Hidden Object Games | Casualicious

Fishdom H2O: Hidden Odyssey

Posted by Ruff on May 3rd, 2009

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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The sequel to Playrix Entertainment’s Fishdom game was just released last week at the time of this writing and it is entitled Fishdom H2O: Hidden Odyssey. Contrary to the previous game though, the developers dropped the Match 3 gameplay in order to focus on another genre. The game is now Hidden Object, but still secures that same Fishdom theme we all love.

In this release, you play as a girl named Jennifer, an upcoming graduate of the Environmental Protection University, taking up Marine Biology as her major. She’s on her last summer vacation as a student and took this opportunity to visit her Grandpa Jack, a famous oceanographer and fellow marine enthusiast. This meeting starts Jennifer’s first step in her career as she builds fish tanks to practice her chosen passion in life.

Like what I said earlier, Fishdom H2O: Hidden Odyssey is now a Hidden Object game. However, what will greet you first is an aquarium devoid of anything other than basic design and water. This is just like the aquarium interface in the last game, wherein you can buy fishes, decorations and other peripherals in order to keep a happy and healthy ecosystem. There are three available aquariums in the game, each with their very own theme. The other two will have to be unlocked as you progress through the game’s storyline.

The main objective of each aquarium before you progress is to fill up the fish, beauty and comfort bars located at the upper right side of the screen. This is done by buying marine life and equipments at the bottom menu. Filling up the bars at 100% will award you a star, which in turn will unlock your next aquarium and shows you the next stage of the story. But you will also have an opportunity to work further on your current aquarium to the next 100%, which will now award you a trophy for all your hard work.

The Hidden Object game in Fishdom H2O: Hidden Odyssey comes when you have no more money to spend on your aquarium. If this happens, just click on the conveniently placed Dive button and you’ll have a chance to look around the bottom of the sea for junk you can exchange for cash. This takes you to an object finding game of random items, and afterwards, you’re awarded with dollars depending on how well and how fast you played the level.

Hidden Object gameplay also varies in a random way. There is the traditional find the list, collecting a single type of item, and a new “quick eye” gameplay wherein you must find any item on the list within fifteen seconds or less. There’s also a bonus type kind of game where you’ll be tasked to find all the gold you can within thirty seconds. Still, the same idea applies that all of them award you equivalent money on how well you play.

Fishdom H2O: Hidden Odyssey features a nice storyline coupled with great character design and well done voice-overs. I loved following up on Jennifer’s career progress as she meets other characters helping her on her quest. Aquarium and scene designs are also well made. It’s just enjoyable to fill up all three of the available aquariums in the game and go relax after clicking the eye function that lets you view the aquarium in its entirety (without all the game menus and buttons).

Another bonus feature is the screensaver function that lets you view your very own aquarium as a computer desktop screensaver. While its really lots of hard work to go through all of the levels, this simple feature makes all of the work worthwhile, making you play again and again until you get your desired aquarium design.

Fishdom H2O: Hidden Odyssey is a new gameplay coupled with the old and addictive Fishdom idea. It’s a good buy and will accompany you well on your idle hours of the day.

Fishdom H2O: Hidden Odyssey Download

Playrix Entertainment

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Dream Chronicles: The Chosen Child

Posted by Ruff on April 26th, 2009

(6 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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Faye is back once again in another hidden object adventure as we get to review today the sequel to one of Playfirst’s most successful series, Dream Chronicles: The Chosen Child. As always, you get to immerse yourself in a stunning magical world filled with wonder and amazement in this installment. And of course, pit yourself in a whole new array of brain teasers along the way.

The story of the game starts with a woman called Brenna having the same recurring dream of her supposed to be husband and daughter. In the dream, her daughter was kidnapped and what follows next after her wake is a message from the same man who she remembers as her husband in her dream. Soon on the beginning parts of the game, she regains her memory of her husband and daughter. She now knows her real name as Faye and what follows next is a magical adventure to recover her daughter, Lyra from the clutches of the Fairy Queen of Dreams, Lilith.

Dream Chronicles: The Chosen Child is set to follow the success of the previous Dream Chronicles games, which means that it also revolves around the same addictive gameplay. While it’s considered as a hidden object game, you won’t be shown any list to find in the scenes. All you have to do is to solve the situations as they come, by finding tools, interact them with the scenes and continue on your long journey ahead.

Of course, in the tradition of Dream Chronicles, you’ll still be amazed at how much work is put into the presentation of the game. All of the scenes are beautiful and the fantasy behind the game stands out very well on the realistic nature of the graphics. In a word, the presentation is just plain awesome, showing how Dream Chronicles is taken very seriously by its developers.

In terms of gameplay, I won’t even begin to show any dismay. All clicking functions are responsive and small objects still stand out without sacrificing challenge on finding them. Of course, there are still some partially hidden objects behind the scenes but I guess that’s prevalent on hidden object games anyway.

There is no time limit in Dream Chronicles: The Chosen Child and there’s also no penalty for miss-clicks. However, this is offset by the limited hint system through a crystal ball located at the lower left of the screen. Your husband in the ball won’t show you object locations, but will almost always just remind you of what you need to do next. Either that or a polite explanation that he doesn’t even know what to say to you.

