Melissa K. and the Heart of Gold Collector's Edition
- September 19, 2014
- SDP Games
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Melissa K. and the Heart of Gold Collector's Edition" is a 3D adventure game set in 1947 Thailand, where player controls Melissa, who is on a mission from the Queen of England. The game combines hand-painted graphics with 3D technology, and features hidden object scenes, puzzles, and a interactive 3D world. With over 30 locations, 30 puzzles, and adjustable difficulty levels, players can expect over 7 hours of gameplay.
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Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and a unique 3D perspective that enhances the hidden object experience.
- The puzzles are varied and engaging, providing a mix of challenge without being overly frustrating.
- The storyline, while sometimes convoluted, offers an interesting adventure with Indiana Jones-like elements.
- The game suffers from significant backtracking and some illogical puzzle solutions that can lead to frustration.
- Voice acting and dialogue delivery are often slow and awkward, detracting from the overall experience.
- Several achievements are broken, which can be disappointing for completionists and affect the game's replay value.
- story120 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The story in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and filled with intriguing twists, while others criticize it for being incoherent, generic, or poorly executed. Many reviewers note that the narrative suffers from excessive backtracking and a lack of clear direction, leading to frustration with puzzle-solving. Overall, while some appreciate the effort to create a captivating storyline, many agree that it falls short of expectations, often feeling bland or nonsensical.
“The intricate puzzles, captivating story, and stunning visuals make it a true treasure.”
“The storyline makes a good attempt at being memorable with a decent plot twist thrown in there.”
“Great story-based point and click starring Melissa K, a British archaeologist summoned by the queen to investigate some strange goings-on in Thailand.”
“The story is practically non-existent.”
“The plot and dialogue are generic.”
“The story is pretty nonsensical – characters appear without much cause or warning, the dialogue is often bizarre and not very well-written, and the challenges you must complete often feel quite arbitrary.”
- graphics64 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their beauty and creativity, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning artwork and well-designed 3D environments. While some noted that certain elements feel slightly dated or clunky, the overall visual presentation, including cutscenes and backgrounds, is considered impressive for the genre. However, a few critiques mention that character animations and textures could use improvement, indicating a mix of high-quality visuals alongside some limitations.
“The graphics engine indeed represents a breakthrough for this genre: 3D effects mixed with the usual lush 2D scenes, with excellent character animation direction.”
“The graphics for the backgrounds are gorgeous.”
“I was astounded by the graphics.”
“About the only thing this game has going for it are the background visuals, which are based on actual places, if you check the developer video in the extras.”
“Graphics were old, especially the animation.”
“I hope you are not expecting graphics in AAA titles in this game, because it's far from that.”
- gameplay39 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews for the game are mixed, with some players appreciating the variety of puzzles and difficulty settings, while others criticize the mechanics as tedious and counter-intuitive. The game features unique elements like parallax scrolling and the ability to view locations from different angles, but many find the navigation frustrating and the overall experience lacking depth. Despite some creative aspects, the gameplay is often described as infuriating and not engaging enough to sustain interest over time.
“More open-ended and challenging than more recent games, but has a good difficulty-level setting: your choice of casual, adventure, or hard changes the level of the puzzles and overall gameplay, not just basics like how quickly the hint button recharges.”
“The game also supports different difficulty settings and offers lots of hours of gameplay, has a great hint and recharge system, lots of different locations (more than 30) and lots of puzzles, among of course the usual hidden object adventure, so that you'll have to collect items, store them or combine into your inventory in order to proceed and so on, as a point 'n' click game.”
“I got this game yesterday with my hopes down but what an amazing gameplay!”
“And gameplay requires the player to click every pixel of the screen as often completely nondescript background scenery actually zooms in to reveal additional clickable objects.”
“The horrible story setup, lack of drama, counter-intuitive game mechanics, and yawn-inducing puzzles make it extremely difficult for the player's interest to be sustained.”
“I adore hidden object games and I like to complete them despite their flaws, but this game has mechanics so frustrating (especially the navigation through different locations) that I was forced to give up.”
- music23 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as lovely, fitting, and of higher quality than typical hidden object game soundtracks. Many players appreciate its relaxing and understated nature, enhancing the overall experience, while some note that it may not be particularly special. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong aspect of the game, contributing positively to its atmosphere.
“The art is quite lovely, and the music fits well.”
