Grrr, Bearly Sane is a game that requires a double take. Seriously, it�"s not the sort of game you first think it is, and then it is not the sort of game you think it would turn into. Simply looking at the name and saying it a couple of times to yourself wouldn�"t be half as odd as the actual game. It�"s not that the game is bad, it�"s simply that it�"s not what point-and-click fans might be expecting. Disgruntled workers, socialist, and unionists would probably love this game...to death. But for anyone else, it might take a little while to understand the motive.

Bearly Sane is about a disgruntled costume-wearing worker, named Dan, dressed in a bear suit and tasked with keeping kids happy in an amusement park. After his wife left him, and working odd jobs to keep money in his pocket, Dan is on the edge of insanity working for a dictatorial slob. After a series of unfortunate mishaps, Dan lets his intentions be known, handing control over to the player to make things happen for the unhappy worker. The dialogue is witty and the plot is entirely in-your-face from the get-go.

The gameplay is a straight forward point-and-click affair. Fans of the old Sierra games, or casual gamers who may have played Out of Order, will surely have no problems getting into this game. The left mouse button is used to direct the main character around the screen. The right mouse button activates a bear icon that allows players to choose what action to take. The icon allows players to choose from talking, looking, picking up, and hurting...yes hurting. Most of the features are standard fare for an adventure title. However, Bearly Sane�"s real gimmick lies in its “grrr” meter. This meter indicates how angry the main character is and potentially what he is capable of doing.

Bearly Sane�"s alternative take on approaching situations using the “grrr” meter is what makes it so fun to play. Players must charge up or initiate specific actions to add more �"R�"s to the “grrr” meter. The more angry Dan becomes the “grrr” meter grows in length, going from green to red accompanied by a racing heart pulse. Primarily, as long as the meter is in the green zone the anti-hero won�"t do anything out of the ordinary. More-so, he�"s quite harmless as long as nothing upsets him. However, the more red the “grrr” meter becomes, the less inhibited he is to carry out any sort of action. Bearly Sane marks an interesting attempt at a point-and-click milestone using the rage of the protagonist to carry out tasks. The more enraged he is the less subtle he can be, even if it means killing someone.

In one bizarre instance, the anti-hero gets so angry about a vending machine mishap he riles up his strength and hurls the vending machine into the air. The entire scene is hilariously depicted...several animated screenshots give the player a distinct view of him picking up the vending machine and literally throwing it in the air. Where it lands, or rather, the incident caused from the fallen vending machine is equally as shocking as the act of the anti-hero throwing the machine in the air. More antics happen in relation to the amped up “grrr” meter, however I won�"t spoil anything else for unsuspecting gamers.

Graphics:
While the sprites aren�"t entirely even, it appears to be the general art-style of the game itself. Visually, though, everything appears clear in the sharp resolution with the smoothly colored characters and backgrounds. The game�"s appearance also conveys a sense of the atmosphere in which the plot takes place. Offsetting the themes with jagged edges and roundless corners actually helped convey a less dramatic approach to the thematic events.

Sound:
Audibly, Bearly Sane holds its own. The sound effects are all quite clear, and the sounds that need to convey the sort of emphatic purpose that they intend, do just that. As for the music, it matches the situation in an offbeat sort of way. But all-in-all everything in the sound department comes together correctly.

Gameplay:
If the game were longer it would have been even better. The raw take on the story with the “grrr” meter was a great way to keep gamers entertained and intrigued. Pointing-and-clicking also worked well with the picture scenes, but more playing options and places to visit would have made this game a real stunner.

Concept:
There�"s actually moments where it�"s a tough decision as to whether or not laughing or frowning is appropriate. It�"s not that the game goes out of its way to do something horrific or comedic, it simply conveys a scenario with a cool gimmick and a surprising outcome. Added to that, the “grrr” meter really keeps this game kicked into high-gear.

Value:
It�"s a free, simple, and yet fun point-and-click game. Since it�"ll only take a couple of seconds for high-speed internet users, and a couple of minutes for low-speed internet users; the cost, from any perspective, is really infinitesimal. Thus, making Bearly Sane a rather fashionable choice for downloading.

Recommendation:
I�"ll go so far as to say that there�"s no real harm in trying this game out. The concepts are quite original and the gameplay is solid enough. For those looking to spend an hour or two having fun with a casual point-and-click game, then Bearly Sane wouldn�"t be a bad choice. It�"s worth checking out, at least.