Game 37: Loom - Final Rating

I'm genuinely interested to see what PISSED rating Loom will get. It's undoubtedly a very good game, but I do wonder whether its short running time and puzzle simplicity might cause it to fall short of the top of the leaderboard. Only one way to find out...

Puzzles and Solvability
There’s no doubt that the draft mechanic is fun and unique, but I can’t help thinking there’s a reason why it hasn’t been replicated repeatedly over the years. I did have to use my brain a few times to figure out which draft was going to assist with my current predicament, but overall I have to say that the system made the game far too easy. Pretty much all the puzzles in Loom are obvious (and by that I mean that you know you’re faced with a puzzle when it arrives), and since every puzzle can ONLY be solved by weaving a draft, and the amount of drafts available is limited, it’s always only a matter of time. The fact is that I was only temporarily stuck three times in the whole game, and on each of these occasions it turned out that it was the environment that was causing me trouble. I was trying to find a puzzle to solve when in fact there was a well hidden (or should I say unobvious) environmental pathway that I was supposed to be taking. I would however like to retract a couple of complaints I made in my gameplay posts, where I criticised certain puzzle solutions (having to weave invisibility on the tower for one). It was my way of thinking that needed adjustment, and once I understood how drafts should be applied (ie. they cannot affect the weaver), things made complete sense. In the end I don’t think the puzzles were the main focus of Loom, and that’s never more obvious than in the final scenes where the player only occasionally takes care of menial tasks in between minutes of rapidly climaxing plot. As much fun as I had, I can’t go too high here!
Rating: 5

The climax arrives too soon, and once you're there, unravels with very little interaction. Just to be clear...I am talking about the game here!

Interface and Inventory
Loom is a very professional and polished adventure game. It was also a really brave project, which stepped away from all previous (successful) LucasArts games to try something different. For this reason it’s amazing that the interface is so incredibly simple rather than overly complicated. If anything, the interface may actually be TOO simple, as strange as that might sound. I found myself on a few occasions wanting to do certain things or talk to particular people, and I didn’t have the means to do it. But I’ve already criticised the game for being too easy, so I’m not going to get stuck into it for being too simple too. The fact is that the interface does exactly what it’s supposed to do in an efficient and enjoyable way, so credit where credit is due. As for inventory, well there isn’t one in a traditional sense. I could however argue that the Book of Patterns is the real game inventory, as it holds the “items” required to solve the game's puzzles. I guess it’s not unlike a Quest for Glory game, where the player has to gain enough experience and skill to be able to best utilise items that they already have. I may not have been able to open my inventory in-game, but I spent heaps of time skimming through it in the real world, gaining more information about each of my “items” than I ever could have in-game.
Rating: 6

The staff may not look impressive, but it's easy to use and very effective (yes, I'm still talking about the game here!)

Story and Setting
The story is a huge part of Loom’s appeal. The developers used everything at their disposal to give the world of Loom a deep and lush history, not least of all the package material that accompanied the game. I’ve already mentioned how useful and satisfying the Book of Patterns was, but the audio cassette that I listened to prior to playing had just as much impact. It was surprisingly professional and entertaining, and made the whole gaming experience so much more fulfilling. The story of Loom within the game itself is really unique and interesting too. I never quite knew in what direction it was all going to go, and was constantly surprised and intrigued throughout. Some of those surprises were shocking, including the gruesome death of the young boy Rusty, which left blood on my hands that I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get off. There were however a few issues that I need to mention. Some of the game’s explanation of events felt weak, such as the Glassmakers’ decision to let Chaos destroy them, although I believe later versions of the game fleshed these out to a more acceptable level. It also felt odd to follow an obvious villain throughout the first three quarters of the game, only to have him abruptly destroyed and replaced by another towards the end. That being said, I guess it adds to the unpredictable nature of the storytelling, and Chaos was a much more formidable opponent than Bishop Mandible. At the end of the day, I’m disappointed that the sequels were never made, and that has a lot to do with how involved I got with the history and setting of the game.
Rating: 7

I didn't really see the point of the visions though. At first I thought they were puzzles, but they merely showed me what was to come. Interesting I guess...

Sound and Graphics
Loom is a visually and audibly beautiful game! The designers had a clear vision based on certain influences (mostly Disney’s Sleeping Beauty and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake), and that vision was very well realized in the final product. I’ll say straight up that I’m not a massive classical music fan (or ballet fan for that matter), but I can certainly appreciate it for what it is. It’s probably for this reason that I don’t find a lot of the music in Loom to be all that memorable, but I have no doubt that it fits perfectly well, and adds to the atmosphere and “magic” of the game. Sound in general plays a more important role in Loom than it has in any previous game on the list, since progressing in the game relies on listening carefully (even more so in Expert mode), and once again I think it has been implemented perfectly. I'm still waiting for a game to fill the less important sections with mood creating background music and sound effects, but we'll have to wait a bit longer I'm afraid. On the graphics front, I really can’t believe how stunning Loom is, especially given the limitations of the EGA technology. So many times I sat back and just took in the scenery, admiring the use of colour and shadow. The animation is also of a reasonably high quality, and I was most impressed by the way a rainbow of colours constantly swirled through the Loom in the Guild of Weavers. The only remaining question is whether or not Loom technically surpasses the likes of Hero’s Quest and Indiana Jones. Given the full package of Loom, I think I have to say yes!
Rating: 8

From the opening scene to the game's close, it's just beautiful!

