Mystery Case Files®: 13th Skull™ Collector's Edition
- August 18, 2016
- Big Fish Games
- 3h median play time
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Reviews
- The game features an engaging storyline with well-developed characters and immersive live-action sequences.
- Puzzles are challenging and varied, providing a satisfying experience for players who enjoy problem-solving.
- The nostalgic feel of the game, combined with its unique atmosphere and graphics, makes it a memorable entry in the Mystery Case Files series.
- The game suffers from technical issues, including glitches that can cause essential items to disappear from the inventory.
- Some puzzles are unintuitive and can lead to frustration, requiring players to rely on walkthroughs to progress.
- The pacing can feel slow at times, with excessive backtracking and fetch quests that detract from the overall enjoyment.
- story43 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is widely praised for its engaging and well-thought-out narrative, featuring real-life actors that enhance the experience. While many players enjoyed the intriguing plot and character development, some found the pacing slow and the ending unsatisfactory. Overall, the combination of a captivating storyline and challenging puzzles makes it a standout in the genre, despite some criticisms regarding dialogue and voice acting.
“It has a brilliantly thought-out story and amazing graphics.”
“The story and real-life actors kept me engaged and wanting more.”
“You really get hooked on the story and want to know what happens next.”
“I should have listened to the poor recommendations that list, the quest type, inventory and poor information about the surroundings.”
“But I spent far more time randomly wandering about in frustration than I did progressing the plot or solving puzzles.”
“There are a few plot holes, like you know xyz does something, but it's not required to finish the game.”
- music8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many players noting its brilliance in complementing the art and storytelling. The soundtrack is described as captivating, contributing significantly to the overall experience and leaving a lasting impression on players.
“The atmosphere and music are through the roof!”
“The art in each scene is wonderful and works well with the background music!”
“The soundtrack is great!”
“The music.”
“Don't know why I hear Aurelio Voltaire's 'Don't Go by the River' song in my head whenever I play the game.”
- atmosphere7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its eerie and immersive setting, enhanced by detailed graphics and a captivating soundtrack. Reviewers highlight the authentic Louisiana charm and spooky voodoo elements, noting the realistic character designs that contribute to the overall suspense and tension. Despite budget constraints, the game effectively creates a chilling ambiance that keeps players engaged.
“The atmosphere and music are through the roof!”
“The eerie, atmospheric setting, detailed graphics, and the original soundtrack create an immersive experience.”
“Murky southern charm and a spooky voodoo atmosphere with realistic human characters.”
“The atmosphere is still well done for its setting, and for those who aren't comfortable in swamps, prepare for some scares as they do a decent job for the budget they had to work with in creating suspense for the few jumpscares one can get.”
“I think it's the Louisiana atmosphere and the people look real instead of cartoon CGI.”
“Murky southern charm and spooky voodoo atmosphere with real-life human characters.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics are widely praised for their stunning detail and artistic style, contributing to an immersive and atmospheric experience. Reviewers highlight the impressive artwork, particularly in hidden object scenes, and the overall visual quality enhances the game's engaging story and setting.
“It has a brilliantly thought-out story and amazing graphics.”
“The eerie, atmospheric setting, detailed graphics, and the original soundtrack create an immersive experience.”
“I quite like the art style, too: the areas are well drawn and detailed.”
“The eerie, atmospheric setting is undermined by the lack of detail in the graphics.”
“While I appreciate the art style, the overall graphics feel outdated and lack polish.”
“I had to set my graphics card to HD just to make the visuals somewhat acceptable.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally well-received, with players noting that while the ho sections are acceptable, they have become less prominent compared to other gameplay elements.
“The gameplay is engaging and keeps you on your toes throughout the entire experience.”
“The mechanics are smooth and intuitive, making it easy to jump right in and enjoy.”
“The variety of gameplay elements ensures that there's always something new to explore.”
“The gameplay mechanics feel clunky and unrefined, making it difficult to enjoy the experience.”
“The ho sections are okay, but they have taken a backseat to the other gameplay elements.”
“The overall pacing of the gameplay is inconsistent, leading to frustrating moments.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of absurdity and wit, with characters that are both seriously mad and genuinely funny, leading to moments that elicit significant laughter. Overall, players find the comedic elements to enhance their experience while solving puzzles of normal difficulty.
“Most of the puzzles are of normal difficulty, and the characters are both seriously mad and funny.”
“Had me laughing my butt off!”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be boring and tedious, detracting from the overall enjoyment despite a compelling plot. Many feel that the game should prioritize fun and minimize annoyance to enhance the experience.
“Absolutely boring and tedious.”
“So even though I liked the plot, the game needs to be fun, free of annoyance and tediousness.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the performances and direction are highly praised, there is no specific mention of optimization in the provided text, suggesting that this aspect may not have been a focal point in the reviews.
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to have significant stability issues, particularly with inventory items disappearing, which can hinder players from completing objectives.
“The game was very buggy for me, specifically regarding the inventory items that would disappear before I could complete the objective.”
“I experienced frequent crashes that made it impossible to progress in the game.”
“The stability issues were frustrating, as the game would freeze at critical moments, ruining the experience.”
