{"id":544298,"date":"2026-05-14T15:00:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T13:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ragequit.gr\/?p=544298"},"modified":"2026-05-14T15:00:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T13:00:27","slug":"whirlight-no-time-to-trip-pc-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ragequit.gr\/en\/reviews\/item\/whirlight-no-time-to-trip-pc-review\/","title":{"rendered":"WHIRLIGHT – NO TIME TO TRIP"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some of you may remember Willy Morgan and the Curse of Bone Town<\/a>, a relatively short and nice adventure game released about six years ago. Maybe not, since six years is indeed a long time, and the world was quite different in 2020. In any case, this adventure was the debut effort of the Italian studio Imaginarylab, and it was a commendable first attempt, one we hoped would be followed by a sequel. That didn\u2019t happen, as our neighbors decided to move forward with developing a new idea, which took shape in the form of Whirlight \u2013 No Time To Trip.<\/p>\n

An adventure game about which, admittedly, we had already formed some initial impressions, thanks to a demo that was released about a year ago. However, we didn\u2019t expect it to end up being delayed for so long. In hindsight, we can see that the delay was worth it, as Whirlight is one of the most pleasant surprises of recent years, perhaps placing Imaginarylab among the development teams that can truly do justice to the niche genre of point-and-click adventures.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
It all starts with a dream. Even if it involves giant frogs.<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The game\u2019s basic premise isn\u2019t new: it draws heavily on the concept of time travel, presented in a blockbuster style strongly influenced by movies like Back to the Future and adventure games like Day of the Tentacle. It goes without saying that, for the most part, Whirlight is a humorous adventure, with many of the events unfolding in a tragicomic manner, yet without straying from its \u201clighthearted\u201d tone.<\/p>\n

The central character of the game is Hector May, an inventor whose innovative ideas have failed to win over the general public. As a result, he scrapes by on the edge of poverty, hoping that one day he\u2019ll come up with the one and only invention that will secure his place in the pantheon of history. This idea emerges right from the very first minutes of the game, where we experience one of Hector\u2019s dreams, which could be described as bizarre, to say the least. In fact, I don\u2019t recall ever playing an adventure game that starts off so unusually, with the dream sequence feeling more like\u2026 an acid trip. This is by no means a random comparison, since Whirlight is set in the happy year of 1962.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The alleys of Verice Bay hold many secrets\u2026<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After Hector wakes up from his \u201cjourney-like\u201d dream, based on what he saw, he realizes that his mission is to collect a series of miscellaneous objects in order to build a peculiar device\u2014one that\u2026 even he doesn\u2019t know exactly what it will do! In the end, that doesn\u2019t really matter: the dream must come true. However, there is a serious problem with the whole process, as the key component of the invention, a device for \u201cliquefying\u201d light (!), is in the possession of Theodore, a \u201crival\u201d inventor, who, according to Hector, has stolen both the idea and the patent itself.<\/p>\n

So, a solution to this problem has to be found, which is eventually resolved (we won\u2019t spoil how, of course), except that, after a series of funny coincidences and incidents, Hector ends up traveling to the future\u2014specifically, to 1990! There he meets Margaret, a dynamic sculptor, who, despite the paradox unfolding before her, decides to help Hector find a way to unravel the mystery of his time travel. Of course, this is only the beginning of the adventure, as events develop rapidly and the future looks very bleak\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
It\u2019s obvious that some \u201cbig\u201d puzzle awaits us here.<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Overall, Whirlight\u2019s storyline is interesting, and on the whole, we\u2019d rate it as quite satisfying. As we mentioned earlier, the idea of the game isn\u2019t original, nor does it make any effort to hide that fact; however, it handles its (now) hackneyed theme cleverly. Aiding in this are the lead duo, Hector and Margaret, who are very likable, each with their own distinct personality that truly \u201cshines\u201d throughout the adventure. Hector is brilliant, with a tremendous knowledge of physics, but he\u2019s a dreamer and a little clumsy; Margaret, on the other hand, is down-to-earth and decisive, with a special passion for motorcycles.<\/p>\n

