I wasn't fond of the first Riddles of Fate game so, naturally, I had low expectations of the second installment. Imagine my surprise when I played this! This is actually a really enjoyable game- one of Elephant's best in a while!
The story is actually really interesting. I mean, the Seven Deadly Sins taking over the Royal Family... what's not to love about that? But the thing that makes it so interesting is that it's not illogical, thrown all over the place like “Oh no, some evil guys are taking over the town! I have to stop them!” it actually makes sense. The SDS (Seven Deadly Sins) take forms of real people to destroy a town. This is all explained really well in a series of cutscenes. As well as making sense, this story was also thrilling and captivating. It hooked me from the beginning of the demo to the end. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to see what happens next. I thought it was risky, but Elephant have manage to pull it off through sheer talent. It would have been really hard to have this story make sense, but they've done it, which is why it's so wonderful.
The gameplay, to be honest, is actually pretty easy. The puzzles were easy and the HOS were easy, but I still enjoyed them all. The HOS were all junkpile and, as I said, were very easy. I could solve them all without a hint and all in less than a minute. But, that being said, I was glad when they popped up. I really like HOS, and game had a near perfect ratio. Maybe one more in the demo would have been nice. The puzzles are really easy and solvable, which I kind of liked, but I would have liked a bit more challenge to them. It's fun being able to solve a puzzle, but not if they're that easy! A bit more challenging but still solvable, please! I could literally solve a puzzle in two clicks, and one other puzzle was so easy it wasn't funny. This game features + objects. These are objects that you need to interact with in order to complete them. There weren't many in the demo (there were 3), but I didn't really mind too much. I enjoyed the + objects. I thought they were a nice feature of the game. Other than that, this is your average HOPA. There's no fancy special features, no sidekicks or anything. It's just plain old HOPA and I really liked it.
The graphics are cartoon style again instead of real stuff. For cartoon characters, the character designs are actually done really well with lots of detail. The scenes are really clear. The graphics were never grainy, and the visuals were appealing. The graphics really suited the location/time period. The voice-overs were standard. The only issue I have is the voice of Gluttony. It was really annoying and, if it was not important to the story, I would have skipped the dialogue. I don't know if developers realise this, but one annoying voice can be really off-putting.
FEATURES 3 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced and Hardcore. The differences are hint/skip charge times, sparkles, etc. I played Casual. Hint/Skip- Both recharge at a reasonable rate for their difficulty and the hint is helpful outside HOS. Map- the map is interactive and tells you where your active tasks are. + objects- These are things that you have to interact with to complete. They don't appear too often, but are a nice addition to the game.
CE EXCLUSIVES Built in Strategy Guide- great for extra help if it's needed Bonus Chapter- unsure if needed. If I know Elephant, probably not. Collectibles- unsure how many they are. Doesn't say. The collectibles are of the royal family. All easy to find. Achievements- all gameplay based, so they're easy to collect. Replay HOS/puzzles Wallpapers Music Concept Art
Overall, this was a really enjoyable game. It earns four stars from me and it would have been five if the game hadn't been so easy. I will definitely be buying this to see the conclusion of this interesting story. I think I will wait for the SE on this one. The CE just doesn't seem worth it. Elephant Games is well and truly BACK!
Artifex Mundi is one of my favourite developers, and this is near one of the best. I really enjoyed the demo (even though it seemed to take forever), and even though it was really interesting, I'm still not sure if I want to buy this or not.
Artifex are known for their weird and wacky stories and this is no exception. The story was pretty interesting, mainly because it was different and because it was strange. I mean, a bear kidnaps a girl. How weird! The story starts off exciting, then dies down a little. But by the end of the demo, it becomes exciting again. The story includes a few cutscenes. More than usual, but not enough to annoy the living daylights out of me. The cutscenes were of a good length too. Of course, it wouldn't be Artifex without a completely unseen twist. The twist in question was good, but it left me confused. Why was it happening? Why is this character evil? What do they want? Usually, these questions are answered with this sort of twist, but in this one, they weren't. It kind of puts me off buying a little bit. As well as that, I have one other very small issue with the story. In the story, the town is called Ravenbrook. Artifex had a previous game in which the town was called Ravenwood. Can't they think of a better town name?
Overall, I did enjoy the story. It was well thought out and executed well, but it did have a couple of flaws that prevented it from being brilliant.
