#hidden objects reviews

[tiredgamergirl]

I’m a huge fan of Arthurian legends and one of my favorite books is a title in which Sir Kay the seneschal investigates a murder in the behest of Queen Guinevere. So when I was approached by someone from the team to review the game I was thoroughly ecstatic to get into a Hidden Object Game featuring in this setting. In this re-imagination, the Lady of the Lake is the wife of the Green Knight and she goes missing which enrages him and brings a curse upon Camelot. As Merlin’s apprentice, Bliss, the player is summoned to the court to investigate the kidnapping as it seems that there might be a traitor in the midst.

The hidden object scenes have a fair variety, some focus on finding the silhouette, the pair of the object in itself but some also have scenes with small puzzles and interactions alongside finding the object. And as a mage apprentice, the main character has a magical glove that is part of the mechanics to solve puzzles. Throughout the story the player keeps collecting runes that enhance its powers and even can have a few magic duels against monsters. Of course, there is no real danger, but it is a fun way to progress with the story. Some of these can be a little finicky with recognizing the hotspots, however, requiring precise placing and not always accepting the input. Another point that could have used some refinement is that depending on the order the player performs the puzzles they might have some puzzles back-to-back that give objects with similar functions instead of reusing the objects, which can give a “why I’m discarding this thing to get this same thing?” moment but that’s a minor grievance.

With an enjoyable soundtrack and beautiful scenes, Camelot : Wrath of the Green Knight is an enjoyable title for your hidden object itch. It can be rough around the edges at some points but it is clear there is a lot of care and promise.

[tiredgamergirl]

A ball amidst the Maltese Mountains hosted in a mysterious mansion with a unknown benefactor, a very exciting and curious prospect for some that turned horribly when the clock stuck midnight and three girls were turned into glass statues. The Fairytale Detective is called once again for the 5th adventure in the Dark Parables series to investigate the possibility of the involvement of the Godmother, a witch that is said to be over a thousand years old and seeks for “Cinderella”, pure-hearted maidens, in order to sacrifice their souls for nefarious goals. Once inside the mansion, a giant beast snatched one of the glass statues by breaking through a solid wall and the Detective meets up with Katherine, a girl that attended the ball and her stepsister was one of the unfortunate maidens that got cursed and offers to assist in the investigation. What is the Godmother’s goal? And how come someone who has helped so many girls before, like Prince James’ second wife, started to hurt them?

Once again there aren’t many new mechanics, only that the stories feels somewhat longer than the previous title as it covers two different fairy tales this time: Cinderella and Pinocchio. The graphics are beautiful as usual, although some transparency and colors can make some objects harder to spot in the HoD scenes. The locations are varied, going from the mysterious mansion, to lush natural landscape to near nightmarish cursed locations with many environmental storytelling. The pacing makes the player go back and forth in different areas, circling back to areas previously explored under new light.  

The bonus game showcases the oriental Cinderella, which shows the Godmother before her descent to despair. It is rather uncanny how the cottage has the exact same layout as the one in Europe, and compared to the previous' title bonus adventure and the overall story it is rather short.

Another solid title to the series, The Final Cinderella might occasionally suffer with some funny voice acting that, given the nature of the budget, is charming. Another solid release from the series.

[tiredgamergirl]

It has been years since Sherlock Holmes have been missing and a young lady who presents herself as Ms. Holmes have been making the rounds. And once again there has been sightings of an unnatural hound threatening the Baskervilles. Who could be behind these attacks? What they want? Or perhaps the legend is true?

Elephant Games is a rather prolific game developer with twenty years of experience focused on Hidden Objects for years with many different series, like the Grim Tales, Chimeras, and Detective United. So how did their foray into the world’s greatest detective's legacy go?

The idea of mixing a Hidden Object Game with a detective story is one that makes sense all things considered; most of Sherlock Holmes and other private investigators stories focus on attention to detail, to notice things that others would overlook and put into a context. This is why detective stories are so popular among these games and some of Ms. Holmes’ scenes have elements of interactions to contextualize it; it isn’t just about finding the object but solving small puzzles in order to keep continuing the investigation. An elegant solution to integrate the story with the gameplay without taking the player from it.

The inventory is also used in smart ways: not everything has a key, and sometimes a well-placed feminine charm will do. Or a rock. It is always intuitive, there aren’t any leaps of logic that require the moon logic of the old adventure games and the fact that the chapters are self-contained and have a few screens makes the pace brisk and agile, without the padding that some games can have. The mini-games and puzzles also make sense in the context and there are even fighting scenes with Candy Crush mechanics to shake things up and other varied types that keep the player engaged at some points there is a mini-logic game similar to the Frogwares’ Sherlock Holmes or Blazing Griffin’s Hercule Poirot titles that also works as a small summary or catch up that helps if the player isn’t too sure where the story is going.

Visually speaking, everything is very high quality with a very solid art direction. Some titles can get busy at times, or straining to look at, but everything in this game do look amazing and pleasing to look at, the cool colors helping with a cozy but somewhat mysterious atmosphere. The sound design is also very efficient, with background music that enhances the atmosphere without being too intrusive and the sound effects are also enjoyable.

