The game follows the format of a choose-your-own-adventure book or visual novel, where the story is narrated to you, the player, and choices you make decide the course it takes. It features witty writing by North, creator of Dinosaur Comics, and illustrations by a number of well-known artists such as Kate Beaton, Aaron Diaz and Randall Munroe.
Experience the world of Hamlet like you never have before and watch Hamlet recite his backstory to the tune of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air’s opening theme, interlaced with interesting facts about the time period the story is set in. Clearly written by an ardent Shakespeare fan, the game is an affectionate parody that pokes fun at some of the stranger aspects of the play, such as Hamlet’s father being poisoned via his ear.
A comedic romp, it is a must-play for any fan of literature. If you’ve never read Hamlet, then this is just the game for you as you can pick all of the same choices that Shakespeare would have made by following the mini-Yorick skull-marked choices throughout. You probably won’t get the exact same experience, however, as Hamlet frequently refers to other characters as “dudes” and to events as being “totally radical”, but it is an experience well worth having nonetheless.
All in all, To be, or not to be is a well-adapted, well-written adventure, and is currently available on Steam.
Image: Store.SteamPowered.com
