Kids can now explore a dark, noir-style game involving egg-murdering criminals in Diggs Nightcrawler.
Augmented reality is an interesting mechanic to apply on video games. Anyone that owns a 3DS could see how cool it is to put down a card and have colorful blocks sprout from it, or fight against a dragon with balls. Sony seems to be taking the lead from Nintendo and Microsoft by integrating augmented reality in their PlayStation 3 console with the ‘Wonderbook.’ The device is a physical book you can lay down on a floor (or coffee table) that is picked up by the PlayStation Eye and works with the PlayStation Move. When you look on the screen you can see 3D images pop out of the book to give a virtual, interactive experience. One game (book?) coming out for the peripheral is Diggs Nightcrawler, a film-noir style adventure game.
Diggs Nightcrawler lets the player (reader?) explore the cartoon-like world with the main character of the same name. Nightcrawler is a caterpillar residing in the book that solves mysteries as a private detective. Recently his best friend, Humpty Dumpty, was murdered and he is being blamed for the incident. Now Diggs Nightcrawler has to rely on the player to solve this case. Along the way you will be exploring “Library City,” Nightcrawler’s home and residence to several fictional characters. Sometimes Diggs Nightcrawler might end up in trouble in the game, and it is up to the player to get him out of trouble.
Unfortunately the trailer for Diggs Nightcrawler doesn’t show how the player would interact with the game. Even the description on how the player could get Diggs Nightcrawler out of trouble is a vague “It’s over to you, kid” explanation. I’m assuming since the game is inspired by film-noir, it might borrow elements from point and click adventure games. So expect to be rubbing X item to Y part frequently until something happens.
Diggs Nightcrawler is an exclusive PlayStation 3 game expected to be released in 2013.