Environment and Atmosphere
This is the category where Loom will undoubtedly clean up! I really love the way the designers gave each of the game’s guilds distinctive regions, and each of them is memorable and vastly different in every way imaginable. The Glassmakers have a city made of green glass located next to the ocean, the Shepherds control a vast area of grassland where their sheep roam, the Blacksmiths live in a huge anvil structure which is built into volcanic rock, and the Clerics plot within a massive gothic cathedral built upon a graveyard. Each is cool in its own way, but the awe-inspiring cathedral was my favourite. Probably my only criticism is how unsubtly the shifts between them occur. Rather than gradually changing surroundings, there are some seriously jarring transitions, but I guess we’re supposed to assume that Bobbin had travelled a fair distance between screens. These environments are the basis for Loom’s irresistible atmosphere, but a bunch of other elements also come into play. I’ve already mentioned the music and sound, but for me it was the sense of wonder and magic that really had me gripped. While things do become quite whimsical at times (I’d prefer my evil dragons not to call me Sweetie all the time thank you very much), I found the steadily unfolding universe of Loom to be a fantastic place to spend my time. It’s just a shame I didn’t get to stay there longer.
Rating: 8

How can you possibly lose when you have a lair this awesome!

Dialogue and Acting
Loom is quite story driven, so it’s no surprise that there’s a lot of dialogue. Strangely though, it doesn’t draw much attention to itself, which I guess could be considered a good or a bad thing. On the one hand, there was no horrible writing that made me grimace, but on the other hand, a lot of it lacks the character that other recent games have used so prevalently. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t think the numerous characters were differentiated as much as they could have been when it came to language and speech patterns. If I read any portion of dialogue spoken by Bobbin, Goodmold, Rusty, Cygna etc. and paid no attention to the subject matter, there’d be very little indication of who said it. I should also mention that I was often frustrated at having no control over the dialogue in the game. Conversations were triggered by actions alone, and I was unable to choose what topics were discussed or to ask anyone anything in the entire thing. It was also a bit weird to see all the close-ups of the characters I was talking to, with no mouth movements (let alone lip-synching), at all. I believe the makers did attempt to include this feature when making the game, but felt it wasn’t convincing enough so left it out. If you’re thinking that I’m being pretty harsh here, when very few games on the list so far (if any) have met these standards adequately, well I guess I am! In a way, Loom feels so polished in so many ways that these features feel like they should be there, even if that’s an unfair expectation. The game made leaps in some areas, yet as professional as it is, this isn’t one of them.
Rating: 5

It was in sections like this one where I so badly wanted to ask someone something, but couldn't. With no parser, no branching dialogue and no verb list, I was basically mute!

So that's 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 8 + 5 which equals 39, divided by 60 = 0.65. Wow! 65 is a very high score indeed, and would make Loom equal with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade for second place. How do I feel about that? Well both games were groundbreaking in different ways. I think I may have enjoyed Loom slightly more than Indy, but then it's short length and linearity probably hasn't been massively punished by the PISSED rating due to it affecting only one category. I'm going to leave it where it is, which means both games are tied behind Hero's Quest on the leaderboard.

Did anyone predict a 65? Yes, Joseph Curwen did! Kenny McCormick did too, but he changed it to 66 after noticing Joseph had already chosen it. Congratulations to our winner! You've won yourself the King's Quest Collection from Steam, as generously donated by our sponsor Lars-Erik. I'll send you an email shortly. After a bit of admin, we're back to Sierra with Conquests of Camelot.

75 CAPs for Charles
• Olav Challenge Award – 50 CAPs – For meeting my challenge and blogging through Olav & the Lute
• Lure of the Temptress Award – 20 CAPs – For solving my Lure of the Temptress riddle
• Gravity Award – 5 CAPs – For picking up on my Gravity reference

60 CAPs for Andy_Panthro
• Olav Challenge Award – 50 CAPs – For meeting my challenge and blogging through Olav & the Lute
• True Companion Award – 10 CAPs – For playing the game with me and completing it.

60 CAPs for Zenic Reverie
• Olav Challenge Award – 50 CAPs – For meeting my challenge and blogging through Olav & the Lute
• True Companion Award – 10 CAPs – For playing the game with me and completing it.