While there’s challenge in hidden object finding and interacting, Dream Chronicles: The Chosen Child definitely shines more on the puzzle aspect of the game. I know there’s no less to expect coming from this series, but it’s still worth mentioning the innovative brain teasers you’ll encounter throughout the course of your adventure. There are puzzles I’ve never seen before on other games of this type, and the game explains the objective of each puzzle too, and not just some random mini-game pop-up.

All in all, the game is really a good blend of fun, challenge and addiction. It even introduces a brand new way of backtracking through the previous levels by the use of the Nexus Gateway. New levels can be unlocked on the gateway by finding and using Dream Jewels you can collect or forge throughout your adventure, therefore adding a new element of challenge in the whole gameplay.

Being a well-known brain teaser, it’s easy to get stuck on levels without much help coming from the limited hint system. Dream Chronicles: The Chosen Child really needs a great deal of analytical thinking to play, therefore making it easier to play the game with friends if you need help in the in-game situations. Of course, you can always challenge yourself by playing solo, making it a rewarding experience as you finish each stage of the game.

In conclusion, you just have to try this game out and buy it if you have a chance. It’s a great addition to your casual gaming library and I recommend it very much as a perfect accompaniment during your free gaming time.

Dream Chronicles: The Chosen Child Download

Between the Worlds

Posted by Ruff on April 19th, 2009

(1 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)

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From what I observed on countless hidden object games I’ve played in the past, they are mostly classified on whether they tackle fantasy themes or detective work as a plot for the adventure. Between the Worlds is different since while at first hand, you’re off tackling sleuthing cases to solve crimes, on the other, your task is to stop an evil sorcerer from conquering the whole of Los Angeles City. Sounds confusing? Well, let’s talk about the plotline then.

In the game, you play as a brilliant detective asked by the Los Angeles county sheriff to help in his current predicament. The whole of the city is in total chaos as crimes are being committed everywhere. The reason behind the crimes is an evil sorcerer whose aim is to take control of the whole city by magically controlling the minds of would-be criminals. And as the main man of the force, you’ll have to both save the city from crime and when the opportunity strikes, get back to the evil sorcerer until he leaves the people in one piece.

Between the Worlds features a traditional hidden object gameplay. Objects are listed on either the left or right side of the scene and all you have to do is to find all of the objects for you to move on to the next level. Evidences are random, thus explaining the unrealistic clutter of all the scenes in the game. Be prepared of all the uncommon ways of hiding objects too – silhouettes, embedded objects on straight edges, pixel finding, etc. You name it, and probably you’ll encounter it in this game.

Some of the scenes also have objects you can open to reveal parts of a broken amulet to be used against the evil sorcerer. The secret counter shows how many of these parts you’ll need to find in the current scene. This adds a bit of a challenge to the usual hidden object gameplay. Good thing that all the levels are not timed and there are no penalties for miss-clicks, therefore enabling you to spam clicks if you’re a bit frustrated in finding objects.

Another downside with Between the Worlds is how some of the hidden objects sometimes run on the edges of the scenes, making them near impossible to find. Most of the time, there are also multiple instances of a single object on a scene, but the game wants you to pick only one of them. For example, the game looks for a bird, but there’re at least five birds in the scene and you’ll have to click on each one of them to pinpoint what you’re actually looking for.

With all that negative review said, the game also has its beauty which is even enough to make you enjoy playing and eventually buy the unrestricted version. With this, I’m talking about the mini-games involved when you’re up face to face against the sorcerer in a battle of wits. There are nine wizard traps included in the game, which roughly translates to nine brainteaser mini-games you’ll look forward to as you go through the levels. There are also three bonus levels, including an action game where you shoot the sorcerer with a magic-spewing wand.

Between the Worlds is presented fairly well visually and I loved the music incorporated in the game. All of the mini-games are very addictive and will definitely challenge you especially on later levels where you won’t even be given a single clue on how to solve the problem. And with all the 32 item-finding levels, you’ll be sure that you get your money’s worth if you decide to purchase the game.

I say it’s definitely worth the try and can be great fun if you don’t mind all that pixel-finding gameplay.

Between the Worlds Download

Pretty in Pink

Posted by Ruff on April 18th, 2009

(1 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)

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Legacy Interactive’s third and final game in partnership with Paramount Entertainment takes us back in 1980’s culture and fashion with the Pretty in Pink game. This time around, the gameplay focuses entirely on hidden object as you help Andie, our teenage heroine, pave the path to her success in the upcoming high school prom, and in the process, find true love along the way.

The story of the game revolves around the theme of the movie, Pretty in Pink but of course, adds a little bit of twists and turns in order for the developers to incorporate hidden object into the storyline. In the culture of the 80’s, teen groups are often classified into poor or wealthy organizations. Andie came from the latter group, so are her friends Ducky and Iona, but after catching the eye of a rich boy named Blane, will her newfound relationship blossom into a dream or a nightmare?

