Mystery Case Files: Escape from Ravenhearst
The fine folks at Big Fish Games released their yearly MCF offering in November and I loved it. Escape from Ravenhearst is the third Ravenhearst game where the souls of Emma, Rose and the twins battle against the demented Charles Dalimar.
As usual, Big Fish Games has done a stellar job on this game. Other game studios can't compare when it comes to their attention to detail, from the titles of books on a shelf to the lovely art and atmospheric music, sounds and effects. It is always such an immersive experience. I bought the Collector's Edition mostly for the in game strategy guide and bonus content.
Escape really shows off how the genre and series has matured. The original Ravenhearst game featured a torn diary with pieces that had to be put together, level after level until the boss puzzle. It was extremely lightweight and the sequel did raise the bar significantly. Although I still love and play the older games, the newer ones just have so much more going for them.
The game comes with a warning about it being an intense psychological game not for the faint of heart, and I couldn't agree more. It seems like a riff on another great game, Asylum Conspiracy, but ups the amount of horror, especially medical horror in one area. There were times when I had to turn the environment sounds off in one area because the moaning and wailing were just too disturbing.
The return of the morphing objects made me glad because I really enjoyed them in MCF: Madame Fate. I would have liked to see a few more traditional HOG scenes though just for variety.
Many forum goers found parts of this game disgusting, but I was pleased to find a thread full of people who enjoyed the usual demented MCF humour as much as I did. There was one puzzle I couldn't get right and upon failing it each time, something really demented happened as a result. It had me howling! The first time it happened, I couldn't believe it! But I can see why others might find it offensive.
I did have to peek at the strategy more than usual. Escape is definitely for those with a keen eye for detail. As such, it would be hard to judge this game by the free preview because it starts out slowly at first, and then becomes more layered. Now to wait a whole year for the next game...
As usual, Big Fish Games has done a stellar job on this game. Other game studios can't compare when it comes to their attention to detail, from the titles of books on a shelf to the lovely art and atmospheric music, sounds and effects. It is always such an immersive experience. I bought the Collector's Edition mostly for the in game strategy guide and bonus content.
Escape really shows off how the genre and series has matured. The original Ravenhearst game featured a torn diary with pieces that had to be put together, level after level until the boss puzzle. It was extremely lightweight and the sequel did raise the bar significantly. Although I still love and play the older games, the newer ones just have so much more going for them.
The game comes with a warning about it being an intense psychological game not for the faint of heart, and I couldn't agree more. It seems like a riff on another great game, Asylum Conspiracy, but ups the amount of horror, especially medical horror in one area. There were times when I had to turn the environment sounds off in one area because the moaning and wailing were just too disturbing.
The return of the morphing objects made me glad because I really enjoyed them in MCF: Madame Fate. I would have liked to see a few more traditional HOG scenes though just for variety.
Many forum goers found parts of this game disgusting, but I was pleased to find a thread full of people who enjoyed the usual demented MCF humour as much as I did. There was one puzzle I couldn't get right and upon failing it each time, something really demented happened as a result. It had me howling! The first time it happened, I couldn't believe it! But I can see why others might find it offensive.
I did have to peek at the strategy more than usual. Escape is definitely for those with a keen eye for detail. As such, it would be hard to judge this game by the free preview because it starts out slowly at first, and then becomes more layered. Now to wait a whole year for the next game...