50 CAPs for Reiko
• Olav Challenge Award – 50 CAPs – For meeting my challenge and blogging through Olav & the Lute

50 CAPs for Ilmari
• Olav Challenge Award – 50 CAPs – For meeting my challenge and blogging through Olav & the Lute

45 CAPs for Laukku
• Version Comparison Award – 10 CAPs – For directing us to a clear reference of Loom version differences
• LucasArts Referance Award – 10 CAPs – For mentioning some neat in-game references in other LucasArts efforts.
• True Companion Award – 10 CAPs – For playing the game with me and completing it.
• Alternate Solution Award – 10 CAPs – For informing me of alternate puzzle solutions
• Companion Assist Award – 5 CAPs – For helping Lasca with a technical issue.

42 CAPs for Draconius: Reference Hunter
• True Companion Award – 10 CAPs – For playing the game with me and completing it
• Obvious Reference Award – 7 CAPs - For discovering seven incredibly obvious references!
• Wheel of Time Award – 5 CAPs – For picking up on my Wheel of Time reference
• Bear Hunt Award – 5 CAPs – For picking up on, and then reciting, my Bear Hunt reference
• Green Sheep Award – 5 CAPs – For picking up on my Green Sheep reference
• Candlemass Award – 5 CAPs – For picking up on my Candlemass reference
• Phantom of the Opera Award – 5 CAPs - For picking up on my Phantom reference

35 CAPs for Lars-Erik
• Sponsor Award - 20 CAPs - For sponsoring the blog with free games
• True Companion Award – 10 CAPs – For playing the game with me and completing it.
• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For announcing an adventure game sale on Steam

25 CAPs for Canageek
• Cutting Room Floor Award – 20 CAPs – For adding CRF links to pretty much every game on the blog
• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For announcing an adventure game sale on GOG

20 CAPs for Corey Cole
• Failed Tricky Smackdown Award - -20 CAPs – For betting against me and losing…twice.
• Inside Info Award – 10 CAPs – For giving us inside information on the people involved in the game.
• Inside Info Award – 10 CAPs – For giving us inside information on what was cut from the QfG games
• True Companion Award – 10 CAPs – For playing the game with me and completing it.
• Caption Contest Award – 10 CAPs – For coming up with the best (IMO) caption

20 CAPs for Schide
• Sharing is Caring Award – 10 CAPs – For sharing his thoughts on Loom in great detail
• True Companion Award – 10 CAPs – For playing the game with me and completing

20 CAPs for Jarikith
• True Companion Award – 10 CAPs – For playing the game with me and completing it.
• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For announcing an adventure game on Steam
• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For announcing an adventure game sale on GOG

20 CAPs for Tymoguin
• Loom Halloween Award – 20 CAPs – For carving a Chaos Halloween pumpkin!

20 CAPs for TBD
• True Companion Award – 10 CAPs – For playing the game with me and completing it.
• Kickstarter Award – 10 CAPs – For announcing a new Kickstarter adventure game

10 CAPs for Joseph Curwen
• Psychic Prediction Award – 10 CAPs – For predicting the score I would give the game

10 CAPs for Pacpix
• My Dying Bride Award – 10 CAPs – For picking up the My Dying Bride reference

10 CAPs for Aperama
• Grammar Correction Award – 5 CAPs – For commenting on Bobbin’s spellcheck malfunction
• Mulligrubs You Award – 5 CAPs – For damaging Draconius by picking up on my Mulligrubs reference

10 CAPs for Kenny McCormick
• Creation / Apocalypse Draft Award – 5 CAPs – For having a vivid imagination
• Monty Python Award – 5 CAPs – Run away, run away!

5 CAPs for Cush1978
• Matrix Award – 5 CAPs – For picking up on my Matrix reference

Game 37: Loom - Won!

Bobbin Threadbare Journal Entry 6: "Who knew I could control so much power!? Today I raised Rusty and a bunch of Shepherds from the dead, did battle with the scariest Dead One you could possibly imagine, and eventually ripped the Pattern in two to thwart his plans! Unfortunately the Loom had to be destroyed in the process, but there appeared no other option. Sadly I am unable to feel as victorious as I should, for the loss of Dame Hetchel brings me more pain than I can bear. She sacrificed herself to save the world, and will forever be remembered as the true hero. For now, I have finally been reunited with my mother Cygna, and along with the Elders, we shall begin a new Pattern. Let a new age begin!"

Here's something you don't get to do every day.

