Anyone who's stumbled on the game through Steam or GOG may tell you that the graphics are one of the game's strongest selling points, and I agree that Tilo's world is brought to life with vivid, rich detail. But the graphics are only the sweetener; Ghost of a Tale relies on writing as colorful as its lovingly rendered environments. No game can survive on graphics alone, and Ghost of a Tale stands as a valuable lesson in how good writing and lore is critical in providing immersion.
As the game begins, you find yourself in one of the king's most infamous dungeons, knowing only that our hero has offended the king and his wife is gone. Rescuing his wife is Tilo's only concern, and to do that, he has to escape the foreboding seaside prison. The story is a bit of an open-ended mystery at first, and parts of the picture are slowly revealed through encyclopedia entries and even, in the best reminders of old Sierra games, the items in your inventory. For example, Tilo carries a small figurine likeness of his son; an item with no practical use but with deep sentimental value. For me, it's details like this, laid out through descriptive text and without distracting voiceovers, that tell the best story and give a hint of subtle nostalgia. This is how stories were told back when world-building came first.
But I'd personally be okay calling Ghost of a Tale an RPG.
