Dude, Where Is My Beer? has been popular among point and click fans for a while, and as biased as I am toward the genre, it’s pretty much timeless and can be covered at any time, right?
There’s nothing like a good beer. To be authentic in this long-overdue review, I’m currently drinking a pilsner – no word of a lie, qualifying me as an old-fashioned professional, lush, and seeker of good drinks.
That’s precisely what we have here with Dude, Where Is My Beer? – on my radar for some time, I bought this a while back but never have had enough time to commit to it. That’s no reflection of the game, but a point and click should be enjoyed as much as a good drink.
Dude, Where’s My Beer? Review
You play a refined gentleman on a relatable quest to find a beer. Stuff the princess and demons emerging to take over the realm; you must think for yourself in duo Arik Zurabian and Edo Brenes’ adventure. This is a real hero, willing to brave hipster establishments, absolute dives and pompous vendors that have to overcomplicate things with labels.
Without reading up on the ‘behind-the-scenes’ nor having a conversation with the developers, it’s evident this is must be based on their own experiences – it’s just so real. Stepping off a bus and needing a beer, the protagonist attempts to bribe the bus driver for his own beer(!), fails, and instead, you have to look around town for somewhere decent to drink.
Dude, Where Is My Beer? is a classic point and click, much like Zak McKraken and the Alien Mindbenders (reference for August), as you have to select a verb from the menu, combined with an object or person on screen. This means that it’s a little more difficult than most adventures as there are many more options than talk, use, look and sniff on the verb wheels. Even if you’re a veteran of the genre, this approach can be a little frustrating as you try out everything when stuck.
Upon entering the first establishment, you’re told the previous owner has been replaced by a hipster keen on serving IPAs. Now, there’s nothing wrong with an IPA, but oldies and purists of beer often see their poison as black and white with no-nonsense. Our hero isn’t remotely interested in trying anything new, so it’s off to the next bar, and the next, hoping that someone will serve something normal.
Fancy Ales
That’s a pretty lame summary, but that’s what it is, and fortunately, Dude, Where Is My Beer? does offer up a lot of charm in the process. It also helps to identify with the individual’s plight—such hard times. Admittedly, the game is a bit of a niche: point-and-click, old-school beer drinkers, and in-jokes about UX design. The comments one NPC makes, Jølla, were pretty funny, but I wonder how many people got it and how many skimmed through, not getting it? Coincidentally, this chap has a custom Mac, too. Says the person typing this on an iMac. Pfft – hipsters.
Like in real life, drinking a beer will lower your inhibitions. Fortunately, there aren’t any ‘wingman beer goggle anecdotes’ or long distance calls to the porcelain god to experience – this chap has standards. Still, some Dutch courage is needed to talk with people, but you’ll also need to be sober for other actions. A tipsy gauge will show in the top right of the screen, allowing you to top it up a little should the thought of coherent sentences and mathematics get in the way of a good drink. After a few coins at the beginning, the currency here is irrelevant, as you can top up on the drinks for free, which are essential to the mechanics.
On that note, Dude, Where Is My Beer? is very linear, a bit like its peers from the earlier days. You have to do one bit at a time to progress or unlock new dialogue or options. With a few minor exceptions, you have to be at the right place at the right time, and it’s so easy to get stuck. On that basis, it’s a pretty challenging game at times with some illogical solutions, but this adds to the game’s length and is not purely filler. Even some of the backtracking quests for achievements are optional, and as the game area isn’t that large, it’s not too cumbersome going back and forth to investigate a clue.
Arty Farty
The art style is pretty nice, particularly the choice of colours. Dude, Where Is My Beer? uses a minimal palette, opting more for various shades of grey (perv) and making the soft reds pop on the screen. That is one magical trash our hero has. Overall, it’s a nice aesthetic.
There’s no voice acting in the game, just text, so you’re stuck if you can’t read. How are you reading this? Ah… screen readers. Anyway, the dialogue is well-written and witty throughout without many social commentaries, without being irritating, humour and in-jokes, as mentioned earlier, that may be a little too niche in places. Despite the title making a slight reference to that chap that was bumping uglies with Demi Moore, it’s not puerile humour (though there are some booby bonuses if you’re into that sort of vulgarity). In summary, it’s not overly sophisticated where it alienates any gaming planks. It’s an everyman (or woman’s) tale.
As this was a game I picked up based on my tastes and adventure circles, there was a bit of time to read up on comments. A returning theme was that some thought this was abrupt or incomplete – almost episodic. Having finished it (read the accompanying walkthrough), the ending – no spoilers – leaves it open for the next adventure. Yes, the locations are a little limited here. Still, the game feels self-contained – regardless of whether you like the conclusion – and the difficulty level with some of the puzzles makes this a game you won’t finish in a couple of hours unless you’re brainy.
Dude, Where Is My Beer? is an excellent indie point and click with a story that we all have to face at a certain age. Yes, it’s a little more challenging than most – illogical puzzles that go with the territory. Is it worth having a look at? Sure, if you like the old-school point and clicks and have a sense of humour. Now I’m out of beer on a Sunday. I wonder if the local convenience store has any pilsner…
