The world-renowned cable network AMC (yes, the Breaking Bad channel) is still willing to make an impression in the gaming industry. Their first outing, Airplane Mode, was so weird and pointless that I still don’t know if it was a self-aware work of pure irony or the dumbest attempt at an “art game” I have ever played. I am relieved to announce that their second game, The Magnificent Trufflepigs, is nowhere near as pointless or unnecessary as its predecessor. That doesn’t mean I thought it was particularly good, but hey, progress I guess…

The Magnificent Trufflepigs is what you get when you’re a really big fan of Firewatch, one of the most acclaimed “walking simulators” in the market, but you want to give it an extra twist in order to justify its existence. It’s a natural evolution over the preconceived notions the public has largely had over these games with a more limited amount of interactivity proper. This is a story-driven adventure focused on the dialogue exchange and character development between two young adults reminiscing about their childhood, their life choices, former relationships, and so on.

It’s not the best of stories, but the fantastic voice acting elevates what’s frankly an average-at-best script. In theory, it should be hard to connect with these characters. They don’t show up onscreen, with their dialogue exchanges being limited to walkie-talkie conversations and static cutscenes in between days of the week, which act as the chapters in The Magnificent Trufflepigs. It’s not THAT memorable, being more of an enjoyable and heartwarming story while your attention span is still focused on it, but hey, it works. Weirdly enough, it works better than the actual “gameplay” bits included in here.

These gameplay bits are the reason why the game is called The Magnificent Trufflepigs to begin with. Have you ever heard of these pigs that are trained to sniff truffles that grow under the soil? Well, you do a relatively similar thing in here. Instead of looking for truffles with your nose, you’re looking for metal objects with a metal detector. This is what you do while the plot unfolds. Sadly, it is as boring as it sounds, even if the game does give you a believable reason as to why you are wasting a week of your in-game life partaking in such a chore.

I think this has to do with its slow pace. While your normal walking speed isn’t exactly Quake levels of fast, it is a lot more bearable than the near-paralytic walking speed when you start scanning the ground with the metal detector. It’s really, really, REALLY slow, and it does get on your nerves pretty quickly. Ironically enough, especially when you consider the fact you’re scanning for scraps on horrendously large open spaces. Granted, they are beautiful open spaces, with gorgeous landscapes and a pretty good usage of its color palette, but it’s so lethargic it’s borderline anxiety-inducing.

The Magnificent Trufflepigs is the weird case of the walking simulator which would have been a lot more enjoyable had the developers decided to include LESS gameplay. Even if its story isn’t anything to write home about, I was way more invested in it than looking for nappy pins and bottles with the slowest metal detector in human history. I don’t understand who its main audience would be. Maybe a big, borderline die-hard Firewatch fan who would love to play something obviously inspired by it? 

 

Graphics: 8.5 Its framerate might not be rock-solid, but I have to commend The Magnificent Trufflepigs for being a sight for sore eyes with its gorgeous landscapes and color palette.	Gameplay: 4.0 The game combines the riveting “walking and talking” from Firewatch with a borderline lethargic metal detection gameplay loop that annoyed me after a few minutes.
Sound: 9.0 Arguably where The Magnificent Trufflepigs shines the brightest. A chill soundtrack coupled with some really strong performances by the main characters.	Fun Factor: 4.5 Ironically enough, I actually think The Magnificent Trufflepigs would have been a less boring experience had the developers ditched its annoying metal detection gameplay loop altogether…
Final Verdict: 6.0

The Magnificent Trufflepigs is available now on PC and Switch.

Reviewed on Switch.

A copy of The Magnificent Trufflepigs was provided by the publisher.