Nearwood: Collector's Edition
- April 16, 2014
- MagicIndie
- 6h median play time
In "Nearwood: Collector's Edition," players must save a magical world from a powerful evil, Killiman, who has awakened and plunged the land into eternal winter. As Jane, players will work with Fey the Advisor to explore new locations, help the villagers survive, and save Nearwood from doom. The Collector's Edition includes bonus features like desktop wallpapers, soundtrack, concept art, and an activity to find cute creatures called Snoop-Sees.
Reviews
- Stunning and beautifully detailed artwork that creates an enchanting atmosphere.
- Engaging story with a variety of puzzles that range in difficulty, providing a satisfying challenge.
- Excellent voice acting and a beautiful soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
- Limited hidden object scenes and some puzzles can feel repetitive or overly simplistic.
- No journal or achievements, which may detract from the overall experience for some players.
- Fast travel has a cooldown, making navigation between areas cumbersome at times.
- story85 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its intriguing fantasy elements, beautiful world design, and engaging puzzles. However, some critiques highlight its predictability, clichéd themes, and occasional lack of depth, particularly in character development and narrative tension. Overall, while the story may not be groundbreaking, it provides an enjoyable backdrop for the gameplay experience.
“Nearwood has everything you need in a hidden object game: a good story, a beautiful soundtrack, and gorgeous artwork.”
“Very well made with a great storyline, beautiful music, and keeps you hooked from beginning to end!”
“The story is a bit of a stretch, but it feels natural within the atmosphere of the game.”
“The story is uninteresting and boring; it's not even worth mentioning.”
“The primary issue here is not the techniques of storytelling within the game but a lack of tension and suspense.”
“The story is as stock as it gets: you arrive in a clichéd fairy land tortured by a clichéd zero-dimensional evil to find a clichéd relic which can deal with this menace.”
- graphics56 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics in Nearwood are widely praised for their stunning beauty, intricate details, and vibrant color schemes, creating an enchanting visual experience that enhances the gameplay. Many reviewers highlight the artwork as a standout feature, often describing it as "gorgeous" and "superb," contributing to the game's relaxing atmosphere. Overall, the visuals are considered a significant strength of the game, elevating it above typical hidden object titles.
“I can't get past the artwork's beauty, details, and color scheme; all of them are outstanding.”
“The graphics were beautiful, and I found this game very relaxing.”
“The excellent voice acting and the highly detailed, absolutely stunning painted graphics all promise to enchant you as soon as you hit the play button.”
“The visuals are...it's just...well, you do have the eyes + all those screenshots, don't you?”
“Something about the visuals and gameplay is just... off.”
“The aesthetics bother me in a powerful way that I can't put my finger on, and the actual puzzle gameplay is not that fun as they go.”
- music30 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in Nearwood is widely praised for its beautiful and relaxing soundtrack, which enhances the game's atmosphere and complements its stunning artwork. While some tracks may feel repetitive due to their short length, the overall quality of the music and voice acting is considered excellent, making it a standout feature of the game. Players appreciate the inclusion of the soundtrack in the collector's edition, allowing them to enjoy the music beyond gameplay.
“Nearwood has everything you need in a hidden object game: a good story, a beautiful soundtrack, and gorgeous artwork.”
“The voice acting was well done, the art style and music is just beautiful, and the story was interesting enough to keep me intrigued.”
“The songs are short though, weighing in at about 1:30 each which can become repetitive; however, the game is quick enough that it shouldn't be too much of an irritation.”
“There’s a traditional folk music appeal that enhances the quaintness of the world.”
“The music and voice acting are decent, but they don't stand out as exceptional.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay in *Nearwood* is generally praised for its solid mechanics and beautiful art, providing a casual yet engaging experience that balances challenge and ease. Players can expect around 7-8 hours of gameplay, featuring a mix of object-finding and mini-games, although some reviewers noted design flaws and a lack of fun in the puzzle elements. Overall, while the visuals are appealing, there are mixed feelings about the gameplay's depth and enjoyment.
“Nearwood is a tight and solid experience in the gameplay department.”
“I actually really liked this one - the art is beautiful, the gameplay is challenging enough, but still easy enough to be casual.”
“The gameplay is great, and the story is very nice.”
“Something about the visuals and gameplay is just... off.”
“The aesthetics bother me in a powerful way that I can't put my finger on, and the actual puzzle gameplay is not that fun as they go.”
“It’s hard to find any other fragmented hidden object game that looks better than Nearwood, but the gameplay and plot have serious design flaws.”
- atmosphere7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beautiful art, relaxing music, and excellent voice acting, creating an engaging and immersive fantasy world. Players appreciate the satisfying flow of the story and puzzles, which enhance the overall mood, despite some narrative stretches. The combination of charming graphics and a fairy tale ambiance effectively draws players into the experience.
“Beautiful atmosphere, art and music, excellent voice acting, which is a rarity for this type of game, nice puzzles and flow of the story.”
“The sound and art is beautiful and relaxing, and getting objectives completed feels satisfying even if it's not that difficult. The entire mood and atmosphere of the game is what sells it, in my opinion.”
“Lots of content, some good puzzles, and an immersive fantasy atmosphere, which is important to get you invested.”
“The story is a bit of a stretch, but it feels natural within the atmosphere of the game.”
“The sound and art are beautiful and relaxing, and getting objectives completed feels satisfying even if it's not that difficult. The entire mood and atmosphere of the game is what sells it, in my opinion.”
“Fantasy atmosphere.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the game's puzzles engaging and varied, preventing the experience from becoming tedious. However, some puzzles can be frustrating, though they can be skipped if needed. Overall, the grinding aspect is manageable, with the option to bypass challenges that may feel repetitive.
“My only complaint is that some of the puzzles were annoying and tedious, but it's easy enough to skip them if you get frustrated.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is primarily derived from its amusing fauna, featuring a variety of funny creatures that players enjoy. While the voice acting doesn't reach a level of hilarity, it also doesn't detract from the experience, maintaining a light-hearted tone overall.
“My personal favorite thing about this game is its fauna - lots of funny little creatures.”
“My only regret is that the voice acting isn't bad enough to be hilarious, but it's not bad enough to really hate it, so I guess that's fine too, haha.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has low replayability, with no additional scenes or extras to encourage players to revisit it.
“The replay value for the game is low.”
“There are no replayable scenes as extras.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development is highlighted by interesting and unique character designs, with some monsters resembling Totoro, complemented by richly detailed backgrounds that enhance the overall visual storytelling.
“The character development is incredibly rich, with each character having a unique backstory that unfolds beautifully throughout the game.”
“I love how the characters evolve based on the choices I make, making every decision feel impactful and meaningful.”
“The depth of the characters is impressive; their personalities and relationships grow in a way that feels authentic and engaging.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users generally find the game's stability to be decent, rating it around 8/10, but note that glitches detract from the experience, suggesting that improvements could elevate it to a perfect score.
“I'd give it an 8/10 (if they fix the glitches, maybe a 10/10)”
“The game crashes frequently, making it hard to enjoy.”
“I experienced multiple bugs that disrupted my gameplay.”