American McGee's Grimm Episode 04 for PC Reviews & Ratings by IGN

There was once a young man who was thrown out on the streets with nothing but his cat to keep him company. Hungry, he was tempted to eat the cat for nourishment. The little feline saw hunger in his eyes and offered to help him in exchange for his life. Did I mention this is a talking cat? If not, there's a talking cat in this story. The boy obliges and the smart and crafty animal uses his cunning abilities to outwit an ogre to provide his master with a castle, a princess for a wife, and riches beyond his imagination. This is the story of my life, otherwise known as the tale of Puss in Boots, from which the fourth episode of American McGee's Grimm is based upon. So is this episode as inventive and cunning as the cat in the story?



To put it simply, while this episode doesn't do anything particular wrong, it's still a bit of a disappointment. With each subsequent episode, the series was getting noticeably better and better. Puss in Boots simply tightens up the gameplay of the series but does nothing to improve upon the formula.



Once again, players take control of the nasty and vile Grimm as they walk around with WASD keys and mouse in hand to spread stinky evilness throughout the lands. This episode is so far the most violent in the series yet. There is a lot of blood in Puss in Boots, with people getting stabbed and furry bunnies ballooning into giant vein-covered monstrosities. Sure, its cartoon violence, but it's still pretty sadistic.



However, what good is sadism, if it does not carry over into the story? Luckily, this story is just as twisted as the previous episode. Unfortunately, this week's story, while again based on an interesting premise, isn't well presented to you. These episodes always feel like they sort of expect you to know the story beforehand, and thus it does a terrible job at painting you a cohesive picture if you've never heard of the tale. Another gripe I've had with the series is that it simply retells a classic fairytale in a darker and more twisted manner. No major alterations are made to the outcome and it begs the question, what is the point?



On your disjointed adventure to convert the happy light world into darkness you will witness the coolest-looking architectural transformations yet. When you hop over bridges, they will turn black and break off in the middle; this merges gameplay and aesthetics fairly creatively. Unfortunately, while these levels can be pleasant to look at, they are all small and extremely straightforward. The previous episode, The Fisherman and His Wife, upped the challenge with some pretty cool platforming segments; Puss in Boots does away with these.



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