Pretty in Pink follows a traditional hidden object gameplay wherein you are tasked to find hidden items on cluttered scenes within the specified time limit. Before each level, you’ll be given a reason for you to fulfill each task; however, items you need to find are still random, mostly with no relation to the current storyline. For example, Andie needs to get ready to go to school therefore you need to find her supplies, but in the process, you’ll also have to collect phones and teddy bears, which is kind of questionable.

Aside from the listed items, you’re also given the option to collect rubber ducks and toy cars hidden on each level. The number you find will determine the outcome of the game’s story whether Andie will choose Duckie or Blane, or a possible third ending according to Legacy Interactive themselves. There’s also an option to find a prom dress piece shown at the right side of your list, which will enable you to increase Andie’s dress collection and mix and match her dress to be worn at the prom end of the game.

With all these features said, the best element of Pretty in Pink is still the mini-games you play between each level. While most of the mini-games are also hidden object gameplay types like find the difference and collecting same items, there’s also a number of unique ones like jigsaw puzzles, memory matching games, and my personal favorite, a cooking game where you have to determine the correct order of ingredients by just basing from clues shown in the recipe. All in all, mini-games provide a fun test of logic complementing the straightforward nature of traditional hidden object gameplay.

Honestly though, I’m not really a fan of the artwork presented in the game. While the effort is certainly there to bring gaming life to the characters of the movie, I still don’t believe that they are represented well in the game, or animated well even. I noticed that the character eyes are the only ones that move to show expression, and frankly, it’s not a beautiful thing to watch. The dialogues are presented well though, making you curious still on the storyline until the end of the game.

Pretty in Pink is quite long with 49 levels and its many additional mini-games. It can be a tiring task to complete all the levels in one sitting since after long, it seems as if you’re trying to find the same items all over again. One positive thing about the game though is that after finishing it, you can always opt in to play again for a newer ending as you collect either rubber ducks or toy cars. Replay-ability is something missing from most hidden object games, and this game makes it possible with a simple element of ending twist.

Pretty in Pink may not be the best hidden object game out there but it is still a game worth trying out. As a matter of fact, you can even try out the other Legacy – Paramount games in just one pack, coined the OMG! High School Triple Play Pack and save dollars if you’re interested in the collection.

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CSI: NY – The Game

Posted by Ruff on April 8th, 2009

(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

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We have seen several hidden object games patterned on solving crime in the past but when it comes to TV, there’s nothing more known in solving crime than the CSI drama series. Now, we get to see one of the CSI series in a casual installment with CSI: NY – The Game, a point and click drama depicting the heroes of the hit TV series.

The game follows the story of four different crime scenes that will surely baffle the best of the crime lab. Starring Detectives Mac Taylor and Stella Bonasera, you get to play as these popular TV characters as you try to solve homicide cases trouble the whole of New York. And just like in TV, you get to have a taste of the whole drama too, while there’s not much voice-acted dialogue, you get to have your fill of action from the text, just like any typical hidden object TV series depictions.

CSI: NY – The Game follows a unique hidden object gameplay where the first phase of each scene is to find hidden objects, but this time, items are listed first as empty photo paper, and as time go by, the paper develops a silhouette of the item you need to find. The game is not timed, and there are no penalties for misclicks. However, you do need to solve the in-scene interactive situations, which is sometimes exasperating since you’ll be given little to no clue on how to use collected inventory items.

In my case, there’s a scene in the second case which I spent hours trying to solve. Eventually, I gave in and consulted the Big Fish Games’ Strategy Guide. Well, I know that’s called cheating, but how in the world will I know that you need to put gas in a fire extinguisher-looking torch at the corner of the screen, and then after getting the torch, use it against a locked cabinet? When all I get when trying to click items is a pop-up window saying: “this doesn’t look right”.

Don’t get me wrong though, CSI: NY – The Game is really presented beautifully and the items are easy to recognize (aside from that torch perhaps). All the characters in the TV series are represented really well by the artwork done on the game. Even in their dialogues, you can already feel that you’re just watching the actual CSI: NY team at work. But this time, of course, you’re at the helm of the investigation since you’ll be doing most of the dusting, analyzing and processing yourself.

What this means is that the game is a real challenge. As a matter of fact, the greatest feature presented in this installment is the number of mini-game puzzles that pop-up during the course of your investigation. Most of the mini-games are unique and fun to play. There are also recurring ones available, especially on lab works, fingerprint dusting and various other day to day CSI activities.

When I say CSI: NY – The Game only has four crime scenes you need to fulfill, this is far from the fact that the game is considerably long. You’ll certainly have your fill of examining evidence, interrogating suspects and gathering clues. All you have to remember though is that even though you don’t need to play fast, you have to play smart. The game awards you for right choices made and right questions asked, and after the level is complete, all your points will be tallied and scored with either a bronze, silver or gold star in categories ranging from evidence collection to lab evidence analysis.

All in all, the game is engaging and challenging to play. Definitely worth the buy if you like the TV series or just plain love solving crime-themed games while playing detective in the comfort of your own home.

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