The gameplay was pretty good. The ratio of HOS and Puzzles was good too. The HOS were a mix of Fragmented Object scenes and Silhouette scenes. The HOS were good and fun to play, but in my opinion, there should have been less Fragmented Object scenes and more Junkpile scenes. I prefer junkpile scenes to FO scenes as I find them more fun to play. There aren't many HOS in the demo, so those who prefer adventure games and don't care much for HOS will like this one. The puzzles occur less frequently than the HOS, which I actually liked. I'm not a big fan of puzzles, so it was nice to have a bit less of them for a change. That being said, the puzzles were actually pretty good. They were fun and they were easy to solve, something that is rare for me. Thanks to the developers for making some puzzles that are not only fun, but solvable! In the game, you are given an animal in the form of an adorable little kitty! This kitty, although vocal, is really helpful. The little guy likes to explore and will help you out in any way he can. I really enjoyed using him and would even go as far as to say he is the best animal helper in any game (or maybe that's my soft spot for cats talking...). Other than that, I'd say this is pretty much your average HOPA. It's got all the basic features (diary excluded), so experienced players should have no trouble with the game. I'd also recommend this game for beginners. This is a pretty easy game to start out with.
The graphics in this game are pretty good, as usual. They are excellently drawn, especially the character designs. The characters are very close to looking like real people. Everything in the game is clear and has such detail, it's a visual delight. The voice-overs are standard. I have no comment.
FEATURES 3 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced and Hard. Differences are hint/skip charge times, sparkles, etc. I played Casual. Hint/skip- both recharge at a reasonable rate for the difficulty. The hint is helpful outside HOS. Map- the map is interactive and very helpful. It lets you know where you have a task to complete. Kitty- This is your animal helper, and as mentioned before, he is quite useful. I really enjoyed using him.
CE EXCLUSIVES Built in Strategy Guide- great for puzzles. Pretty helpful. Bonus Chapter- Unsure if needed. Achievements- both gameplay and story based. Collectible illusive objects. Collectible fairy things. Re-watch cutscenes. Replay HOS Replay Puzzles Concept Art Music Wallpaper
Overall, I thought this was a pretty enjoyable game, and I'm glad I played the trial. I'm still unsure if I want to buy it or not, but if I had to choose a version, I'd go with the SE. I highly recommend you download the trial!
Mystery Trackers returns once again, this one the sixth installment. And this time, we return to the location of the second game in the series, Raincliff. Returning to a previous location in a game is incredibly high risk, because it will, no doubt, draw comparison to the previous game. Out of Raincliff and Raincliff's Phantom, I'd say I prefer the former. This is nowhere near the standard of previous games in the series.
The first thing that popped in to my head during this story was that it was very similar to Black Isle: Journalist investigates strange town, journalist goes missing, you have to save them. When I first started playing, I was a bit sad, because I thought this was an exact copy of Black Isle with a different name. I was soon proven wrong, however. This is quite different to Black Isle. Similar to Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove,this game has a camera and collectible tapes, which are found at various points in the game. Each tape provides additional information about the story and is quite exciting. This story was well executed in some parts and well thought out. There were a couple of really exciting twists in there, including one involving Elf, which was really unexpected and added that “Oh My Gosh!” element to the story that had been missing up to that point. This is a decent story. It's one that's not brilliant, but not awful either. I've certainly seen better from Elephant. I was expecting a bit more, which is why I'm turned away from buying this one, even though I have two of the previous games (both of which I loved).
The gameplay is better than the story in my opinion. The HOS were pretty good. They were all junkpile with extra step objects and most scenes included one puzzle object. The puzzle objects were a slight challenge, added length to the scenes and were very fun. I was happy to play the HOS when one came up. During the demo, there was one instance where I had to shine a torch under a bed and I was thinking “Oh no, not a torch-HOS!” Because those HOS where you have to move the torch around annoy me immensely. But to my happiness and surprise, this wasn't the case. It was a normal HOS, with some extra step objects only needing me to turn the torch on. This was wonderful! Elephant did a real great job of their HOS. I haven't enjoyed HOS this much for a while. The puzzles in this game were a little harder than I expected, and I had to skip most of them, if not all. It was a shame really, because I was expecting to be able to solve a few. Elephant really should consider that there are other people who aren't very good at puzzles. In this game, there was something called “Frost Mode”. In this mode, the temperature drops slowly, to the point where it gets so low you cannot continue the game until you find something “warm”. This is honestly the most stupid idea I have ever heard and seen in my entire life, and I am so thankful that there was an option to turn it off. Had there not been, I wouldn't have bothered to finish the demo. I hope the developers realise that having temperature affect the game is a terrible idea and they don't do it again. And, of course, it wouldn't be Mystery Trackers without our beloved Elf. Elf makes his 4th appearance, but in this one, he isn't used as much, granted that he is involved in some of the story. I would have liked it if Elf had been used more. Other than that, this is pretty much your standard HOPA. It's got all the basic features and experienced players should have no trouble with navigation. I don't know if I'd recommend this to beginners because of the Frost Mode.
What I absolutely loved about the old Mystery Trackers games was that they used real actors and real scenes. Those days are gone. The characters are cartoon, but the scenes are still real. I thought the games were much better with real actors, and to take that away is a bad decision. What I did like though was how they pulled off the Invisible People. That takes real skill. I applaud the developers for this. Other than that, everything else was clear. The voice-overs are standard. I have no comment on them.
