Hey gamers! Midterms are finally over, thank goodness. As I always say, I wish they were testing me on hidden object scenes, I'd ace them! I think I did really good and I'm glad the stress is over. Lucy is still going crazy on Halloween decorations. She finished the house and is now working on the yard. We got some odd looks from the neighbors when she put up a giant (we are talking over 6 feet long) inflatable black cat she found on eBay. Meanwhile, the trees and bushes have black, white, orange, and toxic green spider webs (no spiders!). There are pumpkins - the artsy side of Lucy came out and she carved some wicked cool (I'm starting to talk like her!) pumpkins. She created the old "witch flew into a tree" complete with broomstick and I could go on and on, but I really don't want to bore you. Needless to say, I'm a little worried about who is taking all this down when Halloween is over. Not to mention, I heard her muttering something about large inflatable turkey's...oy! I must remind her we won't even be here for Thanksgiving, we'll be at home!
Hey gamers! Midterms are finally over, thank goodness. As I always say, I wish they were testing me on hidden object scenes, I'd ace them! I think I did really good and I'm glad the stress is over. Lucy is still going crazy on Halloween decorations. She finished the house and is now working on the yard. We got some odd looks from the neighbors when she put up a giant (we are talking over 6 feet long) inflatable black cat she found on eBay. Meanwhile, the trees and bushes have black, white, orange, and toxic green spider webs (no spiders!). There are pumpkins - the artsy side of Lucy came out and she carved some wicked cool (I'm starting to talk like her!) pumpkins. She created the old "witch flew into a tree" complete with broomstick and I could go on and on, but I really don't want to bore you. Needless to say, I'm a little worried about who is taking all this down when Halloween is over. Not to mention, I heard her muttering something about large inflatable turkey's...oy! I must remind her we won't even be here for Thanksgiving, we'll be at home!
So, how does one unwind after midterms? They play one of the best games ever produced! That game is the third installment in the Drawn series by Big Fish Games, Drawn: Trail of Shadows.
The story is what they call a prequel. It's the story before Iris enters the world of paintings as told by her caretaker, Franklin. The game is a bit shorter than it's precursors, but still perfection. The graphics, as always, are top notch and one of the series I often compare other games to for graphics quality. I like the quirkiness of the graphics in the Drawn series. It's like one huge pop-up book. Who doesn't love a good pop-up book. Nobody really outgrows them do they? They added a really nice element and that is screen movement. In other words, you can tilt the picture left or right and it gives it a 3D feel. I thought this addition really made the game more realistic. However, if you have performance problems, you can turn this feature off. In one instance, the fireplace crackles and pops and steam rises from the flames giving it a holographic feel. I could go on and on about the graphics, but I think you've got the picture (pun intended).
The ambience is stellar. As afore mentioned, the fireplaces snap, crackle, and pop. The wind howls and moans. There was only one instance when the ambience sounds didn't make a whole lot of sense, I can't really explain it suffice to say that it make Lucy popped her head into my room and asked me if one of our cats (now best buddies - kind of like Lucy and me) were vomiting up a hairball. Weird, I know.
The game play did not vary from the last two games. This is strictly an adventure game and not a hidden object game. You will not find any hidden object scenes. The puzzles are difficult (I did warn you), but not impossible - although it may seem that way at first. I have included many puzzle solution videos to help you out. If you play on regular mode you can skip them. The puzzles however, and this is one of my few complaints, aren't really logical. It was a case of click and see what happens to figure out what you're supposed to do. My other complaint was the l-o-a-d-i-n-g time. This could take could take awhile and I have a nearly brand new computer. It was my gift from me to me for my senior year. Older computers might see even longer loading times.
If you've never played the Drawn series, you could probably play this one without having played the first two in the series since the storyline is not linear. However, you must play the first and second ones in order. Drawn is one of my favorite series and this did not disappoint. I wrote the guide based on the collector's edition which does not come with a strategy guide like most collectors editions. It does have some bonus materials like wallpapers, the soundtrack which you can export onto your computer, and conceptual art. Nothing so outstanding that you couldn't wait for the regular edition to release. Either way, I wish I had more than two thumbs to give it. Until next time, happy gaming!
