The Secret Order 3: Ancient Times

86%
Game Brain Score Based on 244 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • music
The Secret Order 3: Ancient Times Game Cover
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In "The Secret Order 3: Ancient Times," players control Sarah Pennington as she travels back in time to the mythical Kingdom of Aeronhart. Her mission is to find King Amadon and learn how to destroy the unstable scepter and mask, artifacts that threaten her father's life and the safety of the world. This game is a suspenseful blend of fantasy and detective noir genres, continuing the story-driven series with new narrative and epic quests.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

86%
Audience ScoreBased on 244 reviews
story52 positive mentions
gameplay3 negative mentions
  • The game features beautiful graphics and a pleasant art style, making it visually appealing.
  • It offers a nice mix of puzzles and hidden object scenes, providing a fun and engaging experience.
  • The storyline is enjoyable and continues well from the previous installment, with interesting characters and a cute helper.
  • The game suffers from bugs, including issues with achievements and glitches that can disrupt gameplay.
  • Some puzzles are overly simplistic or poorly explained, leading to frustration for players seeking a challenge.
  • The bonus chapter is considered disappointing and feels disconnected from the main story, detracting from the overall experience.
  • story110 mentions

    The story in this game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and well-integrated with the gameplay, while others criticize it as thin, derivative, or lacking depth. Many appreciate the continuation of the narrative from previous installments, though the bonus chapter often feels disjointed or underwhelming. Overall, while the graphics and music are praised, the plot's execution varies, leaving some players wanting more substance and coherence.

    • “I am really enjoying the storyline and finding the additional items.”
    • “The story is interesting, albeit the characters still a little wooden via voice acting, but overall still engaging.”
    • “The storyline is also well-done, as many twists are present, and given how the game ended, you know that there will be a fourth game (already released elsewhere).”
    • “The story is so boring and derivative that I couldn't even tell you what it was.”
    • “The story is kinda boring; it needs a little more work in this game.”
    • “I just finished it and can't remember what the story was.”
  • graphics70 mentions

    The graphics in the game are generally praised for their beauty and detail, with many reviewers noting breathtaking visuals and a lovely art style. However, some criticism arises regarding certain CGI animations and occasional blurriness in the artwork, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the graphics are considered a strong point of the game, contributing positively to the atmosphere and enjoyment.

    • “This ancient times version consists of great graphics, music, hint feature, game configuration options, and a location map (very useful feature).”
    • “The graphics are great and the story is good.”
    • “It had beautiful graphics, fun story, fast travel map, and a nice variety of minigames and hidden object screens.”
    • “Like I said in my review for TSO2, the franchise abandoned its unique aesthetic in the first game for a standard fantasy theme that's typical of hidden object adventure games.”
    • “I found this really dull, with uninspiring puzzles and artwork.”
    • “Some challenging puzzles, okay storyline, graphics could have been better.”
  • music22 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting it as soothing and well-suited to the setting. While some mention that the soundtrack can become repetitive, overall, it contributes positively to the gaming experience alongside the impressive graphics and engaging puzzles. Voice acting is described as decent, complementing the overall audio experience.

    • “The art, setting, and story are very nice, and the music is excellent.”
    • “This series is definitely one of the better HOGs I've played so far, great graphics and soothing music.”
    • “The music is decent.”
    • “The music suits the setting and doesn't get annoying.”
  • gameplay10 mentions

    The gameplay offers a casual experience with familiar mechanics, including item collection, puzzle-solving, and hidden object scenes that are enjoyable without being overly challenging. Notable features include a baby griffin that assists with reaching high places and a golem's heart that animates statues for help. Players can expect around 4.5 hours of gameplay.

    • “The adorable baby griffin who helps you get things from high places, and the golem’s heart that helps you animate statues to assist in tasks are really cool mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay hasn't really changed from the last game: you're still picking items, solving puzzles, and clearing a list of hidden objects (whether it's a written list or a pictured one).”
    • “The puzzles and hidden object scenes aren't especially challenging, but they're nice for casual gameplay (not so easy as to be annoying).”
    • “Expect 4.5 hours of gameplay.”
  • stability4 mentions

    Overall, users report that the game experiences minor stability issues, particularly towards the end, with glitches affecting scene transitions and the map system. These issues include inconsistent seasonal changes in certain areas and occasional map errors.

    • “Towards the end, there were some minor glitches. After finishing part of the story, some scenes change from winter to spring, but if you revisit them, it's winter again.”
    • “The map system has some glitches.”
    • “Towards the end, there were some minor glitches. After finishing part of the story, some scenes change from winter to spring, but if you revisit them, it's winter again.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by a particularly amusing scene in the bonus chapter involving a bucket, which has resonated with players and contributed to the overall comedic tone.

    • “There's a very funny bit in the bonus chapter where I'm holding a bucket.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highlighted by great music, decent voice acting, and engaging hidden object scenes, complemented by puzzles that strike a good balance in difficulty. The improved cutscenes further enhance the overall experience, contributing to a fun and immersive environment.

    • “Great music, pretty decent voice acting, fun hidden object scenes, puzzles that were just challenging enough, and a fun atmosphere.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and somewhat boring, leading to a prolonged gameplay experience that detracts from overall enjoyment.

    • “This game was tedious and a bit boring, which made it take longer to get through.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game has low replayability, with multiple users indicating that there is little incentive to play it again after the initial experience.

    • “The replay value for the game is low.”
    • “The replay value for the game is low.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
5-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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