FEATURES 4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hardcore and Detective Mode. Differences are hint/skip charge times, sparkles, etc. I played Casual. Hint/Skip- Both recharge at a reasonable rate and the hint is helpful outside HOS. Diary- keeps track of events. Map- The map is interactive and quite helpful. “Complex objects”- Indicated by a plus sign, these are objects that take multiple steps to complete. Video Camera- There are collectible tapes which are used on the video camera. The video shown gives more details about the story. At the end of each tape, a photo is printed out. This photo reveals the location of a hiding place when some items are located. Elf- Elf returns once again. Elf is not used as much as he used to be, which is a shame. Frost Mode- See my explanation of Frost Mode for more info. I still think this is a terrible idea and should never be used again.
CE EXCLUSIVES Built-in Strategy Guide. Bonus Chapter- unsure if needed Achievements Collectible toads (15)- Elephant have finally listened to me and given us collectibles back! YAY! This was really enjoyable, and I loved trying to find each toad. On the downside, I don't think there were enough collectibles. Wallpapers Concept Art
This is definitely a step backwards in the Mystery Trackers series. I'd even go as far to say that this is one of the worst games in the series. The CE has been downsized. There are nowhere near as many extras as there used to be and so, the CE isn't worth it. I'm passing on this game. I seriously think Elephant can do so much better. The best I can give is three stars, but I can't recommend it.
***This review may contain spoilers for the story***
Now that I've finished Sea of Lies: Mutiny of the Heart, I'm impressed, but annoyed at the same time. I'm impressed at the game in general, but some things just annoyed me far more than they should. That being said, I'm still glad I got it.
I did enjoy the story, even if it did have a few flaws. The way I see it, Eipix are kind of similar to me: Good at beginnings, middle is average and then the end is good again. The start was really good. It got me interested as soon as it started. The beginning of the story had quite a few unexpected twists that really got me excited. The end of the demo left me on a cliffhanger and I was desperate for more, so I bought it. But then, that's where the story went downhill a little. Everybody kept betraying me all the time. I mean, you've got to have one person betray you, because there needs to be a villain, but everyone? Come on. I'm entitled to at least one ally, aren't I? There's a good twist, but this was beginning to get beyond a joke. All the betrayals annoyed me, and I nearly quit the game out of frustration, but I stuck it out. I'm glad I did, because towards the end, the story began to get good again. Just when I thought I'd had enough of the twists, the game saved the best two until last. There is a debate going on as to whether this story has a conclusive ending or not. Some say yes, some say no. I say yes. The story may have a strange ending, and is not 100% dead on-conclusive, but it's still conclusive. It's completely obvious what's going to happen after the final cutscene, so there's no need to play on.
The gameplay is pretty good. This is one of those games that had more attractive gameplay than storyline. The HOS are quite good and I enjoyed playing them. They were junkpile, but were a bit different. They included extra-step items, but also included a mini HOS in each one (the item indicated in green was the mini HOS). These mini-HOS came in silhouette form and were very enjoyable, adding extra length to the HOS. There are quite a few HOS in the game, which was enjoyable, however, they did cram on a few towards the end of the game. In the end of the game, there appeared to be one in every scene. There is the option of a match 3 instead of HOS. The puzzles appeared to be less frequent than the HOS. The puzzles were a little bit challenging and I had to skip most of them, but I did enjoy attempting them. What I would've preferred would have been a mixture of hard and easy puzzles, so I could at least attempt some. At the start of the game, you're given a necklace. There are 3 parts of the necklace to complete, each one giving details about the 12 labours of Hercules. I still have no idea what connection this has with the story, but it is needed for a puzzle later on. This particular puzzle was really fun to complete. There are also objects that require you to add on another part to complete (indicated by a green square around the object and a +). This didn't appear too often, but it was a nice feature. Other than that, I'd say this is your average HOPA. It's got all the usual stuff: A diary, map, etc. Experienced players should have no trouble navigating through the game.
The graphics are pretty good. They're well drawn and detailed and every scene is clear. The character designs are especially good. They look a lot like real people. Overall, everything was crystal clear in this game. The voice-overs are standard. I have no comment.
FEATURES 3 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced and Insane. Differences are hint/skip recharge times and sparkles. I played Casual. Hint/Skip- both recharge fairly fast for their difficulty. The hint is helpful and is available outside HOS. Diary- used quite often, keeps track of events. Map- The map is interactive and helpful. It lets you know where there is a task to do, but doesn't let you know if an area is completed. + Objects- These are the objects that require another part to complete. Not used often, but nice.
WHAT DO I MISS OUT ON IF BUY THE SE? Bonus Chapter- Some say this is needed, but I say it's not. Even though it doesn't show it, it's obvious what happens after the final cutscene. Strategy Guide Achievements The usual stuff like wallpapers, music, etc. Replay HOS&Puzzles Making of- See some pictures of the team making the game.
