Clam Man | PC Review
50% Man. 50% Clam. 100% sort of funny.
They say that every generation gets the hero it deserves. Snacky Bay is in dire need of a hero. That hero is a duck. And you do not play that duck in Team Clam’s release of Clam Man. Take two guesses who you play in this game. I’ll wait. Yes, you play Clam Man, a junior sales executive office drone of the biggest mayonnaise company in Snacky Bay. If reading this makes you smile, then this is the fun little adventure game you didn’t know you were looking for.
Is It A Bird? No, It’s A Clam
Clam Man is exactly what you think he is. He is a clam and he is a man. He’s also very funny. In this adventure game you are trying to find out how and why you got into the pickle you’re in at the start of the game. And more importantly: how you can get out of it. All you know is that mayonnaise plays a big role in the plot, but you have no clue why. And why is there a bum on the corner promoting a duck? Why are you being intimidated by West Side Story crustacean gangsters? As the plot thickens like old mayonnaise, you encounter more wacky characters, more jokes, weird locations, a few puzzles and more danger. Do you have what it takes to take Clam Man to the end of the line, or will it be like carrying water to the ocean?
Happy As A Clam
Clam Man looks like an indie cartoon, and it plays like that as well. The controls are really simple: right click for interaction, left click for walking or getting through the dialogue. If it can be picked up, you will pick it up. If you can talk to it, you will get dialogue options, and you can also use or combine items in your inventory at the top of the screen. The puzzles are not that difficult, unless you are like me and start over-thinking them. There is also a big puzzle near the end where you can choose to do an easier version of it. This makes the game very smooth and takes away a lot of possible frustration.
Clamtown
There is an irreverent humor throughout the game, and Clam Man is very self-aware. Most of the jokes land very well. It’s not only poking fun at the characters and the environment of the game, but also at our current society and the adventure game genre itself. Hidden behind all this is an interesting story that manages to invoke, of all things, Chinatown and Office Space, with a bit of Dragonball Z sprinkled in. The music is also worth mentioning, as there is an entirely original song that accompanies Clam Man during a particularly depressing period of his life. Jazz music pops up regularly, and the score supports the game well. There is no voice acting, but that is done by sound effects, like in the Peanuts when the adults talk.
Clamclusion
This is not a very long game, I finished it in little over 2 hours, but it was absolutely worth it. The game is silly when it needs to be without losing sight of the story, and the music adds to the comedy atmosphere. Clam Man still requires you to pay attention to what is being said in the game if you don’t want to get stuck later in the game. I wasn’t expecting it, but it turns out that Clam Man was the exact hero I had no idea I needed. I hope we get more adventures of him in Snacky Bay. If that duck doesn’t beat him to it.
Clam Man
$9.99
Pros
- Funny and Irreverent
- Indie Style Graphics
- Great Music and Score, Including an Original Song
- Features Clam Man
Cons
- Very Short
- Not Very Challenging
- Jellyfish