The bonus game follows what happens with another character in the game, but mentioning it would be spoilers. It gives some extra information that compliments the main story.

While I think the final plot twist might be a little “out there” for people looking for an experience closer to the source material, it is still an enjoyable title that could be worth your time.

[tiredgamergirl]

A peaceful day in the small town of Montafleur abruptly turns for the worse as its inhabitants turn into nightmarish beasts as a mist descends. A mysterious beastly lion-man watches as the scene unfolds, and soon the Fairytale Detective is called to investigate the location with the assistance of the Red Riding Hood Sisters. Things turn dire for a moment when one of the sisters is kidnapped by the beast and the nightmare creatures keep blocking the way. Who is the Queen of Sands, who are the Sandmen and what’s the connection with the beast? In the ninth installment of the Dark Parables series it wasn’t the first time that the tale of the Beauty and the Beast has been explored but finally it is front and center, along with the popular figure of the Sandman and a character from Irish folklore, giving it a unique spin.

The second game made by Eipix, it is clear that they have become more comfortable with the series. The visuals are closer to how Blue Tea used to do, along with a more detailed story, far more variety with puzzles and nicely done hidden objects scenes. Now when talking with characters the scene cuts to a close up, similar to how visual novels presents their conversations, with some nicely drawn portraits and animations, their heads even bob and sways a little during the scene. There is also the possibility of hiding the HUD, increasing the visible area of the location. There is a moment in the progression that might lock the player out of some backtracking for story pieces and collectables, so a little attention is advised.

With so much attention to the detail it is a little weird that the bonus game story contradicts the information on the main story, but perhaps it could be chalked up to unreliable sources. It was inspired by a lesser known story, The Seven Ravens. It is a fully-realized story nonetheless, with a solid pace and offers the origin for the antagonist of the main story.

 Queen of Sands is an average title, but enjoyable. It has a relaxing aesthetic and a good pace. Still, this game goes on sale often, so it could be an option.

[tiredgamergirl]

Somewhere in Greece, a strange Purple Tide rose, approaching the coastline leaving a path of destruction in its wake, along with reports of mermaids and a giant eel. Of course, once again, it is a case for the Fairytale Detective in this new installment of the Dark Parables series, the 8th and the first under a new developer, Eipix, although the old ones are still credited.  Along with the detective, another familiar face from the past also joins the investigation, similar to how Ballad of Rapunzel had Greta tagging along. However, this time, the character feels somewhat underused and the ties to some previous titles were underused at best, how they barely touched upon Prince Eric’s wife or Theresa. The story behind the machine itself is somewhat nonsensical as well if one stops to think for a moment, it was one of those plots for the sake of having a plot device to culminate with something exciting.

The biggest innovation are the fragmented inventory pieces, objects that need to either be examined or put together before using, which leads to a slightly heavier item-based tasks and a lot of backtracking, the later made easier thanks to the implementation of a fast travel system. Your mileage might vary on the enjoyment of this, but sometimes it feels a lot of busywork. The hidden objects scenes can be downright unfair with transparent objects, obscured placements and even flipped images. And compared to the previous titles, the resulting items look amateurish collages with a bombastic sound effect and cue that should feel a nice accomplishment but it feels a little out of place.

The graphic in itself feels a little uncanny too, it is clear that Eipix was trying to keep the style from Blue Tea with mixed results. Some locations feels somewhat uninspired or with strange shading, and the proportions can also be something that takes a while to get used to. There is also many mini-animations and special scenes that tries to showcase how even opening a door is such a big deal that eventually everything loses the impact.

The bonus game takes place right before the curse that affects the antagonists of the title and gives some insight into one of the non-playable characters that you meet in the main story. Sadly it is riffled with bugs and sometimes it feels that a chunk of it may be missing.

With an interesting concept for a story but somewhat poor execution and an ending that amounts to not much, the game counts with many extras like locating all the hidden crescent moons and in-game achievements that make for some replay, but it is a rather short game. It might be best to buy in a sale.

[tiredgamergirl]

Reports of a strain of toxic pollen in a town at the base of mountains bordering the Czech Republic and Poland have troubled the locals, and whenever the dust is about to strike a strange, hypnotic song can be heard. The area is also close to the ancient Floralia Kingdom, which warranted another investigation of the Fairytale Detective in this seventh title of the Dark Parable series and the last made by Blue Tea Games until another title further down the line. It is a grand story, that brings back elements from the previous games and ties them together focusing on the role of the Guardians of Balance, with references to Briar Rose, Princess Ivy, and, of course, Snow White – and a very different spin on the Rose Red from the original fairy tale of “Snow White and Rose Red”. Even more familiar faces return, Gerda is back and is also the protagonist of the bonus game that takes place after the game concludes and expands on some of the loose ends from the main story.

In fact, Ballad of Rapunzel is the first game of the series that offers three different endings, with the best (and considered true ending) archived by collecting twenty flowerstones and exchanging them for an object that is logged into the Fairytale Detective’s Journal.

