Challenge yourself in the role of the scientist-historian-scholar of ancient civilizations and mystical legends and save your friend from the Demon of Darkness!
Alot of other folks have already described the enjoyment this game has provided but I just want to add my great pleasure.
I have about 600 games, many I haven't finished, but I've bought both Secrets of the Dark games and finished them in practically one setting because they were so well done and really fun!
I hope we see more from this developer. I will likely buy anything they offer!
This is a review of the version I bought from the developer (sold as a finished product). It seemed as though it would be great as a beta product.
The graphics in some areas needed alot of sprucing up, while other areas were very good.
The voice-over conversations between characters had different sound levels and qualities, obviously performed at different times and settings.
The music was quite good, likely a re-do of the very nice music from the first game in this series.
Sadly, Hari was mostly missing while our heroine did most of the work; figuring out puzzles after puzzles and counteracting the Magi and his minion.
There were LOADS of puzzles. I just got tired of doing so many puzzles at every turn. The hint button was quite generous or I'd not have finished all those puzzles, at all.
This is one of my all-time favorite classic games that I've replayed many times in the past and, will continue to replay, because of its' unique - so far - game mechanic of chains that move the entire section touched -vertical/horizontal- as well as the good power-ups and the enjoyable music.
The storyline explains why there are so many accumulated and sometimes bizarre objects scattering the estate: a crazy rich guy built several "secret" rooms at his estate, and placed expensive object/antiques all about. Our job (if we choose to accept it) is to find the rooms and find the expensive object/antiques and restore them to the Gallery room. This game has a mystery story as well: why is the groundskeeper trying to keep us from discovering the reason why the rich guy went crazy?
Quite good voice work. The graphics are OK if a bit on the cartoony/semi-3D side. H0 scenes aren't junk piles, but finding the items can be a bit of a challenge, as some are very cleverly hidden.
There is a task journal (with very specific hints that can be turned off in "options") and a map, which shows your location, and rooms in the estate yet to be explored - with some transport function.
The hint button and mini-puzzle skip button recharge pretty quickly.
The mini-game puzzles are fun. I usually don't care for many H0 game puzzles but I really did enjoy doing most of the puzzles in this game - some I'd never seen before.
And finally, there are auctions that test eye-hand coordination which I don't have in abundance. I didn't do very well but I actually did enjoy it as the prizes were decoration upgrades for your restored Gallery room. If at first you don't succeed you can replay until you're exhausted.
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
3/ 5
Level of Challenge
3/ 5
Storyline
3/ 5
I know alot of people really liked this game but I've bought it and tried to finish it 3 times but just could not sustain any interest in the gameplay or story line.
Plus the graphics, in parts of the game, have an unfinished line drawing quality that is distracting.
Just not my cuppa and I'm sorry I bought it.
I don't recommend this game.
0points
1of2voted this as helpful.
Special Enquiry Detail: Engaged to Kill
Help detectives Turino and Lamote investigate the case of the brutal bride murderer.
I played all the way thru almost without a break and just loved it!
Great police procedural multiple murder mystery story presented in logical HOG format with excellent graphics, some difficult minigames and adventure gameplay with good inventory management.
I liked the first Life Quest but I was appalled at the silly contest to get married first. This version has corrected that situation and now you have friends, who may grow in relationship strength, so that you may choose to propose marriage to a likely candidate but, you can skip it, just as well. The one thing I missed in this version was the option to eat at home. Even if you buy a mini-fridge you can't stock it with food. (references: Magic Life,the first Life Quest, etc). And none of the housing options include a kitchen!
Oh, and I seemed to be constantly posting bail for one or another character who got themselves arrested but I never knew what the reasons were.
In general, this is an actual new and improved version of Life Quest and I really enjoyed it.
I bought this game and played the entire main game taking approximately 6 hours.
I skipped about half of the puzzles and did not play the game in the order that the SG suggests so, I did ALOT of to-ing and fro-ing which I enjoy very much.
I did not have any technical problems and the art was better than the first impression in the demo. In fact the artwork was quite good - not really cartoony.
The game is not perfect. The HOS have no interacting mini-games and the scenes, when repeated, have the same items in the same place every time although you are asked to select different items.
Light SF story adventure with HOG overtones for the fun of it.
The art is wonderful and made me feel that I was exploring a real place that I eventually became familiar with.
I'm pretty sure I'll play this again. I really enjoyed it.
Lots of areas to cover (I love the to-ing and fro-ing games) and the length was decent for this type of game: about 4 1/2 hour for the main game. I admit to skipping about half the puzzles so, it will be quite a bit longer for puzzle-heads.