WHICH IS THE BETTER BUY? The SE by far. There's just not enough in the CE to make me want to buy it, and the BC isn't needed anyway, in my opinion. I'm happy with the SE.
Overall, this was a decent game. It wasn't the best I've played, but it's certainly a lot better than others. This is one of my favourites from Eipix. It earns a well deserved four stars. It would get a 5 had it not been for some parts of the story.
Black Isle is and always has been my favourite Mystery Trackers game. I've just finished playing it again, and I still remember exactly why I loved it: It had a great, unusual story that hooked me from the get go. I was tempted to give it five stars, but the ending is atrocious, so I was forced to take a star away.
The story is absolutely brilliant. It hooked me right from the beginning. What I think did it was the fact that it was so unique and unusual, it was just fascinating. I was drawn in and the game didn't let go until I finished. What I liked most about this story is that it's not as straightforward as it seems. At first it seems like the classic “girl gets abducted, now you have to find girl” type story, but as I progressed through the game, I soon saw I was mistaken! This story takes a very unexpected twist, and the ending is shocking. I loved the story from beginning to end. Even though the ending is shocking, it is terrible. The ending is the worst I've ever seen. It's very inconclusive. The way Elephant chose to end the story is so wrong. They basically started telling the story of the BC in the main game.
The gameplay is pretty good. It's a bit different from most other games these days because of the HOS. The HOS are quite good and a little challenging, because they include some items that need an inventory item to complete, or that need to be arranged a certain way. This meant that you couldn't always finish the HOS the first time around, which was awesome because it extended the gameplay a little. I really enjoyed playing the HOS. Towards the end of the game, however, the HOS seemed to pile on. There seemed to be one every couple of scenes. I love HOS, which is why I play these games, but I hate it when developers just pile on the HOS towards the end. It's happened in quite a few games I've played and really bugs me. The puzzles were a bit difficult actually. I could solve a few, but had to skip the majority of them. And some of the ones I solved, I needed the strategy guide for. It was a little disappointing that I couldn't solve many of them. In most games, I can at least solve four or five, but here I only solved about three. If I'm correct, this is the first appearance for the classical Mystery Trackers friend, Elf. Elf is found late in the game and becomes our helper after we free him from the chain. Elf is used the same way as he is in all other Mystery Trackers games. He is used quite often given his small appearance. He is extremely helpful and very fun to use. Other than Elf and the fancy HOS, this is pretty much your average HOPA. It has most of the features you'd be used to if you're experienced, so experienced players will have no trouble with it. The only concern I have with the rest of the gameplay is that I found the map to be more useless as the game went along. It would've been more helpful if the map was done better. I didn't need the map most of the time though, because the hint is really helpful. Overall, I'd say the gameplay is quite good. Unlike most games, it stays that way for the entire game.
I'm pretty sure the graphics are real. What I mean is, I think they were filmed in an actual location and the game was played around them. Everything looked incredibly real (if it wasn't, it was ridiculously well drawn) and the actors were real people too. I have no issue with live actors, but personally, I think using real life scenes is kind of over the top. The actors did the voice-overs well. They weren't over the top or over-done, they were done right. I have no issue with them.
FEATURES 3 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced and Hardcore. The differences are hint/skip charge times, sparkles, all the usual stuff. I played Casual. Hint/Skip- both recharged at reasonable rates for their difficulty. The hint is extremely helpful outside HOS where the map is not. Map- I found the map to be near useless. An area where there is an OBJECTIVE would show, but not where your next task needed to be performed. It was a shame. Elf- Elf makes his Mystery Trackers debut in this game. He is found quite late, but is very helpful. He is used the same way as he is in Four Aces and Sleepy Hollow.
WHAT DO I MISS OUT ON IF I BUY THE SE? You don't miss out on much, but the CE Extras are nice. Bonus Chapter- This is an epilogue to the game, but in my opinion it is needed. They start telling the bonus chapter story during the main game. Collectible Owls (50)- A very great feature. It was so much fun to try and collect all 50. There is usually one in every scene, but sometimes there can be two or none. Strategy Guide- Very useful. Gives you a step by step solution for puzzles and also tells you where to find the collectibles. Unfortunately, unlike other strategy guides, this one does not have a separate section for the bonus items, so you have to go through every page to make sure you haven't missed one. Achievements- Very fun to try and collect. The majority, if not all, are gameplay based. Concept Art Wallpapers (one of them is my desktop background) Music
WHICH IS THE BETTER BUY? If it were not for the awful ending, I'd say you'd be happy with the SE, but because of the ending, I say the CE. That's not the only reason though. The CE is very fun in its own right, featuring collectibles and achievements, which were awesome. So, to conclude, the CE is the better buy.
