iPad – Deadly Association HD (2012) Review
I better check the skies because pigs must be flying right about now as I’ve finally played an Anuman Interactive developed game that actually has a more or less coherent story. I feel as if I should reach for the nearest bottle of Dom Perignon and celebrate the rest of the night away. In all seriousness, Deadly Association HD is yet another cookie-cutter hidden object title with every single merit and fault found in their entire pantheon of games. However, it finally manages to go where no Anuman game has gone before in sucking players into a CSI inspired narrative that actually is logical and gripping enough to keep one entertained.
iPad Review – Criminal Investigation Agents – Petrodollars HD (2012)
Ahh Anuman Interactive, my “favourite” hidden object game company. Of course I’m joking here but let it be said that no matter how “great” I find their games that they just keep pumping them out in their assembly line mentality to throw as much product out there as possible hoping to somehow strike gold. To be fair it isn’t as if the games are unplayable but one would think that after so many misfires that they would have learned by now to at least expand beyond their comfort zone but alas Criminal Investigation Agents – Petrodollars HD feels much the same as past games with perhaps one big caveat. When one thinks of all the best hidden object games out there and the storylines associated with them one can see that just about every genre has been touched upon from dramatic plots to comedic tales of revelry yet the majority focus on fantastical events and mystical lands of yore. Criminal Investigation Agents – Petrodollars HD takes a much different tact although I’m not sure if I would describe the end result as being enlightening.
iPad Review – Atlantis: Mysteries of the Ancient Inventors HD
When I read the title Atlantis: Mysteries of the Ancient Inventors HD the first impression that immediately came to mind was that I was probably going to experience a game where I would discover some insight into Ancient Atlantean culture and its many supposed fantastical inventions. Alas, what I received was yet another example of banal game design that hardly manages to present a coherent plot other than, “Let’s go find Atlantis.” Now, that is not necessarily a bad idea as there are literally a thousand variations of what happened to the long lost Atlantean civilization but the game makes the fatal mistake of crafting a hidden object experience that surely ranks as one of the worst on the market.
iPad Review – Mystery Agency Visions of Time HD (2011)
I have always considered myself somewhat kind-hearted and willing to let organizations or people have the opportunity to redeem themselves. As my reviews of the other two Mystery Agency games have shown (A Vampire’s Kiss, Secrets of the Orient), developer DTP has not been particular adapt at creating compelling hidden object games that combine sound gameplay mechanics with a solid narrative. Based on past experience I was hesitant to buy this third installment in the franchise yet part of my sympathetic psyche won out and decided to give them another shot. It turns out I should have listened to reason and avoided it like the plague.
iPad – Antique Road Trip USA HD Review
Antique Road Trip USA HD is an average title that tries to mix up the usually mundane hidden object gameplay paradigm but ultimately fails to add anything original to the genre. Throw in a rather silly narrative that is less than engaging and functions only to force players to visit different American cities and the entire experience feels incredibly monotonous.
iPad – Time Mysteries Inheritance Review
Time Mysteries Inheritance is certainly a competent hidden object game yet the experience is so vanilla that one can’t help but feel a bit disappointed. The game attempts to spin a tale of time travelling adventure that spans multiple centuries yet it never truly comes together in a coherent and emotionally involving package. Instead, the game resembles a hodge-podge of different locations replete with authentic attire from differing time periods but its altogether too disjointed to make much of an impression.
iPad – Nightmare Adventures: Witch’s Prison Review
At first glance Nightmare Adventures: Witch’s Prison seems like yet another hidden object game instalment but first impressions are very deceiving. In fact the game is a creepy supernatural blend of adventure and puzzle gaming at its best featuring a well-spun psychological tale that though a bit on the lite side manages to intrigue. That said the difficulty level is through the roof especially for those who really want nothing but object discovery gameplay because it features a very refreshing set of puzzles that are not based on typical genre trappings yet because of this it can lead to much frustration for some.
iPad – Route 66 HD Review
Just when I thought that I couldn’t play a worse hidden object game than Rangy Lil’s Wild West Adventure here comes Route 66 which is a carbon copy of the aforementioned game but lacking even more features making the title a sure contender for worst iPad game of all time. Developer Gameshastra should be completely ashamed and embarrassed for these bad PC ports which rip out content for no apparent reason. In this case, much like Rangy Lil’s Wild West Adventure this means that there are no mini games whatsoever and that gameplay consists entirely of hidden object locations one after the other from start to finish. While HOG gamers might see this as a positive it does nothing but frustrate players to no end especially when one takes into account the game’s dual daggers of boredom the first being the ludicrously easy difficulty and the second the total lack of any penalties.
