The Last Crown: Midnight Horror
- October 29, 2015
- Darkling Room
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"The Last Crown: Midnight Horror" is a point-and-click adventure game centered around a ghost-hunter, Nigel Danvers, who investigates paranormal activities on Halloween night. This game serves as an interlude between "The Lost Crown" and "The Last Crown: Blackenrock," and continues the story-driven plot by Jonathan Boakes. Players must uncover a supernatural mystery while the veil between worlds is at its weakest.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Great to return to Saxton with familiar characters and an engaging story.
- The game has a charming atmosphere and humor, making it enjoyable for fans of the series.
- Improvements in gameplay mechanics and graphics compared to previous installments.
- The game is very short, leaving players wanting more and feeling incomplete.
- Gameplay can be clunky and confusing, with some puzzles lacking clear direction.
- Technical issues such as bugs and a lack of achievements detract from the overall experience.
- story48 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story in this installment of the Lost Crown series is engaging and features interesting characters, but it lacks the depth and eerie atmosphere of its predecessor, often feeling light-hearted and cheesy. While it includes multiple side stories and choices that affect outcomes, many players found the plot repetitive and the overall experience too short, leading to mixed feelings about its execution. Despite these criticisms, the game is still appreciated for its artistic style and serves as a fun, classic ghost story suitable for the Halloween season.
“I love this game, it has so many little side stories, just like the first game, alongside continuing the main story - except for no mention of Hadden, which is curious.”
“The story is good and interesting.”
“It's a nice classic ghost story in the vein of some great Victorian writers, and it was the perfect game for the Halloween holiday season.”
“I did enjoy some of it and some parts were funny, but I felt like it was getting repetitive about halfway to the ending and the story is too short.”
“This takes place on Halloween and centers around a party and a ghost story, but the story was lackluster too. I realize it's really just a lead-in to the third installment, but I still don't see why this couldn't have been attached to the third one as an intro and then just had both packaged in one game.”
“The other games never felt like you did silly things that didn't make sense to make the plot go forward; this short game is full of that.”
- atmosphere36 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "The Lost Crown" games is consistently praised for its immersive and haunting qualities, enhanced by lo-fi graphics, a haunting soundtrack, and a unique English regionalism. While the sequel maintains much of the original's eerie charm, some players noted a shift towards a more humorous tone in certain segments, which slightly diminishes the overall creepiness. Overall, the games are celebrated for their ability to draw players back with their captivating and memorable atmospheres.
“Superb atmosphere, best enjoyed playing in a dark, silent room.”
“The tones and nuance of the atmosphere throughout the game's memorable scenes, the extremely accomplished and artful use of fairly lo-fi graphics, the eccentric yet sincere English regionalism of the setting and cast, intelligently written puzzles and mysteries, and a haunting soundtrack lifted that game above so many other ghostly themed titles.”
“The game oozes with atmosphere and style, and I love that the game has kept the mostly black and white graphics which made the original game, The Lost Crown, so striking.”
“The atmosphere is totally different than the first game.”
“+ genuinely unsettling atmosphere”
“The setting was lovely as always in Boakes' games, and the atmosphere was suitably haunting (yes, the pun is intended).”
- graphics34 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the near photo-realistic visuals and polished aesthetics, while others find the character models basic and the overall graphics lacking in vibrancy. The consistent black and white art style is appreciated for its atmospheric quality, though some players feel that a full-color approach could have enhanced the experience. Overall, the game is noted for its unique art style and immersive atmosphere, despite some criticisms regarding the graphical fidelity and character design continuity.
“The tones and nuance of the atmosphere throughout the game's memorable scenes, the extremely accomplished and artful use of fairly lo-fi graphics, the eccentric yet sincere English regionalism of the setting and cast, intelligently written puzzles and mysteries, and a haunting soundtrack lifted that game above so many other ghostly themed titles.”
“The graphics and atmosphere are just as immersive as in The Lost Crown, and the gameplay is quite similar, with all of our old friends from Saxton.”
