It may be an old cliché, but the truth of the matter is that first impressions do count. The way something or someone catches your eye that first time around does make a difference. This is unquestionably true for videogames – that opening sequence has to draw you in, make you want to play, and when you finally do get to start actually playing, the first thing you do in the game sets the stage for everything that is to come after. Blow the opening and you may lose your audience very quickly.
The folks at Straandlooper clearly know this. It is because first impressions are important that opening puzzle in episode one of Hector: Bade of Carnage involves you, as Detective Inspector Hector, in your underwear fishing something out of a dirty toilet using a used condom. Yes, Hector is meant solely for adults and it revels in that fact.
Hector has had something of a long trip to its current Mac/PC release. Initially, the game came out on the iPhone in June of last year (with a promised second and third episode down the line) before Telltale Games stepped in this year and announced that they would help bring all three games to PC, Mac, and iPad. Said second and third episodes are now due this fall.
The game is a perfect fit with Telltale's style of point-and-click puzzle titles, requiring you to formulate odd solutions to weird problems. In episode one of Hector (entitled "We Negotiate with Terrorists"), Hector is called in to help fix the city of Clapper's Wreake at the behest of a terrorist. The city is something of a cesspool which the terrorist would like to see cleaned up. Hector is himself a cesspool as well, so his fixing the place does seem rather odd, but the foul-mouthed Detective Inspector still goes about his job.
Although exceedingly short, the first episode of Hector: Badge of Carnage is also exceptionally fun. It is the same sort of crude humor which is the hallmark of South Park and definitely not for the faint of heart. There are disgusting moments, lots of foul language (more if you understand the British slang employed), and general foulness (a significant portion of episode one takes place in a porn shop).
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