Nelly Cootalot: The Fowl Fleet (iOS) Review

Nelly Cootalot makes her triumphant return after making her debut in 2007's Spoonbeaks Ahoy! - a PC game that was fairly well-received and is currently in the process of being revamped by creator Alasdair Beckett-King - so it's only natural that the successor follows in its footsteps and expands in all facets quality-wise.

This sequel follows Nelly as she attempts to put an end to the reign of villain Baron Widebeard, and she ends up encountering some new and old friends along the way. One of the many bright spots revolves around the fact that all of these characters featured throughout have their own separate personalities with great voice acting, impressive design, and an undeniable sense of charm. It also helps that legendary actor Tom Baker is part of the cast, and that's nearly worth the price of admission alone.

Between the hysterical puns and clever one-liners, the writing is top-notch. There's never a dull moment when it comes to dialogue, and the fact that the player has the ability to choose a response livens up the standard point-and-click gameplay formula. This kind of genre strives off the ability to keep the audience engaged via the storytelling, and it's nailed with ease here. Plus, who can resist Nelly's infectious accent?

Aside from the voice acting, The Fowl Fleet is downright gorgeous from a visual standpoint. The colours pop no matter what environment is being explored, and the cartoon-style drawings help drive home the heart found everywhere else. The gameplay itself won't win awards, but the reason to play this is for its whole package - not for individual components. With that said, puzzles throughout aren't all that challenging, but they are still pretty satisfying to complete. Additionally, the overall length of the game is pleasantly long for ones of its kind; it's simple enough to zip through if necessary, but taking your time to let it all soak in can yield a good amount of hours.