On the surface, The Cave can initially look like a bog-standard fairly repetitive side scrolling platformer with some different characters. It is actually a gem of a game and great FUN to play even multiple times.
The Cave commentator holds the game together nicely with some funny and memorable quips now and again. A very nice idea that works wonderfully.
The characters are not all equally endearing, but the replay-ability of selecting a different team of 3 is very nice and better than the usual easy, normal and hard options for gameplay.
Once you get into the "character swap teamwork" gameplay, it unfolds into a very FUN, fairly easy, very satisfying experience.
I will point out 1 element I was initially annoyed about (PC version) : You only have 1 game save and you cannot replay at a specific puzzle or Zone. However, replaying the whole game again (likely with different characters), from the beginning is not as tedious as you may think!
The tasks and puzzles are all fairly easy, but very satisfying. Most tasks involve finding a specific object and using it. E.g. Dynamite: light it via flame and drop at area (run away) to destroy a blocked exit. Other objects have less obvious uses and this adds to the sense of achievement when you work it out. E,g, (NO SPOILER) You have a Hermit in a boat and you need him out so your 3 characters can escape from an island as it seats only 3 ! A few objects are involved in solving this very clever puzzle!
Later, the tasks can get trickier when you need to jump from character to character and "time" your actions. Sometimes all 3 need to be working together.
I needed to resort to "YouTube solutions" for some of the more obscure puzzles e.g. The 3 flying carpets!
I loved the fact, your characters never die, but respawn in a puff of smoke nearby. This removes frustrating mistakes and keeps you happy and on task. Even the object they were carrying is re-spawned with them (if it is required).
Depending on which 3 characters you choose, you will be led to the same zones and a few different ones as well! All the Zones are beautifully crafted and I would suggest switching off the music to enhance some of the atmospherics and sound effects.
As an experienced Level Designer myself, I really appreciated the obvious care and efforts made to make such a nice looking, atmospheric, enjoyable, professionally polished FUN game.
The gameplay is perfectly balanced to allow most ages of users to progress to the very end of the game and have fun doing so. Some may find it too easy and get annoyed with the repetition of some of the tasks, but this is more of a relaxing game than a racing to the finish.
I would love to work on a sequel to The Cave, perhaps involving the adventures of "The Hermit", "his parrot" and "Spanky his dog"!
