Click the treasure chest to walk over to it.
Use the KEY to unlock the chest.
Look inside the chest to get a SHRUKEN HEAD.
Click the stairs to exit.
On the Platform
When you walk out onto the platform outside the hut, your bat turns into a WOODEN SWORD and your kitchen knife becomes a DAGGER.
A enemy awaits you here. You have a battle options:
Do Nothing.
The demon thing shoots you and you die. After which, you can restart to try this scene again.
Use the Sword.
It's one way to kill the foe.
Use the Dagger.
Yet another method of battle success.
Use the Pretendo Controller.
I've been unsuccessful (a.k.a. fail+death) using this weapon on this enemy, but it does work very nicely (achieving desired results after figuring out, through trial and error, which buttons to mash) in later battles.
Once you kill the enemy (and, if you want to move on, at some point you must), click on its body parts a few times to loot them.
Click the ladder to go down to the next scene.
Bottom of the Ladder
Click the rock nearest you in the road. Then click+hold the rock and drag up to pick it up over your head.
Now you need to throw it away...
If you click a small area just above your head, you'll throw the rock up instead of away...killing yourself.
...so click a space somewhere out in front of you. It'll break and you can pick up more KUPOS.
Now you can get the PRECIOUS METAL ORE that was under the rock.
Click a spot in the road ahead of you to move forward.
As you walk toward the right edge of the screen, a bandit jumps down at you:
First, click behind you to jump back.*
Next, click above you to jump up.*
Finally, you're given a choice of three weapons to use (provided you left your bedroom with all three). Whichever you use will have various versions of death for the bandit, but the ultimate result is a dead bandit.
*Or, do nothing at these points to see how you might meet death.
Click the corpse a couple times to loot it.
Then click the right edge of the screen to move on.
At the Roadsign
Click the intersection of the two roads to move to the middle of the screen.
Click on the tree to move closer to it.
Click on Edwin to pull out his sword.
Knock a DEAD BIRD out of the tree by clicking it to hit it with your sword.
Click the bird twice to pick it up.
Move back to the middle of the road by click on it.
Then, click the house at the back of the scene to go there.
Hobart's
When you reach the outside of Hobart's, if you just stand there a few minutes...
...BIRD POOP lands on your head. Um. Yay.
Go inside by clicking the door.
Once inside, uh, Hobart greets you. You have two options at this point:
"Imma Kill You"
You're kind of small and weak to be making that sort of threat at a big, hunkering spider monster, aren't you? Oh, well, go ahead, choose this response and click through Hobart's replies to view yet another way poor Edwin can be eviscerated. You'll still get the option to restart here and try the scene again.
"I Need Weapons"
Begins the shopping experience.
If you've followed this walkthrough, you should have at least 45 Kupos (more if you died a few times and re-collected kupos from the rock in the road). To get even more KUPOS:
Click the "Free Kupo" button in your inventory.
Pick up the free kupo.
Then click the small white "x" in the upper right corner of the screen to return to the scene.
Now's a good time to get "better" weapons (if you buy all three, it's mostly for the fun of it since you won't have many more options to use them. But you can always replay to try them all out.)
Used during the Ogre Battle: STEEL SWORD.
It's hanging on the wall behind Hobart.
Trade for it with the PRECIOUS METAL ORE or buy it for 100 KUPO.
Optional: SOUL BANGLE.
It's on the left side of the top shelf.
Trade for it with the SHRUNKEN HEAD or buy it for 100 KUPO.
Optional: BOMBS.
It's on the right side of the top shelf.
Buy it for 50 KUPO.
Lastly, get the SKULL from the lower shelf...just because.
Click the door to leave...
On the Road Again
As soon as you walk out of Hobart's, a bandit attacks you.
To succeed in battle, you need to click on the thrown sword as it's coming at you to block it and chase off the bandit.
Loot the discarded bandit sword for more KUPOs.
Click the right edge of the screen to move on to the gate.
The Gate
When you first arrive outside the gate to the Dark Forest of Evil Darkness, you're given three dialogue options:
"Move Aside."
Begins battle.
"Screw You!
Begins battle.
"Ok. I'm Sorry."
To succeed in this fight, click on Edwin at the right time so he'll block the attack with his sword.
Once he's dead, loot the guard for KUPO.
Keep looting until you find the giant GATE KEY.
Pick up the GATE KEY and click the keyhole twice to unlock the gate.
Click the entrance to move further into the dark forest.
The Dark Forest
As soon as you enter this part of the forest, another bandit starts firing arrows at you.
Click on each of the arrows as they're flying at you to foil the attack:
This foe is more difficult than the previous enemies you've faced. You'll need to time when and where you click precisely:
The first three arrows are aimed at your throat.
The fourth arrow is aimed slightly lower, at your chest.
Once you have successfully stopped the four arrows, you can click on the bandit and choose one of several ways to kill him, depending on which weapons you have.
Then click on the bandit head and loot as much KUPO as you wish as you walk off toward the final boss battle.
The Ogre
When you approach the ogre, you're given a head's up to prepare for battle. Figuring out how to avoid the ogre's attacks might take some trial and error as you try to anticipate its moves.
To defeat the ogre, keep attacking his head right between the eyes.
You'll need 6 successful attacks on the ogre to beat him.
You have two ways to dodge, jumping up or jumping forward, and sometimes the ogre grabs at you in a way that you must jump forward.
If you click the ogre's head at the right time to jump up and attack him, you'll also avoid his attack at the same time. For some players, that might be most efficient way to off him.
It doesn't always help to spam click; partly this is luck, mostly it is timing. (But if you have more luck clicking his face like a madman, then that's the method to use!)
Some experimentation should lead you to the approach that works best for you (although it might leave you with visions of ugly ogres ripping apart skinny, green-hooded kids for days to come.)
Once you've slayed the ogre, you have won the game.
- Congratulations! -
More hints and tips are welcome...
Please post yours in comments section below. Thank you!
Posted by: elle
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February 2, 2013 3:57 PM