Diggs Nightcrawler
| Diggs Nightcrawler | |
|---|---|
 European cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Moonbot Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment Europe |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 3 |
| Genre(s) | Augmented reality |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Diggs Nightcrawler (also known as Wonderbook: Diggs Nightcrawler) is a video game for the PlayStation 3. Developed by Moonbot Studios, it is the second game to make use of the Wonderbook peripheral. The game was released in Europe on 31 May, 2013, with a North American release planned for the 2013 holiday season.
Setting
The game is set in Library City, a place populated with characters from nursery rhymes and other classic literature.
Characters
- Diggs Nightcrawler: an anthropomorphic inchworm working as a private detective. A close friend of Humpty Dumpty, he works to uncover the don's murderer
- Humpty Dumpty: The Don of Library City. He is murdered at the start of the game, but revived shortly before the end
- The Three Little Pigs: A trio of police officers who initially suspect Diggs as Humpty's killer
- Seeno, Hearno and Speakno: A trio of monkeys who cause trouble for Diggs
- Itsy Bitsy Spider: a cabaret singer and headliner of the Frying Pan nightclub, as well as Humpty's girlfriend
- Frankie the Stein: Itsy's assistant; slow (in both body and mind), but dependable.
- The Three Blind Mice: A band performing at the Frying Pan
- L. J. Silver: The manager of the Pirates' Wharf. He can only speak in pirate-esque "arrr" sounds, and yet can seemingly be perfectly understood by other characters
- Little Bo Peep; Proprietress of the local farm, she has recently become troubled that her sheep, whom she used to repeatedly have to find, now refuse to leave her alone
- Ma Goose: The writer of all the books in Library City. She gives Diggs a clue to the identity of the villain
- The Invisible Man: A resident of the Horrortown district, he is initially thought to be the antagonist, but is actually, in his own words, merely an "errand boy" for the true villain
Story
The game begins with a short film in which Humpty Dumpty, addressing the player, says he knows he will soon be "bumped off", and asks the player to find his close friend, private detective Diggs Nightcrawler, in order to find out who is responsible. The film ends just as Humpty's apparent murderer enters the room (though they are not shown). The player then meets with Diggs at his office. Diggs agrees to bring the "kid" along, but only because it was Humpty's request. A mysterious suited individual appears at the door and hands Diggs an egg bomb, prompting a chase through the city streets, during which the shadowy figure gets away. Diggs and the player head to the crime scene where, despite the suspicions of the three little porcine police officers, they find the pieces of Humpty's shell, which are then used to put Humpty together again. But, just before they place the last piece, Diggs and the pigs are beaten up under cover of darkness, only to find, when light returns, that Humpty's body has been taken.
Gameplay
Unlike Book of Spells, the Wonderbook is used in more ways than just turning its pages; players will frequently have to rotate, tilt and shake the book in order to interact with the world displayed on screen and advance the plot. Upon completion of each of the game's three chapters, the PlayStation Move controller can be used as a camera, which can be used to complete a number of photographic assignments.
Development
Reception
In an article for The Telegraph, Andy Robertson gave the game a positive review, praising its improvements over Book of Spells in both plot substance and more active use of the Wonderbook peripheral. He also stated that the Wonderbook games, along with titles such as Invizimals, The Unfinished Swan and Tumble, are helping Sony "[hit] the family market previously dominated by Nintendo."[1]