This is a very enjoyable game and is one that I will play again and again. It's so close to a perfect game and it would be, if not for the bad ending. So, unfortunately, what would have been a five star game for me must now become a four star. Developers must learn that endings like that are unacceptable. I don't much appreciate it. If I play for that long, I'm entitled to a conclusive ending, don't you think?
ON THE GAME LENGTH It felt like I was playing this for quite a long time. I'd say the main game is about 3.5 hours on Casual mode. The Bonus Chapter is an extra 30-45 minutes, so you're looking at roughly 4 hours on Casual all up.
For the first time in a long time, I want an ERS game! I've never really been a fan of the Redemption Cemetery series, but this one hooked me as soon as it started! I'm now back on the path to being an ERS fan again!
As I mentioned, the story hooked me pretty much instantly. The common theme of the Redemption Cemetery series is time travel, and something about going back in time to save your ancestors just appeals to me. It starts off on a normal Christmas Eve, until you're summoned by the Owl Spirit, who warns you that the Spirit of Cold, Wenonah, is out to destroy your ancestors. So, you must go back in time to prevent Wenonah and save your blood line! I've been critical of ERS as of late for having storylines that are too “cute”, but this one is awesome! This is their best story in a long time. The concept is great and it is executed great! I can't wait to see how this ends. There is also a backstroy, told
The gameplay is pretty good, but I have one issue with it, to do with the HOS. The HOS themselves are good. They're a mixture of silhouette and junkpile, but the junkpile are a little different. Every time you find an item, it reveals a puzzle piece, and when the HOS is complete, you must put the puzzle pieces together to form an object. This is my issue. I don't want to solve a puzzle to find my inventory item. In my opinion, the HOS and puzzles should be kept separate, not joined together. Other than that, the HOS were decent. The puzzles were okay, too. They're nothing new, but they're enjoyable. That being said, I did have to skip one, because it was too hard, and given that there were only two in the demo... yeah, you get it. I think the puzzles might be a bit too hard for me. One thing that's different about this is that you can join two objects together to make the one (indicated by green + signs). This was a nice feature as it made the game slightly more enjoyable. The other different thing was the feather. It can make items bigger. There is also an indication for this, but if you use the hint, the hint will tell you which item you need to use the feather on (because I didn't notice an indication the first time). The feather was a nice, unique addition to the game. I think what makes this game so good is that there's nothing cute here. There's no animal helpers, no fuzzy creatures, no singing plants, etc. so it's truly wonderful. The only thing remotely cute that I've seen so far is a puppy in a blanket, but I can deal with that. It is so great that ERS have finally listened to the fans and have given something for those of us who aren't particularly a fan of the cute and the fuzzy. Other than that, this is pretty much your standard HOPA. Experienced players should have no trouble navigating their way through the game. It has all your standard features (map excluded. If there was one, I didn't see it), so everything should be familiar. I don't think I'd recommend this to beginners because of the puzzle at the end of the HOS and the feather.
The graphics are classic ERS. They are hand drawn and really well done. The scenes are clear and the character designs are great. One issue I have, though, is that ERS characters no longer move their lips. This makes the game less realistic, and makes it a bit of a joke. It's hilarious to watch someone talking without their lips moving. The voice-overs are standard. I have no issue with them.
FEATURES 4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. Custom lets you set the game the way you want it. Difficulty can be changed in game. I played Casual. Hint/Skip- both recharge pretty fast for Casual. It seems I've just used the hint and then it's available again. The hint is useful outside HOS. Diary- not used often, but keeps track of events. Feather- used to make ordinary items bigger. Using the feather changes the original item in to a different one.
CE EXCLUSIVES Built in Strategy Guide. Bonus Chapter Wallpaper Concept Art Replay HOS Replay Puzzles Music Replay movies Achievements Collectible snowflakes
All in all, I really enjoyed this game. It earns a solid four stars, a recommendation and I will be buying the SE. This is the first ERS game I will be buying in quite a long time, but I am looking forward to it. In my opinion, this is the best Redemption Cemetery ever.
Oh, Eipix, you've done it again! It seems no matter what you do, you always find a way to make me enjoy it. At first, I thought this was going to be your average boring HOPA, but it's anything but! As I played through the demo, I got more and more hooked. I can't wait to play this one.
The story is good, but not great, given that it starts off fairly weak. The weak start almost made me give up, but I played through, because I know stories can get better as you go along, as this one did. To be honest, the story was weak through the demo, but when I got to the end, there was a twist that I really did not see coming! I thought I had the story all figured out and I thought I knew what I was going to have to do, but I was completely wrong! That twist just makes me want to play on and find out what happens next! Credit to the developers for such a great twist that turned an otherwise boring story in to a good one full of surprises.
