Back in 1987, the graphical adventure game Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards was released in it's 16 colour glory for the Amiga, Apple II and MS-DOS. The creator of the game, Al Lowe, who was also known for his composing for the music of the game and several other Sierra games, went on to create multiple sequels to the game, with Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail being his last in the series. Amidst creating these games (among a few others), Al Lowe, while watching Mrs. Doubtfire with his kid, had the epiphany that he could create a game that both children and adults could laugh at. This product of this is the good, although simplistic, point and click adventure game Torin's Passage.
The game introduces you to Torin, the son of a farming family (or thought to be), shortly before his parents are kidnapped by Lycentia, a sorceress that had been banished to the "Lands Below" many years before. The Lands Below are worlds beneath the surface of the planet and to get there, you have to go through colossus crystal columns called phenocysts. The plot and presentation are very much like a Disney movie, with an easy to follow plot with many jokes for both kids and adults to enjoy, colourful places to explore and basic character design, right down to the love interest, an obvious bad guy and even the comical shape-shifting sidekick named Boogle.
The game is a simple point-and-click adventure game that divided into 5 chapters, allowing you to jump into any part of the game you whenever you want. The inventory is within easy access, always at the bottom of the screen no matter what and doesn't distract from what's happening on screen. You can switch between Torin's and Boogle's inventory spaces by clicking on their icons located in the same space. Any item in the inventory can be seen in full 3D through the "platform" in the middle of the inventory.
The game comes with a hint system for the younger inexperience player, although if you do use it, you lose points, but i don't think that really matters. Every puzzle is easy to understand with the exception for two or three because it will be either too hard to navigate or you won't have an immediate understanding of it until you make mistakes multiple times. All around, it's pretty much King's Quest aimed a younger audience. It's not bad and even has a few instances of fun, but it can't really get out mediocrity. Play it if you really enjoy going back to the old point-and-click games of the early PC era.
The Good:
+Jokes for both adults and kids, making it appropriate for the whole family.
+Easy to use, allowing inexperience players to have a chance at getting through the game
The Bad:
-It can be a little simplistic at times.