Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first pull is simple: you are dropped into a Doctor Who crisis with the Doctor and Amy Pond, facing Daleks in 1960s London. That is enough to carry the opening for fans, especially because you directly control one character at a time rather than merely watching the pair take part in the adventure.

This is intentionally a casual adventure game. Most of your time goes into examining the situation, solving puzzles, and using inventory items, with mouse controls doing the bulk of the work. Keyboard alternatives are there for every action, so you can settle on the input method that feels more comfortable instead of fighting the interface.

Do not come expecting intricate adventure-game cruelty. The design is aimed at the audience of the TV series rather than veteran puzzle hunters, and its accessible approach is both its charm and its limitation. When you want a relaxed Doctor Who diversion, that pacing works; when you want difficult deductions and elaborate item combinations, it can feel thin.

The non-violent Doctor doctrine is an important fit for the material. The goal is to investigate and avert a catastrophe, not turn a Dalek invasion into a combat game. That makes the adventure feel appropriately Doctor Who, even if it also means its pleasures are rooted more in problem-solving and role-playing the scenario than in mechanical intensity.

Graphics

The game uses short-form 3D adventure-game visuals to put the Doctor, Amy, Daleks, 1960s London, and Skaro on screen. Seeing Daleks occupy Earth gives the premise an immediate visual hook, while the move from London to their home world provides a welcome change of location.

Story

City of the Daleks starts with a strong alternate-history question: the Doctor and Amy arrive in 1960s London to find that newly regenerated Daleks have invaded and captured Earth. The mystery is not whether this is bad news; it is how the Daleks could have made it happen at all.

That setup gives the game a clean episode-like spine. You investigate the invasion, trace the problem back to Skaro, and try to stop the disaster before it can occur. It is a familiar save-the-world shape, but one that suits a compact licensed adventure and keeps the focus on the Doctor’s strengths.

The pairing matters. Having Amy alongside the Doctor makes this feel tied to the 2010 series rather than like a generic science-fiction puzzle game with a Doctor Who logo. Fans of that era will get more from simply spending time with these characters and this version of the Daleks than newcomers will.

Overall Experience

This is a modest Doctor Who episode you can play through, not a deep adventure-game landmark. Its biggest strength is that it understands its assignment: give a broad audience a friendly mystery, recognizable characters, Daleks, and a non-violent route to saving the day.

You should give it a chance if you want an undemanding, short Doctor Who adventure and have affection for the 2010 series. The straightforward puzzles make it easy to recommend to younger or less experienced adventure players, while the premise gives established fans a reason to see it through.

Veteran adventure-game fans may finish it wishing it had pushed its puzzles and investigation further. Still, City of the Daleks has enough series flavour and a suitably Doctor-like focus on preventing catastrophe to make it a worthwhile lightweight visit to this corner of the TARDIS.

Retro Replay Score

6.7/10