The two of them will face a series of challenges, divided into three distinct chapters. In the first chapter, we control only Hector; in the second, we take on the role of Margaret and in the third, their \u201cforces\" combine, and we\u2019ll need to control both of them to solve the game\u2019s dozens of puzzles. And when we say dozens, we mean it, as Whirlight is one of the longest adventures we\u2019ve played recently, while also being one of the most puzzle-heavy games of its kind.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
When we reach nirvana, please don't disturb us.<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Whirlight is not an easy adventure: at every turn, there is a challenge we must face, and the fact is that, beyond the first part of the game (Hector\u2019s dream, that is), we almost always have more than two or three main objectives going on simultaneously. Especially once we visit Verice Bay, where most of the action takes place, the game becomes quite open-ended, with the puzzles being interconnected and, often, not all that obvious. I admit that the game caught me off guard, as I didn\u2019t expect it to challenge me so much in some cases, which is due, on the one hand, to the various possibilities opened up by the constant management of time (e.g., in the second chapter, we can fast-forward time whenever we want, thus dividing the day into morning\/evening\/night), and on the other hand, to the occasional lack of sufficient, meaningful hints. There is a Diary that records our basic objectives, as well as some sketches (!) that theoretically offer a little help, but it isn\u2019t updated very often, and its role ultimately resembles a reminder more than a regular journal.<\/p>\n

However, in the end, the challenge was very welcome, and I found some of the puzzles to be quite imaginative, especially in the third chapter, where several of them will remind you of the approach taken in the unforgettable Day of the Tentacle. Generally speaking, the main focus of the puzzles lies in the proper management of items, though there are also those where we need to choose the right dialogue with specific characters in order to proceed. Simply put, these are the minority, as Whirlight prefers to keep us busy figuring out what to place where, and at what point in time. It\u2019s a time-travel game\u2014did you expect anything different?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
I wonder what \"beast\" they're referring to?<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s worth noting that, although it doesn\u2019t feature as much dialogue as other recent adventures in the genre (see Foolish Mortals<\/a> or Kathy Rain 2<\/a>), the ones that do exist are sufficient to adequately sketch out some interesting characters, such as the \u201cpoet\u201d Klein and the card collector, as well as a few famous personalities who are initially located outside of space-time\u2026<\/p>\n

That said, this doesn\u2019t mean there aren\u2019t some \u201cmissed\u201d opportunities, with characters who could potentially have played a more significant role. If we were to continue on the topic of the game\u2019s negative aspects, we\u2019d say that some puzzles require a lot of imagination or could be solved in a more logical way (like the puzzle in the laundromat). As part of the whole, however, they make up a small percentage, so we wouldn\u2019t say that Whirlight is seriously marred by a handful of puzzles that might be a bit more challenging.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Work more, speak less.<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, we must give credit to the artists at Whirlight, as this is one of the most beautiful adventure games we\u2019ve ever seen. Especially when it comes to the locations and their implementation, few adventure games surpass it, and there are moments when you\u2019re truly mesmerized by the riot of colors. The characters, on the other hand, aren\u2019t particularly impressive, with their design and animation merely reaching satisfactory levels. The voice-over, however, makes up for it, being absolutely professional and spot-on for every character we encountered.<\/p>\n

As for the controls, the game won\u2019t pose any problems for players, as it uses one-click gameplay (combined with drag-and-drop), and even the hotspots appear when you right-click. However, when it comes to dialogues, it would be better if the font didn\u2019t turn \"grey\u201d whenever our conversation partners have more to say\u2014something that happened a few times and can lead to wasting several minutes. Combined with the incomplete implementation of the diary, these are the main areas where Whirlight falls short in terms of usability, but they can be fixed with an upcoming patch.<\/p>\n

To sum up, with a playtime of over 12\u201314 hours, backed by a series of high-quality adventure-style puzzles that often give your brain a real workout and a well-crafted story, Whirlight \u2013 No Time To Trip comes highly recommended to all fans of adventure games.<\/p>\n