The climax of Loom was clearly approaching, but recent events had made it pretty difficult to figure out what was going to occur there. My last post ended with me floating “outside” the pattern, which looked like space with patches of locations trying to break through. I floated towards the first of these locations, noting that it looked like the volcanic region the Guild of Blacksmiths occupied. That turned out to be correct, and clicking on it caused me to re-enter the pattern at the place of Rusty’s death. His bones were still lying on the ground, and I immediately wondered whether I might be able to weave a Healing draft on them. As I walked towards them, his none-too-happy spirit appeared and understandably got stuck into me. “I’m lying here, minding my own business, when this strange new kid shows up and decides he wants to switch clothes with me. The kid forgets to mention that he has a FORTY-FOOT DRAGON out to get him. And what happens when that very same dragon sees me lying here? Looking JUST LIKE YOU?” Bobbin apologised to Rusty for causing something so awful, but Rusty hadn’t finished relaying his hardships. “So I go Outside to wait for doomsday like a good little ghost. And what do you suppose happens then? Some idiot rips the universe apart and hails us all back Inside!” Well at least I couldn’t be blamed for that!

Do I sense a tinge of sarcasm?

Um...you become an insane, evil mofo?

OK, you can't blame me for that one!

Once Rusty and I had made our way back to his bones, I finally had the opportunity to try out Healing him. It worked, and Rusty now stood in front of me in full health! He was astonished that I could actually bring people back from the dead, but Bobbin’s response was simply “You were hurt. I healed you. That’s all.” Rusty then left to go find his family, and since the game informed me that I shouldn’t wander off too far, I re-entered Outside. I floated away from the Guild of Blacksmith region and entered the Guild of Shepherds. Appearing on a hill behind Fleece’s home, things didn’t look good! Her house was on fire, and there were animals and shepherds lying dead in the field. I thought I’d try Healing them too, and once again this turned out to be the solution (or at least A solution). The shepherds were extremely grateful: “Shepherds have long memories, wizard. I shall not forget your kindness.” Since I wasn’t able to leave the hill, the only thing to do was to re-enter Outside again and see where else my powers could be of use. Just as I’d expected, the next location was the Guild of Glassmakers, and once again they’d been attacked by the Dead. Master Goodmold lay on the floor with blood surrounding him, clearly close to death. Solving everything through the use of Healing was becoming a bit repetitive, but it once again seemed like the most obvious solution. I was almost grateful when it didn’t work!

Well, I wouldn't use the plural just yet.

The Sand Person roared with victory as another shepherd went down!

Actually, my powers are unlimited. Now stop being a martyr and let me help you!

“Save your magic for the Dead Ones, Weaver boy.” Like me, Bobbin wondered why the glassmakers hadn’t used the Great Scythe they’d been preparing, and Goodmold used his final breaths to explain the reason. “We never doubted that the Scythe could save us. Even the Dead would have fallen in the wake of its wrath! But to unleash such merciless evil would make us as cowardly as they. We wished not to become like our enemy. And so we stayed our hand. We knew the price. Tell the world we fought with courage, and chose death with clarity.” I’m not going to get too stuck into Loom for this, but this plot outcome is tough to pull off. I’ve read so many books and seen so many films where someone spends ages preparing to do something specific, only to decide against it at the very moment they’d been working towards. When done well, it’s very powerful (think Darth Vader saving Luke Skywalker), but can feel manipulative and unbelievable if done poorly. In this instance I didn’t buy that the guild would allow the Dead Ones to destroy everything when they had the power to stop it, but as I say, I’m not going to get picky on what is a minor plot point. Goodmold’s body disappeared when he finally passed away in front of my eyes, so I left Crystalgard and journeyed back Outside.

But we thought it would be more fun to watch the living be slaughtered by the Dead.

I guess he had to disappear, otherwise I would have Healed him anyway.

The next location I floated into was one I was unfamiliar with. There I discovered shining trees overhanging a cosmic pond, within which a ballet of swans congregated. One of them spoke to me: “We’ve been expecting you, Bobbin. Welcome!” Bobbin asked where he was, and the swan explained that this place was Outside the Pattern. It described it as “Home of the Dead, and of those Transcended.” Bobbin then recognised it as the Shore of Wonder, and the swan confirmed that was true. “Yes, Bobbin! And you are the first to behold it with mortal eyes.” I’d already assumed that this swan was likely to be my mother Cygna, and our conversation soon confirmed this also. “The Elders forbade me to set foot on Loom island. But they said nothing about flying over it! Once a year, I managed to gain enough strength to pass Inside for a few brief moments. Those are the times that you saw me. In life, I was Lady Cygna Threadbare. Banished by the Elders for drawing an unforeseen infant out of the Loom. Seventeen long years ago. I’ve missed you... my son.” I knew this to be true, having listened to the audio tape that accompanied the game, but Bobbin was not so sure. Cygna explained that Dame Hetchel had no doubt hidden the truth from Bobbin to protect him, just as she was still trying to protect him even now.

OK, you simply must be a villain! No sane person says that!

While I didn't tear up, this scene was quite moving.

