New York Mysteries: The Lantern of Souls
- August 24, 2016
- FIVE-BN GAMES
- 7h median play time
In New York Mysteries: The Lantern of Souls, players explore a mysterious ghost train to uncover a plot against the city's elites. As Laura, a detective and experienced investigator, you'll solve puzzles, interrogate suspects, and delve into the supernatural to save New York. With its immersive storyline and atmospheric setting, this hidden object adventure game offers a thrilling and suspenseful experience.
Reviews
- The game features a well-written and engaging story with unexpected twists, making it a standout in the hidden object genre.
- Graphics and animations are of high quality, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
- Puzzles are inventive and interactive, providing a refreshing change from typical hidden object scenes.
- The game suffers from excessive backtracking, which can disrupt the flow and pacing of the gameplay.
- Some players found the puzzles to be too easy and lacking in challenge, making the game less engaging for experienced players.
- There are technical issues reported, including bugs that can hinder progress, particularly in the bonus chapter.
- story70 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally well-received, with many players finding it interesting, well-written, and engaging, featuring unexpected twists and a compelling plot. However, some critiques highlight inconsistencies and a lack of depth in certain areas, particularly in the bonus chapter, which felt disconnected from the main narrative. Overall, while the story has its strengths, it also has room for improvement in coherence and character development.
“The story itself is well-written: I mean, I wasn't really expecting the unexpected twist with the reaper.”
“The story is pretty interesting, too, maybe the best of the bunch.”
“Interesting story along with fun puzzles!”
“The story is a bit lacking this time as you don't actually solve the crime you were sent to solve, but instead switch to another mystery completely along the way.”
“In contrast, New York Mysteries: The Lantern of Souls just bored me to death with, as mentioned earlier, repetitive and senseless tasks that barely move the story forward.”
“I finished it, but the story made no sense.”
- graphics23 mentions
- 78 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their beauty and quality, with many reviewers highlighting the outstanding animation and well-painted visuals. While some players expected more vibrant colors, the overall aesthetic is considered impressive, effectively reflecting the game's setting in 1940s New York City. Additionally, the option to adjust visuals enhances the gaming experience, contributing to a solid overall presentation.
“This is a great game with outstanding graphics and animation.”
“Fabulous graphics, good puzzles, great music and sound effects.”
“Aesthetically speaking, everything is done well here.”
“Pity, because it definitely had potential, looking at the size, story, and graphics of the game.”
“Despite being about the supernatural, the game is set in real-world New York City in the 1940s, and the visuals in the game reflect that.”
- gameplay14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally enjoyable and smooth, featuring a mix of standard mechanics such as finding and using items, solving puzzles, and engaging in hidden object scenes, though the latter are less frequent than in previous installments. Players noted a repetitive reliance on finding keys and tools, which can become tedious, but the variety of puzzles and well-drawn scenes contribute positively to the experience. Overall, the game offers around six hours of engaging content, though some players found the story lacking in depth.
“It was enjoyable and the gameplay was smooth.”
“On top of the usual five-bn game style single-screen sequential hidden object scenes, we get a wonderful variety in conventional puzzles and adventure game mechanics.”
“The gameplay is pretty standard: find items, use them, combine them, clear hidden object scenes (mostly with shapes and a big scene with at least a puzzle), solve puzzles.”
“I was going to say this was the best of the trilogy but now I am not so sure after completion. The stories are kind of drab, slightly interesting but nothing gripping. Some of the puzzles are good and all the scenes are very well drawn, but most of the gameplay is find a key for this and use a crowbar for that, which by the end you will be rolling your eyes at how much it's used throughout the game.”
“There seem to be a lot fewer hidden object scenes, and the developers have gone more with a point-and-click puzzle game where you have to find and use objects and solve puzzles, but not much hidden object gameplay.”
- music8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for being marvelous and well-integrated, although some players expressed disappointment that it reused the soundtrack from the previous installment. Overall, while the music is considered good and complements the gameplay, it does not stand out as particularly innovative.
“Fabulous graphics, good puzzles, great music and sound effects.”
“I like the story, graphics, puzzle design, and soundtrack.”
“The soundtrack is marvellous, though I was kind of disappointed that it was the same as the previous game.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received negative feedback primarily due to excessive advertisements that appear before gameplay, which detracts from the overall experience. Users find the advertising methods unappealing and feel that it gives the game a cheap impression, despite acknowledging that the game itself is not bad.
“I only give it a negative review because they make so much advertisement for their games.”
“Final thoughts: I have found the game developer's method of advertising their other games to be unappealing.”
“The advertisement pops up before the actual game loads.”
- stability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, with users reporting no glitches and smooth transitions between game modes and videos.
“The game showed no glitches, which is refreshing, and the transitions between game modes and videos were smooth.”
“I experienced no crashes or bugs during my playthrough, making for a seamless gaming experience.”
“The stability of the game is impressive; everything runs smoothly without any interruptions.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the unique approach to grinding in hidden object games, highlighting the enjoyable map and engaging mini-games, though some find the jigsaw section to be tedious. Overall, the experience is considered brilliant despite minor frustrations.
“The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I found myself doing the same tasks over and over again just to progress, which became incredibly frustrating.”
“The amount of grinding required to level up is excessive and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game has low replayability, with users indicating that there is little incentive to play it multiple times.
“The replay value for the game is low.”
“Once you complete the game, there's little incentive to play it again.”
“The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying feel tedious.”