“A fantastic game, graphically rich and brilliantly put together for Halloween.”
“Graphics and character models are fairly basic, but occasional splashes of color add to the appealing and unique art style.”
“I honestly prefer the graphics of the first game even though this one is supposed to look more polished. The characters, to me, just didn't have the same look I was used to from the first one, so some of the characters we revisit felt as if totally new actors took on a role in some show you're supposed to believe are the same people.”
“Playing area is very small with one crime to sort of solve; graphics are poor and don't feel right, i.e., cartoonish.”
- gameplay22 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
Gameplay is generally well-received, with improvements in mechanics and engaging ghost-hunting elements that offer more player control. However, some players find it clunky and linear, requiring specific actions to progress, which can lead to frustration and reliance on walkthroughs. Overall, the atmosphere, humor, and puzzle design contribute positively to the experience, despite minor bugs and voice acting issues.
“It's so good, and I am very impressed by the improvement in gameplay mechanics. Very excited for Blackenrock!”
“His adventure games are so good, well designed, he builds up a nice area to explore with plenty of puzzles, great near photo-realistic graphics, and great gameplay.”
“The ghost-hunting mechanics are very similar but have been souped up a little to give the player somewhat more control over the situation rather than taking static pictures, and I appreciated that a lot.”
“Idk why the launch menu is the only thing that counts as gameplay, which is both confusing and frustrating.”
“As far as this goes, it is rough around the edges with some of the voice acting being inconsistent and some minor bugs. However, the most disappointing aspect was the linear gameplay: even though I knew the solution to several puzzles, I could not progress unless I clicked on a certain object or talked to the right person, which forced me to consult a walkthrough to move on.”
“Gameplay can be a bit clunky, but the story is good and the graphics are just okay.”
- humor12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a mix of humor that many players found enjoyable, with some standout funny lines and a lighthearted atmosphere, particularly suited for its Halloween theme. However, some reviewers noted that the humor can become repetitive and is occasionally undermined by poor voice acting, reminiscent of children's programming. Overall, while the humor contributes positively to the experience, its effectiveness may vary throughout the game's short duration.
“Overall, the game has a nice atmosphere, humor, and fun enough gameplay.”
“Good sound, interesting art, humor, romance, and, of course, ghosts!”
“Of course, this being a short (it took me 4 hours to finish) Halloween special centered around a party in the bear, the atmosphere is less creepy and much more humorous, but that was quite enjoyable.”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with some users experiencing freezing issues, particularly when interacting with trick-or-treaters, while others report minimal glitches. Players are advised to save frequently to mitigate potential bugs.
“No menu choice comes up when I greet the trick or treaters and the game freezes.”
“- a little buggy (make sure you save often!)”
“No menu choice comes up when I greet the trick or treaters and the game freezes.”
- music4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its haunting quality, effectively enhancing the atmospheric and emotional depth of memorable scenes. Coupled with artful visuals and intelligent storytelling, the soundtrack elevates the experience, appealing to fans of similar ghostly-themed titles. Overall, the combination of music, mood, and visuals creates a captivating experience from start to finish.
“The tones and nuances of the atmosphere throughout the game's memorable scenes, the extremely accomplished and artful use of fairly lo-fi graphics, the eccentric yet sincere English regionalism of the setting and cast, intelligently written puzzles and mysteries, and a haunting soundtrack lifted that game above so many other ghostly themed titles.”
“The music, mood, visuals, and atmosphere should keep fans of TLC and the Darkfall games happy from beginning to end.”
“The tones and nuance of the atmosphere throughout the game's memorable scenes, the extremely accomplished and artful use of fairly lo-fi graphics, the eccentric yet sincere English regionalism of the setting and cast, intelligently written puzzles and mysteries, and a haunting soundtrack lifted that game above so many other ghostly themed titles.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that while the game maintains the original's atmosphere through consistent graphics, sounds, and character design, there is little mention of significant character development or evolution, suggesting a lack of depth in this aspect.