The gameplay is good too and, as always, was enjoyable. The HOS were fun, as were the puzzles. There are two types of HOS: Silhouette and Junkpile. Both are fun and both are fairly easy. The silhouette scenes are divided up in to three parts, thus giving me the feeling that they are longer. The HOS differ in some way because at the end of them there is a riddle relating to one of the objects left in the scene, and that is your inventory item. Although the riddles were extremely easy, I enjoyed solving them. The way the HOS are better than most is that you have the option to play a marble popper type game (think Luxor or Zuma) in place of finding Hidden Objects. Every time you make a three-ball combo (with one of the “special” balls included), an item is erased from the list. This is a great alternative for those who aren't crazy about HOS. As I said, the puzzles are enjoyable. Although I wasn't able to solve a lot of them (I think I solved one in the demo), I enjoyed attempting them and trying to figure out what to do. The puzzles are fairly old, so experienced players will be able to solve them easily. The puzzles have clear instructions, so I knew what to do straightaway.
In this game, we have an animal helper in the form of a dog named Bonnie, who we meet early in the demo. She is the missing pet of one of the other people in the game. Her job is to reach things that are in small spaces. She is not used often, maybe twice in the demo. We also have the use of a bow and arrow, which is picked up late in the demo. It is used to reach things that are in high places and out of our reach. Accompanying the bow and arrow is a minigame. You have to aim for the target, and if you are accurate, you get the item. This was used once in the demo, but was enjoyable. Other than those things, this is your average HOPA with all the features (journal, map, etc) that HOPA players are used to. I would recommend this to beginners because it was fairly easy.
The graphics are good. They're really clear, well drawn and detailed. The character designs are really good. They look a lot like real people. In general, each scene was clear. The voice-overs were standard, with English accents for the most part, and some American accents. I have no comment on them.
FEATURES 4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hardcore and Custom. Difficulty can be changed mid-game. I don't particularly like Eipix's Custom settings, so I played Casual. Hint/Skip- both recharge incredibly fast for their difficulty. I hardly have time to attempt the puzzles before the Skip charges. The hint is useful outside HOS. Sometimes it will allow you to teleport to your next location if it is far away. Journal- Keeps track of events. Map- The map is interactive and very helpful. It lets you know where your next task needs to be completed. Bonnie- your animal helper in the game. She isn't used very often in the demo. She is used to retrieve things in small spaces. Bow and Arrow- this is kind of similar to Bonnie, except it is used to retrieve things in high places.
CE EXCLUSIVES Strategy Guide- useful for puzzles. Bonus Chapter- unsure if needed. Achievements- the majority of them are gameplay based. Collectible Dog Biscuits (48)- There is usually one in every scene. The map also lets you know where there is a dog biscuit to be collected. Wallpapers Concept Art Photos Replay Movies Replay HOS/Puzzle Something called “Biscuit Hunt” (unlocked after completing bonus chapter) Something called “Souvenir Room” (unlocked after completing bonus chapter) Something called “Lore Book”
WHICH IS THE BETTER BUY? The CE has a lot of extras, but I'm not really the type for achievements/collectibles. I'm personally unsure as to which would be the better buy, but it's clear that Eipix have put a lot of effort in to the CE. I'm really stumped on which version I want to buy. For those that like CE Extras, the CE is for you.
Overall, I really liked this game. I'm definitely going to buy it, but I'm unsure on which version I want. The CE definitely has a lot of extras, but I don't think I like the game enough to get the CE.
I waited to try the SE of this game, so when it came out, I instantly downloaded it. Gogii have given us some great games in the past, and while this one is not brilliant, it is certainly not terrible either. Some elements of this game seriously need some work, but overall it was enjoyable.
Most of the time, stories by this developer seem to lack the “wow” factor and their games are more based on the gameplay, but this time, the story is pretty darn good! While it does take some time to get in to, when you eventually do get in to it, you can't stop playing! The demo ends at a crucial moment, and I just want to find out what happens next. I'm almost tempted to buy the game. What this story did well with was the element of surprise. I thought I had the villain picked out after about five minutes, but come the end of the demo, I was proven very wrong, which was wonderful! I urge all players to give this story a chance, because when I first started the game, I thought “It's just going to be the same old story: Orphan searches for parents, said orphan sees parents only to lose them again and go on a magical adventure,” but it's not! It's very different from what I thought it would be. This is a good story, but falls short of being a great one. That said, you must give it a chance first!
The gameplay is just standard here, which I found to be a little disappointing, to be honest. The only thing slightly different to the usual HOPA is that there are two types of HOS: Silhouette and junkpile. There were five HOS in the demo (50 minutes). Of the five, three were junkpile and two were silhouette, so the HOS are spread out evenly. While both types of HOS were fairly easy, I did enjoy playing them. The puzzles were a mixture of hard and easy. They were nothing new, so experienced puzzlers should be able to solve them quite quickly and easily. I, however, struggled on a couple, but I still enjoyed them. The puzzles had clear instructions, so I knew what to do instantly. In this game, we have a helper in the form of a robot named Atom. He doesn't speak, but has subtitles to translate what he is saying. His job in this game is to unlock things with specific locks. To use him, you must first zoom in on the lock and use Atom on it. I found that Atom was used quite often in the demo, about five or six times. I enjoyed having Atom with me during the game. This is pretty much your average HOPA. It has most of the features (excluding the diary), so experienced players will have no trouble navigating their way through this one. I would recommend this game for beginners as there is a custom difficulty, which allows you to set the game your way. You can make it as easy or as hard as you like.