“The music is lovely in places and the game has all the feel of something that took real time to make.”
“Music and sounds are wonderful, combined with the animations and moveable scenes it's like you're in the game.”
“The music is kind of relaxing and slow, which makes a perfect sound, especially when you are doing the mini games.”
“At least it's got pretty music.”
“Music can be turned off, but if you like enigma-type music it should suit some of your taste.”
- humor14 mentions
- 93 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's humor is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the wacky cutscene animations and character interactions that elicit genuine laughter. While some found the voice acting and certain jokes to be hit-or-miss, the overall comedic tone, especially from the main character, adds a lighthearted charm to the experience. However, repetitive achievements and some poorly executed humor detract from the enjoyment for others.
“The cutscene animations are wacky, tacky, and funny.”
“I found myself getting attached to almost all of the characters and even laughing at some of their jokes!”
“The voice acting and the characters are humorous.”
“The game is long, and while some puzzles were a bit tricky and others were easy and fun to solve, the humor fell flat. After finishing the first adventure, I checked for the achievements and most of them are ridiculous, like the one where you need to solve all the puzzles again super fast to get the best score. I don't find that funny at all; it just requires a lot of repetition.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with some achievements requiring significant effort to complete, particularly for those aiming for 100% completion. While the puzzles and visuals are praised, the hidden object minigames and pixel-hunting mechanics contribute to a frustrating experience, leading many to resort to the skip option to avoid the grind. Overall, the gameplay is seen as lacking in enjoyment due to its repetitive nature.
“I can't recommend this one; while I do like the clever use of parallax scrolling to create a 3D effect, that isn't enough to make up for the tedious gameplay.”
“They are all beautiful, and the pseudo-3D makes it unique among this genre, but that 3D is also the foremost tool to hide everything in the stupidest spots, turning the game into a tedious pixel hunt.”
“Overall, I found the game tedious and not very fun.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers some replayability through unlockable puzzles and adjustable difficulty settings, allowing players to revisit challenges at their own pace. However, many users feel that the overall replay value is low, with some expressing that achievements do not significantly enhance their motivation to replay.
“+bonus puzzles and replayable puzzles and levels.”
“I don't play games solely for their achievements, but when they are there, I enjoy the extra challenge and replayability that they provide.”
“The replay value for the game is low.”
“Replay value: 3/10.”
“You are not required to play the game at the hardest difficulty, and you can change the difficulty at any time due to the fact that the puzzles are unlocked to be replayable in the box menu.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with users reporting significant bugs that detract from the overall experience. While some acknowledge the presence of community support for troubleshooting, the general consensus leans towards disappointment due to the game's numerous technical issues.
“I feel like this buggy pile of crap wasted 2 hours of my life that I'll never get back, so no, I don't recommend this one.”
“It's an okay game, but highly buggy.”
“We all know that Steam is now overflowing with substandard, buggy, amateur, and ill-conceived titles.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game appears to be mixed; while some users report smooth performance and fast navigation without bugs, others experience significant stuttering that hampers gameplay, suggesting potential issues that may vary by system.
“Everything runs smoothly, and the navigation is fast. I've encountered no bugs while moving objects or running around the screens.”
“The in-engine cutscenes are animated using motion capture of live actors' performances, enhancing the overall experience.”
“Not sure if it's my computer, but the game keeps stuttering and won't let me play.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is enriched by its incorporation of Buddhist themes and legends, creating a pleasant and immersive experience. However, some players feel that the hidden object scenes detract from the overall adventure feel, suggesting that a more balanced mix of gameplay elements could enhance the atmosphere further.
“There's a lot to do with Buddhism and the legend around it, and the atmosphere is very nice.”
“The hidden object scenes were used to give the game more of a feeling like an adventure, and in my opinion, that enhanced the atmosphere.”
“The hidden object scenes were used to give the game more of an adventure feel, but in my opinion, that ruined some of the fun. A mixed solution, incorporating both construction elements and more traditional hidden object games, might have enhanced the atmosphere.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized due to a boring storyline and poor voice acting, which detracts from the overall impact and engagement of the narrative.
“The storyline was boring and the voice acting was awful.”
“The emotional depth of the characters was lacking, making it hard to connect with their struggles.”
“I felt no emotional impact from the events in the game; everything felt flat and unengaging.”
