I was very excited to see a new release from one of my favorite series created by one of my favorite developers. As I have been progressing through the game, though, some of the excitement has surprisingly dwindled. The plot, although creatively revealed, is disjointed, making it difficult for me to follow. Traveling through the varying portals does expose me to distinct environments, but I feel as though the subplots within each portal do not weave together coherently.
A prevailing positive trait is that this developer has created another superior work of art. I just cannot express into words how impressed and pleasingly affected I am by the ingenious details that complement the exquisite atmosphere. Even the subtleties, such as the background music, enrich the overall ambiance of this extraordinary world of fantasy.
You can customize your settings. The inventory is labeled and interactive; items require assembly. In custom mode, the teleport map facilitates brisk travel to labeled locations and indicates available actions. Transition between scenes is smooth and quick; no glitches to report. It is typical that this developer's mechanics, such as the action sequences that come into view as side-by-side panels, similar to comic strips, bear some resemblance to Film Noir.
This developer is known for implementing stylistic and innovative twists on gameplay, giving them an edge over their peers in the HOA genre. The assorted HOSs are remarkably pioneering, as this developer thinks outside the box to come up with such unique "ideas of wonders." The scene in which you find items in accordance with the shaded items that the typewriter produces is an example. Even though integrating the storyline into the HOSs is current-trending among most developers, this developer does so in an avant garde fashion that sets them apart from their peers. Although they were entertaining, I wish that the puzzles were more challenging. I am not a fan of the repetitive gimmicky puzzles, but I won't spoil your surprise. The collectibles are well-camouflaged into the background.
Based upon the touch-sensitivity issues when acquiring and placing inventory items during the unexpectedly brief free trial, I was not fully committed to purchasing the game. However, remaining faithful to one of my favorite developers, I took the chance and bought it. I, unfortunately, found other grouses with this game. I loathe the implementation of archaic mechanics; often, you must individually place multiples of the same inventory items in both the scenes and the puzzles to effectuate a task, instead of placing them all at once. Furthermore, as usual, the components, such as the map, are accessible from under the Menu. I prefer the story lines from the first few games in this series; this storyline just did not grab my attention. The mesmerizing artwork, as well as some of the twists on gameplay — namely, the HOSs — are the stars of this production. These attributes, however, are not enough to warrant this game 4 or 5 stars. Therefore, my true rating of 3.5 stars is lowered to a final 3 stars.
Tammymariesd
KimTwilight69