This time they took a step back and didn’t have the hidden object scenes that the player needs to uncover secret locations or remove objects, which is a boon this time around as some of the scenes can get a little too busy and even in the background sometimes the objects can blend in the background and can be hard to telegraph. The puzzles can also lean on the repetitive side sometimes, but nothing too egregious.

The bonus content feels like an expansion pack or DLC to the main story, following Gerda in her continuous adventures. It isn’t a prequel or another story adjacent to the main narrative like most of the time, but a direct continuation.

While a bit messy at points, Ballad of Rapunzel comes strong in the storytelling department and it can be a fun time for the fans of the series and a “so long until next time” to Blue Tea. While it is clear the first four to five titles are the strongest in the series, to see one of the old fan favorites come back is always a nice treat.

[tiredgamergirl]

One day the peace in Alblasserwaard, South Holland , is cut short by the appearance of a castle in the sky amidst the clouds and reports of large chunks falling down and hurting many innocents, among the reports of an unknown man threatening the locals. The Fairytale Detective must team up with Jack, a local adventurer, in order to infiltrate the mystical Sky Kingdom and stop this from happening while uncovering the past that the local hero seems to want to hide. The sixth title of the Dark Parables starts strong, this time bringing the Jack and the Beanstalk with elements of Rumpelstiltskin and even other tales of greed, along with the series usual own spin to the story. While it somehow does feel a straightforward adventure like the Red Riding Hood Sisters instead of the amazing crescendo that was The Final Cinderella, the end leaves a few things open despite the happy ending for the protagonists – and it will certainly come back to haunt the Fairytale Detective in the future. Still, the way they reinvent some stories like the magical beans and the three brothers is always entertaining to witness.

Besides the noticeable comic book style text box for the characters speaking on the screen – which is quite often this time around – there are a few new things around. One of them is that even in casual mode once you skip a puzzle the hint system is locked for a few minutes as opposed to merely recharging as usual. However, the most noticeable change is now that some of the hidden object scenes have hidden compartments and objects to open, like drawers. Some of them are obvious enough, like looking under a doll, while the secret niches can get slightly hard to tell.

As expected from the series, the graphics still have the high-detailed storytelling with each area from Jack’s cottage and the Sky Kingdom reflecting its inhabitants and their personalities, which leads to some very varied backgrounds. King Eurig’s greed also provides for some lavish things that, compared to the other kings, was actually quite modest perhaps because the treasure was stolen by Jack.

The bonus showcases the Queen of the Sky Kingdom and the consequences of the actions that led her to marry King Eurig and how by the end she left him. It is mostly inconsequential to the main story, but gives some extra depth for the antagonist and some beautiful places to explore.

Jack is a fun co-protagonist and the Sky Kingdom has some very interesting worldbuilding, but it pales in comparison to the two previous titles. While it does introduce ideas like groups of adventurers and fortune-seeking with some grave consequences and a melodramatic story, some elements narrowly fall short.

[tiredgamergirl]

The predictions of Prince James came to reality, his final wife had been planning something that could put the entire world at risk. Days after a rare occurrence known as the Silver Moon, terrible snowstorms started to engulf the Bernese Alps of Switzerland, and the legendary Snow Queen is said to be the one who is the cause of that, along with the abduction of the local children. The Fairytale Detective is tasked with rescuing the kids and putting an end to the curse that befell the Snowfall Kingdom. The third entry in the Dark Parables series is rather a short one but introduces some new elements like the collectibles that unlock the lore in the form of short stories, revealing the larger plot that takes place underneath the surface although the relevant parts are never kept away from the player. It feels far less lonely than the previous ones, as the detective is able to interact with the guide that brought her to the entrance to the kingdom and many of the missing children, some of them will be crucial in future games.

Once again the detective’s journal is your best friend, although this time the game makes it much clearer when there’s a new objective and what the player should be doing, a notable improvement from Exiled Prince. Not enough to telegraph everything and lead by hand but clear enough that the backtracking isn’t as bad as the previous game. The game is once again a treat for the eyes, the cold exteriors looking oppressive and the castle is delightful, with hints of storytelling everywhere. The way the Snow Queen is handled is somewhat obvious in hindsight, which makes it clever. Sadly the hidden object scenes have more objects partially hidden underneath others and some are actually almost transparent, almost to the point of being eye-straining. Still, the repetition of the scenes isn’t as often as Exiled Prince so if a scene isn’t your thing you won’t be seeing them more than twice until the very end of the game. The puzzles are somewhat more “streamlined”, with many variations of the same puzzles over and again, with less variety than the previous ones.

The extra chapter tells a story of an event that took place years ago, back when the kingdom had another name. It is an adaptation of the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel, adapted for the Dark Parables universe. It is a brisk extra that doesn’t overstay its welcome and it is charming on its own, also offering its own extra parable.

Rise of the Snow Queen is an excellent hidden object title, although perhaps if you are interested in getting into the series you should play Exiled Prince first. The puzzles are a little on the repetitive side, but the well-crafted story and short length make it doesn’t feel stretched too thin.