Bobbin put his disbelief aside momentarily, suddenly concerned for the safety of the woman that had raised him. Cygna’s response would not have put him at ease. “She has set off for the island, and the Loom Sanctuary. The Dead Ones are right behind her! Their leader knows of the Loom’s power. If he learns its secrets, the Pattern itself will be his to manipulate. Who knows what havoc he might wreak? Hetchel hopes to reach the Loom before him. She intends to destroy it! If Chaos doesn’t consume her first.” Distressed, Bobbin set off to save Hetchel, but Cygna told him not to be too hasty. “The Dead Ones move between the holes your Bishop friend made in the Pattern. If you repair those holes, it will make it harder for them to follow you.” Cygna gave me no instructions for “repairing” the holes, yet since Healing had been so successful of late, I set out to try weaving it on each of the rips in the Pattern. It worked, with each of the holes closing up as I weaved the draft on them. I was rewarded for this work with the note B beneath my distaff. This didn’t put any previously unavailable drafts at my disposal, since I knew of none that contained the B thread, but it did bring me just one step away from being able to weave a Transcendence draft! With all the holes patched up, I returned to the Shore of Wonder and beyond the pond, as suggested by Cygna.

My Healing draft was seriously overused by now. Was I just ignoring the alternatives?

"...it's over now, the music of the night..."

Just past the pond I found another rip in the pattern, and this one took me to the cemetery where I’d scared the rabbit way back in session one. When I left the screen I was shown the anvil shaped storm front, now very close to the island of Loom. The Dead Ones were arriving! Suddenly I was inside the guild hall, standing in front of the Loom. When I clicked on it, the Transcendence draft was played, and then Dame Hetchel (still in swan form) flew into the room. Chaos was right behind her, and chased her around, swinging the Great Scythe over and over. “Bobbin! Get your distaff ready! There’s not a moment to lose! You must unmake the Loom. NOW, Bobbin. Before the Dead Ones take control!” I didn’t know how I was supposed to “unmake” the loom, and neither did Bobbin. When he said as much, Chaos spoke: “It is just as well, young Weaver. Birds and children have no business wielding such power. My informants told me that all of the Weavers had fled. I see they were mistaken. Destiny has been kind, my young friend. You will live to pass on your Guild’s secrets to others more worthy of the knowledge. In return, you will be allowed to serve my new empire as advisor. Naturally, I expect your full cooperation in this historic exchange of goodwill. Anything less will risk harm to our relationship.”

Excuse me!

Yep! We're all screwed now!

What exactly do you want me to do to this guy? Actually, this would have been a good time to reverse the Sharpening draft...

The close-ups of Chaos were both horrifying and awe-inspiring! The first thing that came to mind was Maleficent, the witch from The Sleeping Beauty, which isn’t surprising given the game designers' love of the movie. Hetchel began to tell me the threads required to unmake the Loom, but just as she was about to begin, Chaos weaved a Silence draft on her. The little black swan continued to talk to me, but I couldn’t hear anything she said. I paused to open the Book of Patterns: “Silence was hailed as a welcome relief for first-time parents and dwellers in college dormitories. Unfortunately, our Guildmembers are too often hired to spin these threads in situations of doubtful appropriateness. The worst offender is the Guild of Conductors whose members frequently impose a draft of Silence over their audience before a concert.” While Chaos instructed me to teach him how to use the Loom, I tried to figure out how to give Hetchel back her voice. I realised that I should be able to reverse the Silence draft, but I’d not recorded the threads as Chaos had weaved them! Then I remembered that the Loom records the last draft weaved, so clicking on it repeated the draft. I selected Hetchel and reversed it, giving her back her voice! She immediately demanded I unmake the Loom quickly, but still wouldn’t tell me the threads I needed to do so. Chaos spoke: “Ducks are meant to be eaten. Not heard.” He weaved another draft, and Hetchel was seemingly cooked on the spot.

It would take a brave man to mess with this dude!

I'm so going to use this at work tomorrow!

I couldn't find a KFC draft anywhere in the Book of Patterns.

I’m not actually certain which draft this was. Nothing in the Book of Patterns stands out as a likely candidate. Regardless, I once again reversed Chaos’ draft, and successfully turned Hetchel back into a swan. She then spoke to Chaos: “Begone from this chamber, Evil one. The Loom shall never be yours! This boy holds the power to destroy it!” When Bobbin expressed his doubt, Hetchel told him to be quiet. “Ssh! Close your eyes now, little Bobbin. But keep your ears open!” What did that mean? I found out soon enough. Chaos had finally had enough of the little bird and weaved a draft that appeared to destroy her utterly. All that was left was a single feather, which drifted slowly to the floor. All of this matched the visions I’d seen earlier in the game, with a swan, followed by a cooked bird, followed by a single feather, so I knew this had always been destined to occur. Had Hetchel sacrificed herself so that Chaos would weave the Unmaking draft? I looked up the draft to see what the Book of Patterns had to say. “Novices are often impatient to acquire the undeniably dramatic ability to Unmake physical objects. Luckily, these volatile threads lie well beyond the grasp of all but the most mature spellweavers. Entire armies can and have been disembodied by the transawesome power of Unmaking. Let us hope we are never again called upon to demonstrate our craft in this manner.”

