Wait a minute - after Episode 2 comes Episode 3? Masterful, indeed!

Wallace and Gromit return for the penultimate act outlining their Grand Adventures in Episode 3’s Muzzled! The storm from “The Last Resort” (Episode 2) has completely destroyed the local dog shelter leading to West Wallaby Street becoming overrun by homeless hounds. Fortuitously the self-proclaimed philanthropist and lover of charity, Monty Muzzle, arrives in town to help fix things up for the overwhelmed residents of washed out West Wallaby Street…but is his provident appearance perhaps a little too good to be true?

As is the case with all the episodes in the series, it is not essential to have played any of the previous episodes in order to fully enjoy the experience of Episode 3. The only link between Episodes 2 and 3 is the premise for the plot, which is a loose development on what happened in The Last Resort. To reinforce the link between the two episodes there is a scene just after Episode 2’s credits which introduces the main antagonist Monty Muzzle walking into town, and Episode 3 picks up from there.

From all outward appearances everything seems normal at first, but thanks to Gromit’s keen sense for all things dubious, Wallace’s canny canine companion starts out to confirm whether Muzzle’s motives aren’t all as charitable as he would like people to wager, and this establishes the plot for Muzzled!

It’s a dog’s life…

Muzzled! sticks with the winning formula in both gameplay and wackiness, with the primary distinction in Episode 3 being that you’ll spend more time controlling Gromit but this doesn’t have any direct impact on the gameplay experience and has more of an aesthetic effect than anything else.

The usual array of puzzles and delectable dialogue are presented to the player, but I found that generally speaking the puzzles in Episode 3 weren’t as challenging or obscure as the previous two episodes, but that’s not to say that the game is in any way less enjoyable or engrossing! On the contrary, the entire scenario of a suspected confidence man waltzing his way into town and preying on the good nature of all the local residents draws you straight into the adventure as you set out to try and expose the hickster and restore justice to the unsuspecting townsfolk. As we’ve come to expect from Wallace and Gromit, the voice acting and the music are impeccable in their execution and the light-hearted tone is well established from the start.

Getting your chickens in a row…

True to all Wallace and Gromit adventures, the circumstances of the day play out in a very comically improbable manner, and yet there still seems to be something strangely plausible about what happens, even if it is all a little incredible! From the honey-coated musings of Monty Muzzle to his grand fundraising fair complete with chicken assistants and giant mechanised “Muzzler” carousel ride, everything is presented in such a fantastic manner that it again feels like someone could actually potentially pull this stuff off!
Without throwing away too much in the way of surprises, suffice it to say that the residents of West Wallaby Street will once again find themselves right in the thick of the adventure and our witty duo’s escapades will take them on a thrill ride from simple beginnings to a characteristic high finale!

All’s fair in love and war!

Overall, Episode 3 is everything you’d expect it to be when compared to the previous instalments. No changes to the gaming interface or design means the familiarity helps to keep the player’s mind focused on the enthralling adventure that’s occurring in West Wallaby Street rather than spending time acclimatising. The presentation of a particularly suspicious Monty Muzzle, from his ragged clothing to his crooked mustache to his conniving conversations, as well as the naive reaction of the townsfolk brings everything together into a strangely believable and absorbing experience.

You will easily find yourself smiling and chuckling along to the amusing antics of the colourful characters inhabiting our favorite plastocene town. Unfortunately the familiarity that returns to Episode 3 also comes with its own setbacks, as the game experience may begin to feel repetitive for some players despite the completely new storyline and plot. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the experience, and I would gladly recommend it to anyone else that’s a fan of the first two episodes or is in search of a good clean adventure game, but I can understand how some stalwarts may start to feel that they’ve “been there before, and done that before” while playing through episode 3. Nevertheless, this is still an entertaining adventure good for the whole family!

Muzzled! fairs fairly well

Despite all this talk of repetition and sameness, Muzzled! is just sticking with a successful formula, and in doing so still achieves what it set out to do very well. It recaptures the quintessential Wallace and Gromit adventure perfectly, and the voice-acting breathes life into all the peculiar inhabitants of West Wallaby Street. This episode should be just as entertaining as the first two, and although to some it may feel like it’s more-of-the-same if you’ve played episode 1 or 2, it’s still fun and not a disappointment by any means. My only lasting criticism (as with the other episodes in this series) is the price at 800MSP. I think it could easily have gone for a little bit less because it doesn’t possess much replayability and for that reason alone 800MSP feels like a bit of a con, but that aside you won’t regret taking this game for a spin!

The Good: Clean and a fun fair!; character sketches (and sketchy characters) are a hoot!; Puzzles aren’t impossibly complex and are kid-friendly; feels like a traditional Wallace & Gromit adventure

The Bad: Can feel a bit “more of the same”; puzzles can sometimes be too easy.

Purchase: