Presentation
Delightful dolls
Tim Schafer is well known for his whimsical, humorous games - and Stacking stays true to this from start to finish. Reminiscent of silent films, Stacking's soundtrack is a gorgeous blend of twinkling pianos and fast paced violins, accompanied by on-screen dialogue and flickering black and white cutscenes.
Characters are beautifully crafted to fit in with their imaginative surroundings - look closely and you'll notice that floors are created from lollipop sticks and playing cards, while huge pins and matchsticks form railings and fences.
Some dolls are grouped into sets, distinguishable by their extravagant outfits and appearance. As well as being handy during challenges, Stacking into these groups of families and workers forms an extra task, so keep a lookout for the illusionist family, the silent film crew, the ambassadors and much more. Once a set is complete you'll be treated to a rather charming miniature play.
Other optional challenges include finding unique dolls and performing in-game Hi-jinks, which see you playing with different characters' abilities - everything from covering the place in potpourri to slapping other dolls will gain you points, and is lots of fun.
Download Stacking to your PlayStation 3 from PlayStation Store now and enter this original, mischievous adventure.
Gameplay
Stack to save your family
Delve into the life of Charlie Blackmore, the tiniest Russian doll in the whole world. Charlie is so tiny, in fact, that he has to stay at home when his siblings are collected for work by an evil child labourer known as The Baron. And when the older Blackmore children fail to return, little Charlie sets out on a mission to rescue them.
Your adventure begins in a rather grand railway station - the first opportunity to try your tiny hand at jumping - or Stacking - into other dolls, which come in a variety of sizes. When you find one that's just a bit bigger than yourself, you can jump inside it to control a new character with different abilities. You can then find an even bigger doll to Stack into, and so on.
The train station acts as the game's interactive hub, and from here you can board trains and travel to different destinations to locate one of your missing brothers or sisters. You'll need to solve puzzles in the station, whether it's winding up the clocks or ending a strike. Each puzzle will see you Stacking in and out of other dolls to utilise their obscure and humorous abilities. Repair machinery, throw bananas and play the violin as one of there wonderfully charming characters.
When you reach a new destination, you're faced with even more comical challenges and tasks on your quest to save your family. Puzzles can be solved with multiple solutions, so keep your eyes peeled for the right dolls as you travel from a huge ship to a flying Zeppelin in this glorious, playful world.
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