I just finished Midnight Mysteries: Haunted Houdini Deluxe and I enjoyed it very much. It's long enough, the scenes are all beautiful, the story is exciting, the puzzles are not too easy - just right. You can choose your difficulty level. There are hints and other extras to be found in a lot of scenes. Some objects are taken to a next scene. It really is a well unfolding story. I did not find much use for the in-built Strategy Guide, though. But hey, it was free...
I started the demo and after less than 10 minutes quit the game. The movie at the start is easy-made and it flickers. When the game starts the graphics are too bright, look quite fake and the HOS's are a bit boring.
No effort put in this game, that's the felling I get. No effort in the sound, in the story. Really not worth buying anyway.... well, maybe for young children.
I just finished the game and I liked it. Having to travel through time at different locations makes it harder and more challenging as well as the extra-dimensional thinking that was needed (for example: needed old wine, so had to grow the grapes earlier, then make wine and pick it up in another time lapse); the story is good and sometimes acquired items are taken from you again, so it really isn't too easy (as it is sometimes in other games) and you have to find other ways to proceed.
What I did not really appreciate was the fact that sometimes I spotted objects that I needed in a HOS but at that point, it wasn't in the to-find-list. So right then I already knew that I would be coming back for it later. That reduces the realistic feel to it, really.
What I also didn't follow sometimes was where to look next. The walkthrough guided me to the next step but it wasn't always a logical next step; it seemed to me that I just had to check all the available locations (and times) to find out where the next HOS was, so that I was able to find something useful and proceed.
I finished the demo and I don't think I'll buy the game. The game is good enough but quite traditional so far: during the game more ares become accessible to explore... you find something in area X that must be used in area Y... and so on. Having played really many HOGs I realize that for me, it has to be more than that. The HOS's are a bit too easy for me, there are no objects in them that are harder to find or that require an extra action. The story itself did'nt trigger me enough either (yes, mysterious, strange clown figure.... been there, seen that). So yes, the game is OK, but not very special so far.
I DID like this game a lot. The story is good, it kept me wanting to find out what happened or what woyuld be coming up next. I liked the two-character play, changing from the one character to the other and back - it made it more realistic somehow, as well as the scrolling option, like you're really looking around. The other thing that made it realistic was, that I had to go back to a HOS to look for something ONLY when it was a logical thing to do. Like: I want to open this door but I seem to need something to hold it up. Where cou0dl I find such a thing? Oh, maybe in that room there... and yes, then there was a HOS in that room. In other games you seem to be forced to backtrack just because there may be an new HOS somewhere, but not with a realistic locigal reason for that.
I was sorry to finish it. Good story. Good playing. Original features.
Now that was a bit disappointing. I liked this game because the puzzles were not always so easy to solve and it has a somewhat 'different' feel to it. So I bought it after I finished the 1st hour. And then... I finished it in about one more hour (maybe one and a half). Bummer!
Having played the other Drawn games, I was looking forward to this new one. I found the game before this one slightly disappointing but Trail of shadows is GREAT again. Fantastic scenery, intuitive playing, original puzzles and a great balance according to difficulty. VERY GOOD. Let's wait for the next one!!
I played the game and enjoyed the different scenes, but I did find it a bit blurry. The story didnt always fit well, it wasn't always clear that I could do something in a scene or where I could do something. The end was nice, this spirit world, but the 'grand finale' really was disappointing. So: average game, fun and new on the one hand, but 'unfinished' on the other.
Yes, this was one of those games to play, feeling happy that there is so much to do yet (i.e.: it's not too short) and so many places to go back to because there's still something to solve there. And then feeling sorry to have ended it. The challenge is really good enough. The story is exciting. The people you meet feel natural and real. Great game!
I liked the cartoonesque look of this game, while the items to be found were still recognizable enough. The game itself was entertaining and challenging enough, yet the end was a bit sudden for me. I did feel a bit like the money had run out or something?? The villain gave up quite easily. The game until that moment is fine though. Enjoyed it.