Oh crap! This is like that scene in The Exorcist where she floats off the bed!

Clearly I had been, and it was now time to utilise my transawesome power to Unmake the Loom. I did so, ripping the pattern apart in the process! My mother Cygna flew Inside, proclaiming my victory. “Bobbin! Bobbin, you did it! The Loom is unmade, beyond Evil’s reach!” Chaos was none too happy of course, going on a lengthy rant: “Ignorant fools! What have you done? None of us can pass across this rift your Weaver mischief has so blindly created! Your pious meddling has foiled my dream of an eternal empire, bound together under One Rule... Mine!” Cygna affirmed that those on the Outside will always remain trapped there now that the pattern had been torn in half. This both saddened her and filled her with hope, as there was now a chance to begin a new Pattern. One that has been cleansed of wickedness! She asked me to take my place among them, and I noticed that I now had the final note that I needed to weave Transcendence. I stepped out into the void, and once on the other side, I did what I’d assumed would need to be done. I cast Transcendence on myself, and was transformed into a swan. Chaos called out as I flew away: “Fly away while you can, Weaver boy. One day we will meet again!” The game closed with my mother, the Elders and I flying away from Loom, seemingly carrying the beginnings of the new pattern with us. My feelings about all this!? I’ll let you know in the Final Rating post.

This was so transawesome, you could see it from space!

I'm always a sucker for good symmetry, and this game is full of it. Beautiful!

OK

Game 37: Complete!

Session Time: 0 hours 45 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

Game 37: Loom - Visions from the Darkside

Bobbin Threadbare Journal Entry 5: "Things are really messed up now! I never meant to hurt anyone when I set out on this journey, but I must accept that the death of Rusty will always weigh heavily on my conscience. It might seem like good news that Bishop Mandible is no longer alive to cause havoc across the pattern, but unfortunately the damage was well and truly done by the time the hideous spirit that he summoned from beyond destroyed him utterly. I must find a way to stop Chaos from destroying everything in his path, and to set things right in the pattern."

Don't be surprised when someone decides to come at you with a hammer!

I’ve completed Loom! If I’m to have any chance of getting through my final session in a single post though, I’ll have to get on with it. Without further ado, let’s rejoin Bobbin as he left Rusty Nailbender asleep on the ground to venture down into the Guild of Blacksmiths. The huge anvil-shaped structure had a flowing lava moat with a drawbridge and closed gate, so the first thing I had to do was figure out how to get in. A bare-chested guard appeared to ask me who I was and to inform me that “the gate opens for members only”. I figured the solution was to weave an Opening draft on the gate, but that turned out to be only partly successful. The gate did indeed open, but as soon as I walked in I was forced back outside by another guild member. I tried a few different drafts on both the gate and the man, but nothing seemed to work. There was something I was missing! I made my way back to the sleeping Rusty, and pondered how he might be able to help me. There were a couple of drafts I still hadn’t made use of, with the Reflection one seeming worth a shot. The description seemed to suggest that it would make me appear as the person I weaved it on, so I went for it. Moments later Rusty looked like me while I looked exactly like Rusty!

You assume too much

I simply can't compete with all these pectoral muscles!

I really should leave the guy a note or something.

I had no problem entering the Guild of Blacksmiths disguised as Rusty, with the guard welcoming me inside. “Hail, young Nailbender!” He did mention that someone named Stoke was looking for me and that his disposition wasn’t particularly friendly, but I was just happy to be getting in at this point. Inside were stacks of men forming metallic objects by beating them with hammers, but none of them paid any attention to me as I made my way into the inner complex. Soon I entered a chamber where a bearded man fuelled a fire with bits of wood. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t my faithful, TIRELESS apprentice, Rusty Nailbender. And look! He’s brought me a stick of wood. Exactly ONE crooked old stick of firewood for my poor, starving furnace.” Stoke abused me for coming back with one lousy stick after four hours of firewood collection, and I was beginning to think taking on the form of Rusty hadn’t been an ideal solution to my problem. At one point he mentioned that he would throw me into the fire myself if it wasn’t for my father, who was currently downstairs with the Bishop. Hmmmm...this Bishop was likely to be Bishop Mandible! Stoke took my distaff from me and placed it on the pile of waiting firewood, before pushing me into a cell and slamming the door! How the hell was I going to get out of there without my distaff!?

Couldn't they have made some metal railings or something?

I guess you were destined to have this job.

Ever heard of accountability vs responsibility?

