Recently Avanquest released Hidden Mysteries Titanic for the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS systems. Being advertised as a mixture between hidden object and puzzle in terms of gameplay, I feel that accurately describes what players can expect.
Gamers will be able to play through 20 levels, and come across hundreds of objects, regardless of which platform they play on. One big downside for me was that, on both the Wii and DS, the game itself was rather short. I was able to get through it in about 3 hours, but if you’re the kind of gamer that likes to take their time (in which there’s nothing wrong with that), it will obviously take you longer. While the length of the game, or lack of, is a bit of a downer, the addition of multiple different endings certainly gives the game a high replay value. Wii owners will especially love the exclusive bonus level where you can explore the Titanic 100 years after it’s famous sinking.
With both the DS stylus & Wii-mote, I was able to control the game easily and had no problems with accuracy, which was fantastic. I liked how the user interface was located in a spot where it didn’t obstruct my view of the screen, I liked how there was a mixture in terms of how difficult the puzzles are, and I liked how, if you got stuck, all you had to do was use the lifesaver to help you get past that area.
I did run into some additional issues, and although they are minor, I feel they should be noted. For those who choose to pick up the DS version, I highly recommend lowering the music volume. During the cut scenes, it can be difficult to hear the voice over the music, and to place your ear up to the speaker results in you not being able to view the video. I also didn’t care too much for the music, but like I said, that is a minor thing.
Some gamers won’t like how the characters, when speaking, are stationary. I personally didn’t mind it, as it reminded me of a panel from a comic book, but I know that there are some who would expect movement or facial expressions. The characters themselves are very well done though. In the booklet for the game, there are little bios for everybody, and in the game itself, you get a real feel for who they are. The main character, Margaret Ashely, is a new bride, and while her husband leaves something to be desired, she is very witty. I enjoyed her banter throughout the game.
Currently the Avanquest version of Hidden Mysteries Titanic is only available for UK gamers, but since the DS is region free, those living outside of the UK might want to check into whether or not a copy can be shipped to them. Both versions have a retail price of £19.99, which is pretty reasonable. If you’re not too sure about that price, then head on over to the UK Amazon.com site where the DS & Wii versions are being sold for slightly cheaper.
