Sea Legends: Phantasmal Light
- January 14, 2012
- Shaman Games Studio
- 5h median play time
"Sea Legends: Phantasmal Light" is a hidden object adventure game set on a mysterious island with a tragic past. Players, intaking the role of Jane, must explore the island, solve puzzles, and uncover its dark secrets to save their husband, Mike. With 40 playable locations, 12 hidden object scenes, and 15 mini-games, players will have to outsmart the ancient heritage to escape the island. The game features a unique and original world to explore.
Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and a captivating cosmic horror atmosphere.
- There is a good variety of hidden object puzzles, and the hand-drawn scenes are well integrated with the gameplay.
- The bonus chapter adds depth to the story, allowing players to experience events from a different character's perspective.
- The gameplay suffers from excessive backtracking and a lack of a map or fast travel, making navigation tedious.
- The hint system is limited and often unhelpful, only providing guidance in specific scenes.
- The game has low resolution graphics, which can be unappealing on modern displays, and some puzzles feel repetitive or uninspired.
- story86 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and atmospheric, particularly appreciating the eerie settings and intriguing puzzles, while others criticize it for being generic and lacking depth. Many reviews highlight the bonus chapter that offers a different perspective, adding some value to the narrative, but opinions vary on the overall execution and originality of the plot. Overall, the story is seen as decent but not groundbreaking, often relying on familiar tropes within the hidden object genre.
“The story is gripping, but you may get bored sometimes due to the lack of fast travel and the underwhelming hint system.”
“The game is well done with beautiful art, some nice puzzles, and a pretty good story which kept me interested to the end.”
“The story is creepy and interesting.”
“The story is stuck between the juvenile and mature in such a way to align with neither group.”
“The story barely dares to use anything but the usual hidden object building blocks: female protagonist, derelict setting shrouded in mystery, kidnapped loved one, supernatural entity with no real motivation apart from being evil.”
“I've read cereal boxes with more plot depth and interest.”
- graphics41 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the hand-drawn art style and atmospheric visuals that effectively convey the game's themes, while others criticize the low resolution and dated appearance reminiscent of older titles. Many players appreciate the detail in certain scenes, particularly in hidden object puzzles, but note issues with clarity and graininess, especially in fullscreen mode. Overall, while the artwork is often described as good or decent, it is frequently overshadowed by technical limitations and a lack of modern polish.
“The hand-drawn graphics are astonishing, and they capture the eerie atmosphere of the abandoned island, its lighthouse, and the shipwrecks perfectly.”
“The graphics in this game are well drawn, and with animated water splashing around the cliffs, it all looked quite nice and polished.”
“The voice acting, graphics, and visual effects are all solid, and the hidden object scenes were well defined.”
“The graphics are definitely outdated, although it is sort of widescreen.”
“Graphics: mid-2012 game and the artwork looks very dated and lacks detail.”
“The graphics are not very good, and some objects are difficult to see.”
- music19 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as atmospheric and fitting for the theme, enhancing the overall experience. However, some players noted issues with repetitiveness, occasional abrupt stops during gameplay, and a mix of quality ranging from mediocre to intense for certain situations. While many appreciated the soundtrack, some expressed disappointment over its unavailability for download and criticized it as bland or even elevator-like in quality.
“The music fits the theme of the game.”
“The music is atmospheric and the story is imaginative.”
“The soundtrack is also quite adapted for the game too.”
“Music is serviceable.”
“The music is a mix between mediocre and much too intense for the situation; the voice acting is horrendous, the puzzles are sub-par, and I have not seen as bland of a climax since Fable 2.”
“Soundtrack: awful--I've heard better music in an elevator.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it standard and lacking innovation, while others appreciate its solid mechanics and engaging story. Although the artwork and music are praised, the gameplay itself is often described as average, featuring typical elements like minigames and hidden object scenes. Overall, while it may not stand out, it remains enjoyable for many players, especially with the added bonus content in the collector's edition.
“Excellent artwork and gameplay.”
“The gameplay is also good, not the best I had, but very good; like I said, the story is #1, just amazing.”
“I encountered no game-breaking bugs during the gameplay, and furthermore, I had no trouble solving the game and the bonus chapter.”
“The artwork and premise seemed decent, but the gameplay felt stale, not going above average.”
“The gameplay is pretty standard: minigames to solve, hidden object scenes to clear, and items to find in each location.”
“Cons: the gameplay itself is not all that good.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -12 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised, characterized by an imaginative story, atmospheric music, and stunning hand-drawn graphics that effectively evoke a dark and eerie setting. While the soundtrack enhances the experience, some users noted interruptions during gameplay. Overall, the combination of visuals and sound significantly contributes to the game's immersive quality.
“The music is atmospheric and the story is imaginative.”
“The graphics and sound are very atmospheric; they really make the story worthwhile, and this story actually isn't all fishy stuff that might cause you to wrinkle up your nose.”
“The hand-drawn graphics are astonishing, and they capture the eerie atmosphere of the abandoned island, its lighthouse, and the shipwrecks perfectly.”
“The atmosphere is overwhelmingly dark, making it difficult to immerse myself in the game.”
“While the visuals are impressive, the overall atmosphere feels lifeless and fails to engage the player.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, primarily due to the lack of imaginative puzzles and the excessive back-and-forth navigation without a shortcut map. This results in a frustrating experience, as the hint system fails to guide players effectively, detracting from overall enjoyment.
“The back and forth navigation without a shortcut map grew tedious in between puzzles.”
“Over and over—which makes for tedious and boring backtracking and travel.”
“However, this game gets quite tedious after a while. The hint system doesn't tell you where you have to go next, and there is no map for fast travel. That, combined with the need to go forward and backward across the whole island all the time, really pulls the fun out of it.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by unexpected and cartoonish elements, such as a giant floating purple head with a goofy voice, which can evoke genuine laughter even in serious moments. This blend of silliness adds a lighthearted touch to the overall experience.
“Then, at the end of the bonus chapter, there is a giant floating purple head with a goofy voice that made me laugh out loud at how cartoonishly silly it was.”
“I don't think I was supposed to be laughing at that moment, at least not so loudly.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has minimal replay value, with users indicating that it offers a low incentive to play again after the initial experience.
“Minimal replay value.”
“The replay value for the game is low.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The optimization of *Sea Legends: Phantasmal Light* is notably poor, leading to performance issues on modern PCs.
“Sea Legends: Phantasmal Light is very poorly optimized for modern PCs.”
“The game's performance issues make it nearly unplayable on higher-end systems.”
“I experienced frequent frame drops and long loading times, which severely impacted my enjoyment.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, with no game-breaking bugs reported and only minor issues related to item interactions.
“There are no game-breaking bugs, but I encountered a few issues with clicking on items.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I experienced several freezes and lag spikes that disrupted my gameplay.”