The graphics are good, but I've seen better. That being said, I thought that everything was clear. The character designs were good, each scene was clear, nothing was hazy, so it was nice. I have a complaint about the music/sounds in the game. In the demo, you must find 5 kittens. As soon as you enter a room with a kitten in it, the meow sound plays and keeps going off constantly until you free the kitten. This is incredibly annoying and distracting. It also happened with the robot we had to fix too. This is my main problem with the game and it kind of puts me off buying it.
FEATURES 4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Experienced (Advanced), Nightmare (Hard) and Custom. I played Casual. Hint/Skip- both recharge at a reasonable rate for the difficulty and the hint is useful outside HOS. Map- interactive. It lets you know where there is a task to be completed. Collectible film reels (13)- These film reels are an enjoyable part of the game and give you extra details of the mystery. Atom- Atom is our helper, and as I said before, is quite useful and is used often. I enjoyed having Atom with me.
So, I did enjoy this game, but unlike previous Gogii games, I didn't love it. What made Gogii games so special was that they were so fun and unique that it didn't matter if the story was good or not, and that was missing here. So, this game gets a four from me, and I won't be buying it.
NOTE: This is based on completed COLLECTOR'S EDITION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I've made the wrong choice! I bought the CE when I really should have bought the SE! At the time, I thought the extras were worth it, but I would have been happier with the SE. The only extras worth it for the CE are the Shop and the Bonus Chapter.
The story is a good one! It starts off with a bang right from the beginning, and is scarier than the average story! Seriously, those masks freaked me out! The story is a true spy-movie type thing, complete with Secret Agents, over-the-top security, awesome gadgets and powers and the evil rogue agent. The story has its fair share of twists and turns and is really quite exciting. The demo ends on a cliffhanger, and the surprises don't stop there! This is one story that just builds and builds until you get to the end. Even though the ending is conclusive, it is really weak. It's kind of annoying that I went through 3 hours or so of gameplay just for that. It was literally about 2 seconds and then it was over. Overall, despite the disappointing ending, I felt that the story was a great one and very fun to play. Well done to the developers for this one.
The gameplay is pretty good. It's fun and exciting, and has some unique elements to it. The HOS are all lists with a couple of extra-step objects. These were all fairly easy to complete. The puzzles were a mixture of hard and easy. I played a few, but skipped most. What was nice about them though was the fact that there were a couple of new ones as apposed to the same old puzzles every single time. But, to be honest. I would've liked some easier puzzles in the game, and a couple of different HOS. This game is packed with the use of spy stuff. Apart from a forensics kit (only used briefly), there is also powers. They are Pyrokinesis (fire), Hypnoeye (hypnosis) and Cryokinesis (ice). These are unique and fun to use. I enjoyed every time I got to use them. They are used fairly evenly, according to my achievements, but it seemed that Pyrokinesis was used way more than any of the others. And, of course, it wouldn't be a Mystery Trackers game without our beloved Elf. Elf makes his return in this series, and is extremely useful. He is our animal helper in this game, and is used quite often, both in the main game and the bonus chapter. I enjoyed every time I got to use Elf. Other than Elf and the spy stuff, this is pretty much your normal HOPA. It contains all the basic features (except for the diary) and experienced players should have no trouble navigating. The graphics are outstanding and are so well drawn. They are very detailed. You can clearly see this is a 2013 game. This game also uses live actors for some scenes, which is nice, but would have been better had the lips moved in time with the voices. The voice-overs are standard. I have no issue with them.
FEATURES 4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hardcore and Detective. I played Casual. Hint/Skip- both recharge fairly fast for Casual and the hint is useful outside HOS. Map- the map is interactive and is fairly helpful. It tells you where there is an objective to complete. Elf- Elf is our animal helper, as with the other MT games. He is used quite often. Special Abilities- These are Pyrokinesis, Hypnosis and Cryokinesis. These are also used quite often. Mystical Lens- similar to a magnifying glass- used to locate things that cannot be seen by the naked eye. There is usually one thing to be discovered in each scene.