The only thing I could interact with in the cell was some straw, but without the distaff I was pretty much screwed. Suddenly Bobbin got awful sleepy, commenting that “This straw must have a sleep draft spun into it. Can’t do much without my distaff anyway...” As my character lay down to sleep, I was shown a cut scene of the still-smoldering dragon flying past the Blacksmith’s guild. To my horror, it flew down upon the sleeping Rusty (who currently held my own form) and set upon eating him!!! “Well, I may not be much good with fire, sweetie. But young, firm MEAT is something I can REALLY sink my teeth into!” The scene switched back to the cell, where I transformed back into my real form. Had the dragon really eaten Rusty!? I couldn’t imagine such a gruesome thing happening to a recently introduced, innocent character, but figured it must have been so. Bobbin was just as concerned: “My robe’s not reflecting anymore. Something must’ve happened to Rusty. Hope he’s okay.” I had little time to think about it though, as Stock returned to throw the very last piece of wood into the furnace fire...my distaff!!! “Ten thousand swords to forge and the furnace almost cold! Here goes my new office furniture.” The distaff began to glow blue in the fire, and as it did so I was shown an image of Rusty’s bloody skeletal remains back up on the mountain. Wow! He really was dead!

Rusty's epic tantrums were well known among guild members!

Hang on...why does Rusty look like himself, yet in my clothes?

I can't come up with any witty or interesting remarks about this image. Can you?

Shit just got real!

Suddenly Rusty’s spirit appeared above his body, quickly realising that he was dead. “That weaver kid did this to me! Now I have to wait Outside. If I ever get my hands on him...” A portal opened in the sky, similar to the one the swans had flown through earlier in the game, and Rusty floated through it. To my surprise, Dame Hetchel flew back through it in cygnet form! “Back to the Pattern. That was easy. Pity that someone has to die for me to return. Now where can Bobbin have gone.” She looked upon the Guild of Blacksmiths, but decided they were too suspicious a lot to let a Weaver inside.  It was only the image of a swan that appeared in the smoke emitting from the chimney above the burning distaff that convinced her to take a closer look. Could she be coming to save me?! Indeed she was, flying down the chimney, grabbing the distaff, and then sliding it beneath the door into my cell. I eagerly picked it up, and set about escaping. I turned the straw into gold, despite wondering what that could possibly achieve, and then did the most obvious thing. I weaved Opening on the door and simply walked out of the cell. Stoke had mentioned that the Bishop was downstairs somewhere, and since that was the only place I hadn’t been, I made my way down. I reappeared in a huge room, with chains hanging from the ceiling and hundreds of swords on the walls!

... yes, I realise that's improbable at this point.

Hetchel quickly responded to the Swan-Signal. Someone must be in trouble!

Oh thank the pattern! There was an itch in the middle of my back that I just couldn't reach before!

A blacksmith was beating a sword at an anvil upon a pedestal in the centre of the room. Bishop Mandible soon arrived and spoke to one of the guild members, just as he’d done at the Guild of Glassmakers. The member informed him that “the final blade is being sharpened even as we speak, Your Excellency. My most skilful bladeshaper is seeing to it personally.” Mandible’s response revealed much, including the identity of the man to whom he spoke. “Then this is an historic moment, Foreman Nailbender. The forging of the ten thousandth sword marks the end of our preparations.” The Foreman requested an update from the bladeshaper, who raised the sword as he responded. “This metal is proud, Foreman! It does not yield easily.” Mandible and Nailbender wandered around the room, discussing the importance of the final blade and requesting updates from the bladeshaper. Only when it neared completion was control handed back to me, and I had a pretty good idea as to what I was supposed to do. I’d not used the Sharpening draft at this point, and didn’t intend to now (well not exactly). I reversed the draft, quite certain that decreasing the sharpness of the blade would be the result. It might have been too, but I was informed that the room was too noisy to spin any drafts! Initially put off by this situation, I eventually figured out that simply waiting until the blademaster ceased hitting the sword with his hammer to respond to the foreman was the key.

I realise now that having only one bladeshaper was a mistake, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

They couldn't possibly notice me could they? I mean, I'm only in their direct line of sight!

Unsurprisingly, the blademaster wasn’t too impressed with the result of my draft. “Foreman! What evil is this? A witch’s curse has befallen the blade! The edge has been mischievously blunted!” Bishop Mandible didn’t believe witchcraft had anything to do with it though. “You don’t suppose that fellow who’s been spying on us has anything to do with it? Perhaps he’d care to accompany me back to my cathedral.” So he did know that I was there!!! That can’t be good! From what I could tell, the Bishop and I travelled to his very gothic looking cathedral on the back of the dragon, where I was imprisoned in a cage. It was here that I finally found out the identity of the game’s villain. “I am Bishop Mandible, Transultimate Apostle of the Antisecular Conclave of Clerics. Your cloak and staff betray your origin. I studied the lore of your Guild at university.” The Bishop’s assistant was named Cobb, and it quickly became clear that he was a nasty piece of work! When I refused to answer the Bishop’s questions, he offered to “fetch the Instruments of Persuasion”, but thankfully Mandible instead decided to teach Cobb a lesson. The assistant seemed to think I was completely harmless, despite still having my distaff in my possession. The Bishop knew what I can do, and I rammed home his point by unlocking my cage using the Opening draft. “You see, Cob? An elusive breed, these Weavers. Luckily, they are quite helpless without their weaving sticks.”

