Tad the Lost Explorer Review

Have you ever dreamt of exploring the world and hunting for treasure like the most famous archaeologist in the movies, Indiana Jones? This game doesn’t star Indy himself, but instead, Tad Jones. A mummy narrates the story in a comic book panel style; it tells how his best friend Tad is the greatest archaeologist ever. Still, he’s a bit klutzy and has a knack for messing things up or destroying them outright. He has good intentions and tries his hardest, but he is considered a screw-up by most of his peers. Tad the Lost Explorer is based on a 2012 Spanish 3D animated film of the same name. Tad is on the hunt for the treasure of Pakal that was left by the Olmec King. He thinks if he discovers this loot, he will become the most famous archaeologist, earning the respect of everyone around him. Especially since his last big treasure find was a rubber chicken. 

You start your expedition in Veracruz and travel around the world to Chicago, Paris, and finally, Cairo because of a mysterious curse that threatens your friends. The only way to save them is to find the emerald tablet. Each location is full of platforming action and puzzles to solve, and requests from your co-workers to complete. Many of these tasks are as simple as collecting the glowing paint brushes spread around the level, figuring out how to open doors, or acquiring other objects. Tad the Lost Explorer is not a challenging game. Still, some of the platforming may be tricky because of the camera angle, or because Tad’s jump feels a bit floaty, so it will take a bit to get used to. Luckily, you can control the camera using the right thumbstick to get a better view, as long as there isn’t something like a leaf obscuring the camera. Suppose you fall a great distance or into hazards like quicksand, spikes, or thorns. In that case, Tad The Lost Explorer is good with starting you close to where you fell, so you don’t have to worry about backtracking too much.

While exploring Veracruz, Tad will have to figure out how to light the fires inside the temples. You will be carrying a torch as you explore, so be aware that if you fall and start over, you will need to return to one of the lit fires to reignite your torch. There is also a specific button to equip your torch, so don’t be concerned when it magically disappears! The first time I fell and respawned, I was worried because my torch was gone, and I didn’t see it in my inventory. Luckily, I looked at the controls for the game and saw that the Left Shoulder (Bumper) was used to bring out the torch. I did have issues sometimes when I would complete a puzzle; it would open an area that I had already been to instead of letting me progress. So I would have to go through a few areas twice to get it to trigger the next place to go.

Suppose you encounter enemies like spiders and other bugs, a red crosshair will appear on them. In that case, you can take them out by throwing your handy rubber chicken. It usually takes two or three throws to defeat them, but whatever you do, don’t try to go all Mario-style on them because it will backfire, and you will die. You will even get to go swimming with some piranhas; be careful when you are trying to swim around them. There is a button to roll and dodge enemies or get past traps like entrances closing to sneak through in the last seconds — you have to make it dramatic like Indy! Tad can also push blocks when required to solve puzzles or climb up vines hanging on the walls or structures. There is a map you can access that will show you all the areas you find in that location and where you are supposed to be headed next. 

Tad the Lost Explorer looks nice and has some impressive lighting effects. I love how the paintbrushes glow and when you carry the torch, the ambient light is done very well. For the character model for Tad, he looks like he stepped right out of the graphic novel or movie that he is from. When you see him from the back, the lighting makes him look a bit like a plastic toy, like Woody from Toy Story. The music fits in with the adventure and exploration aspects of the game, it’s not super memorable, but it gets the job done. Sound effects fit very well, but every time Tad jumps, he says “hup” or “huppa!” which can get irritating if you are in a platforming heavy area.

Tad the Lost Explorer is a fun 3D, action-adventure game with some issues, but it is still entertaining. With a goofy sense of humour and a smart-alec parrot, there’s always something silly going on. Be prepared to solve various puzzles as you make your way around the world as you try to prove that Tad is not just a failure but a great archaeologist.