WHAT DO I MISS OUT ON IF I BUY THE SE? Achievements Collectible items for the Dossier (28)- These are collectibles. It gives a detailed description of each item you collect for it, be it the profile of an agent or a weapon. Collectible pets (13)- This works similar to the Dossier. Built-in Strategy Guide- Very helpful, especially for puzzles. Bonus Chapter- not needed. This is a completely new story. Someone is going back in time and changing the future of the Mystery Trackers and thus, erasing the agents. It is your job to stop them. Temporal Lens- This is similar to the Mystical Lens, but is used in the bonus chapter only. It is used to access items from the future. Secret room- Unlocked when you complete the bonus chapter. This is incredibly useless and annoying. It is very boring. It's basically just a place to replay HOS and Puzzles. Had I known what the secret room was, I would not have bought the CE. Shop (2)- There are 2 shops in this game: * Elf's Shop- this is a place where you can buy things for Elf and his family. This is a really nice feature, and I quickly spent my ducats. * Interface Shop- here, you can buy things to change the interface of the game. You can change the hint or the panel. This is also a nice feature, but I liked Elf's Shop better. The annoying thing about having 2 shops is that there is less to buy. I would've liked to see more stuff to buy in Elf's Shop. Bonus Video- this is the most stupid and hilarious thing I have ever seen in my life. It's definitely worth watching. Wallpaper (9) Music (4)
WHAT ABOUT THE GAME LENGTH? I estimate the length of the main game to be somewhere between 3-3.5 hours on Casual mode with most puzzles skipped. The Bonus Chapter is an extra 30-45 minutes, so you're looking at somewhere between 3.5-4 hours of gameplay all up.
Overall, this was a pretty good game. But, like I said, I don't believe the CE to be worth it. Don't repeat my mistake- buy the SE!
The mystical Silver Arrow has been stolen from you on the eve of your wedding. Without it, you can’t marry your beloved Prince Philip! Can you track down the arrow in time?
Everyone knows I've been extremely critical of ERS as of late regarding their games being too cute and fuzzy, and not allowing something for we male players, so given the history of this series, I was a little hesitant to try this one. When the SE came out, I thought I'd better try it, so I did. I have to say it was a lot better than I expected, it still falls well short of a great game.
The story, which I was expecting to be all cute, magical and cuddly, was not what I was expected. To my surprise, I actually found it exciting, and I'm a little curious to see how it ends! The story starts off a little slow, and is a bit boring to begin with, but it builds up and, at the end of the demo, I wanted more! There are not many twists and turns, but it's still rather enjoyable. The story goes like this: The prince shoots his silver arrow and it goes in your window, meaning you are his new bride according to the tradition. But before you can take it, someone steals it! So now, you have to get it back (with the help of the prince, of course). I especially enjoyed the villain(s) in this story. The first was some kind of shapeshifter, which was a bit different and nice. However, one element of the story I didn't like was how the game didn't come up with a name for the main character and decided to use your name instead. When you're a guy, to be called “Princess _____” is a bit insulting!
The gameplay, to be honest, was a bit sub-par. This is the first time I'm going to say this, but the HOS were a bit boring. They were easy, as usual, but I don't fancy every HOS except for one being silhouette. I want to see more junkpile. I would have enjoyed the game more had there been more junkpile HOS and less silhouette HOS. The one HOS that wasn't silhouette was a matching scene, where you had to match two objects to each other. This was a little more challenging and very enjoyable. More of these would be nice too. The puzzles were a little bit hard for me. I played one but skipped the rest. They were nothing new, but they were still fun to attempt. The puzzles will be a bit challenging to most people, but will probably be easy to experts. Those who skip all the puzzles should be warned that your gameplay time will be cut by quite a bit. I'm usually annoyed by cute fuzzy animals and the animal in this game, Ramos, is no exception. Its voice just drove me mental, and I couldn't wait until it stopped talking. I think it's about time ERS gave up on the cute and fuzzy and gave us more of the dark and gloomy. This is pretty much your standard HOPA. If you've played any HOPA before, it should be pretty easy to navigate. Experienced players will have no trouble making their way through the game. I would also recommend this for beginners.
An ERS game brings us the same old ERS graphics. Don't let my usage of “same old” confuse you, because I rather liked them. The art is well drawn and detailed, especially the character designs. Each scene was clear. I usually don't have a problem with voice-overs, but in this game I do. The voices of the Prince and Ramos were not done well. Ramos's voice, as I mentioned before, was incredibly annoying. Phillip's voice was terrible. Basil was frequently mispronounced as “Bay-zul”. I have never heard it pronounced that way in my life.
FEATURES 3 modes of difficulty- Casual, Advanced and Hard. In recent games, ERS gave us a “custom” difficulty setting, and I was a little disappointed that it wasn't here. I played Casual. Hint/skip- both recharge fairly fast for Casual. The hint is useful outside outside HOS. Map- the map is interactive and extremely helpful. It lets you know when the location is complete and where there is a task to perform. Diary- Used to keep track of events. It's used fairly often. Ramos- This is your animal helper, and it's really annoying, as I've mentioned countless times before.
So, I have to say, this isn't all that bad, but the best I can do is three stars. I'll happily recommend the trial, but this isn't one I'm going to buy.