The Mystery of the Druids
- April 6, 2015
- House of Tales
"The Mystery of the Druids" is a fantasy-themed adventure game that explores the secrets of an ancient druidic society. Players must uncover clues, solve puzzles, and engage in dialogue with various characters to progress through the story. The game features a compelling narrative with multiple endings, based on the choices made by the player. It is a captivating experience for those who enjoy mystery, fantasy, and adventure.
Reviews
- The game has a unique and intriguing story that some players find enjoyable despite its flaws.
- The humor, while subtle and often requiring a deeper understanding of Celtic history, is appreciated by fans of the genre.
- With the right patches and fixes, players can experience the game in a way that is fun and nostalgic, reminiscent of classic point-and-click adventures.
- The Steam version is plagued with game-breaking bugs, including issues with saving and frequent crashes, making it nearly unplayable.
- Many puzzles are considered illogical and frustrating, often requiring extensive backtracking and pixel hunting.
- The graphics and animations are outdated and poorly executed, contributing to an overall negative experience for many players.
- story21 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The story of the game centers around Brent Halligan, a Scotland Yard detective investigating the "skeleton murders," which is described as both intriguing and flawed. While some players appreciate the novel lore and character dynamics, others criticize the dialogue, character development, and overall coherence, leading to a mixed reception. Despite its shortcomings, the narrative offers moments of humor and engaging exploration, though technical issues detract from the experience.
“The story puts you in the shoes of Brent Halligan, a Scotland Yard detective who is suddenly put in charge of a case known as 'the skeleton murders' after a fellow colleague named Lowry (who you may know as the psychic wizard who levitates above his desk in his office) had made some critical mistakes in his investigation.”
“However, if you can look past these shortcomings, this game actually has a pretty interesting and novel story, and I really enjoyed the lore even if it isn't 100% historically accurate as some have pointed out.”
“The voice acting is good, which helps immerse you in the intriguing story.”
“Any semblance of a worthwhile story is ruined by hateful characters and obnoxious dialogue.”
“That just made it really hard for me to connect with the character and given that this is a story-based game, rather than a gameplay-based game, it just really undercut the enjoyment for me.”
“You'll get yourself a cheap story with no causal logic, plain ugly environment, a series of constant restarts due to crashes and a headache.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely criticized for being outdated and reminiscent of titles from the mid-1990s, with poor character animations and numerous graphical glitches. While some players find humor in the low-quality cutscenes and retro aesthetic, the overall consensus is that the visuals are subpar, even for a game released in 2001. Despite these shortcomings, a few players still appreciate the varied environments and character designs.
“Graphics are old but okay for a game from 2001, I guess.”
“An okay game with retro graphics and gameplay.”
“The graphics, as I said, are not great; they look more like something that would have been released in 1996, and the cutscenes are hilariously poorly animated (please do watch them though, they are worth the laugh).”
“Now, back to the game itself: as a game made in 2001, the graphics are ridiculously bad!”
“Character animations are almost cubical, movement animations are painfully solid, and background artwork lacks any animation altogether.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mix of clever, deep jokes that resonate with fans and absurd, intentionally silly elements, including poorly animated cutscenes and ridiculous puzzles. While the game suffers from technical issues and graphical glitches, these flaws often contribute to its comedic charm, making the experience both frustrating and amusing. Overall, the humor is a standout aspect, blending intellectual wit with slapstick absurdity.
“The fans understand this stuff; they have the intellectual capacity to truly appreciate the depths of these jokes, to realize that they're not just funny - they say something deep about life.”
“That aside, it's got some insanely stupid puzzles, but it is very funny.”
“The graphics, as I said, are not great; they look more like something that would have been released in 1996, and the cutscenes are hilariously poorly animated (please do watch them though, they are worth the laugh).”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting frequent crashes that result in lost progress and severe graphical glitches. Many players experience complete system freezes, necessitating a hard reboot, leading to an overall impression of the game being a "buggy mess."
“It's a buggy mess, with regular crashes that will cause you to lose progress, as well as numerous graphical glitches that border on the hilarious.”
“It's buggy as hell.”
“What's more, it freezes my computer and I can't do anything other than switch it off by the button.”
- music2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users have noted that the music in the game often feels mismatched or out of sync with the gameplay, detracting from the overall experience.
“The music doesn't match the game's atmosphere at all.”
“The soundtrack feels out of place and doesn't enhance the experience.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the atmosphere of the game to be enjoyable and captivating, contributing positively to their overall experience.
“The game seems fun, and I adore the atmosphere.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The gameplay experience is marred by frequent crashes occurring within the first 20-30 minutes, leading to significant frustration and ultimately causing players to abandon the game.
“After experiencing several crashes within 20-30 minutes of gameplay (happened multiple times in just two locations, easily doubling my playtime), I just gave up.”
“The controls feel unresponsive and clunky, making it frustrating to navigate through the game.”
“The gameplay mechanics are poorly designed, leading to repetitive tasks that quickly become boring.”