Oh my! That is one awesomely cool looking villain lair!

Pleased to meet you! I am Bobbin Threadbare, High Haberdasher of the Darning Covenant of Weavers.

Ta-da!

To my displeasure, Mandible proceeded to take my distaff, thanking me for being “kind enough to bring such a magnificent gift”. Bobbin informed him that he would never be able to harness the power of the distaff, but Mandible thought differently. We walked outside, and the Bishop told me to look upon his graveyard. He seemed convinced that the boundary between the living and the dead were at their most indistinct in a graveyard, and that he could simply rip open the pattern by weaving an Opening draft on the cemetery. “When the boundary is breached, the Dead will stream back onto the plane of the Living, eager to reclaim their place among us! An Army of the Dead! With myself as its supreme commander. An army nourished by the meat of the Shepherds. Armed with the swords of the Blacksmiths. And guided by the Sphere of the Glassmakers!” So there you have it! The connection between the three non-Weaver guilds that have appeared in Loom so far! I was taken back to the room of cages while the self-proclaimed “Lord Mandible, Ruler of the Universe” set about performing his madness upon the pattern. Cob stood guard at the door, but he obviously didn’t fear me enough to lock me up in a cage again. I immediately made a move towards the scrying sphere, but Cobb demanded I keep away from it. When Bobbin told him that he only wanted to “look” at the sphere, Cobb suggested the two of them make a deal.

Actually, it's about six feet of compacted dirt, but yeah, whatever!

What could possibly go wrong with this plan!?

Um... I'd do almost anything to get out of here, but well...what exactly are you suggesting here!?

Cobb offered to let me look into the sphere if I allowed him to look upon my face. “Legends say it is death to gaze upon a Weaver uncloaked. Naturally, we Clerics pay little heed to such foolish rumors. Still, I’m... curious.” I wasn’t witness to the result of this deal, but the screaming that emanated from the room and distracted Bishop Mandible from his task suggested it didn’t at all end well for Cobb. I was now able to look into the sphere, and as usual was given three separate visions. The first one was of the swan that I’d seen previously, the second of a cooked bird, and the third a black feather floating gently to the ground. What was I supposed to make of all that? I couldn’t find anything else to do in the room, so I made my way outside to see what Mandible was up to. There I witnessed him weaving the Opening draft and ripping a huge hole in the pattern where the graveyard had previously been. Bobbin appeared shocked at what was occurring here: “Wow! You must’ve opened everything within fifty miles of here! I have a very bad feeling about this.” Rightly so too, as a very evil looking spirit emerged from the portal! “Who dares disturb the peace of Those Who Sleep?” Bishop Mandible introduced himself and asked who he had “the honor of summoning”. The spirit responded with “I am chaos. Join me.”, before weaving a draft that literally ripped Mandible apart! This was done in a very graphic way too, with the cleric’s head flying towards the “camera” while the rest of him was thrown in every other direction!

I've survived looking at you, so you'll probably be alright to be honest

Winner winner...

No shit Sherlock!

Who would have expected Loom to be so brutal!

I’d always assumed that I would somehow cause the end of Mandible, so it was a bit of a shock to find that the villain had suddenly been replaced by another, much more horrifying one! Chaos drifted away, commenting that “it has been too long since my last visit” as he went. I picked up my distaff, wondering what I could possibly do to stop such a being. I made my way back inside and found that the dragon-like creature that had been caged up was no longer there. I briefly saw it walk past the door and outside, so I followed. While I was standing near the edge, the dragon came up behind me as if to attack. Bobbin jumped up onto the ledge, where he was then pulled into the portal and seemingly out of the pattern! Well I hadn’t really had a clear idea what was going to happen in Loom, but I certainly hadn’t expected the recently described turn of events. I could feel that the end was nigh, but in the present it has become apparent that I’m not going to be able to wrap this session up in one post. I’ll finish up now and try to get the Won post out over the remainder of the weekend. I apologise that my posts have been few and far between since I started the game. Work commitments have combined with a few social events to make finding the time to blog next to impossible. I have just booked in a month off work though starting in December, so things will undoubtedly pick up soon enough.

I can't help but think of Manhunter when I see this screenshot.

It's all good. I'll just use this fire extinguisher to direct myself over to the Chinese space station. Shouldn't be an issue!

Session Time: 0 hours 45 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points: I've written a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it here before making any comments that could be considered a spoiler in any way. The short of it is that no points will be given for hints or spoilers given in advance of me requiring one. Please...try not to spoil any part of the game for me...unless I really obviously need the help...or I specifically request assistance. In this instance, I've not made any requests for assistance. Thanks!