The Secret Order 5: The Buried Kingdom
- April 6, 2017
- Sunward Games
- 4h median play time
Get on SteamIn "The Secret Order 5: The Buried Kingdom," Sarah must rescue her son from the clutches of the ruthless Malakai, who has kidnapped him in order to obtain the Crown of Fire. The game is a hidden object puzzle adventure that takes players on a thrilling journey through mysterious lands and challenging puzzles. Sarah must use her wits and determination to defeat Malakai, save her son, and prevent the Crown of Fire from causing massive destruction.
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Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and a solid art style, enhancing the overall visual experience.
- It offers a variety of puzzles and hidden object scenes, providing a decent level of engagement for players.
- The inclusion of a cute dragon companion adds a fun element to the gameplay, making it enjoyable for a younger audience.
- The story is muddled and lacks coherence, with many plot points feeling random and disconnected.
- Gameplay can be repetitive, with some puzzles and hidden object scenes being overly simplistic and lacking challenge.
- The game is relatively short, with a playtime of around 3-4 hours, which may leave players wanting more.
- story56 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in "The Secret Order 5: The Buried Kingdom" is generally viewed as underdeveloped and inconsistent, with many players noting its lack of logical continuity and coherence. While some appreciate the colorful, magical setting and the inclusion of dragons, others criticize the plot for being muddled and lacking depth, often feeling like a series of random events rather than a cohesive narrative. Overall, the game is seen as stronger in gameplay and puzzles than in storytelling, making it more suitable for casual players rather than those seeking a rich narrative experience.
“An absolutely fantastic game with a wonderful story line.”
“I really enjoyed the puzzles, all the areas were beautiful (especially the underwater ones), music and voice acting were great, and the plot was fun (if a little silly as always) and a cool departure from the constant time travel of the other installments.”
“The secret order 5: the buried kingdom convinces with immersive gameplay at the highest level and an exciting story.”
“The second disappointment is the actual story itself, which was sketchy and lacked continuity.”
“It all seems rather rushed: not a lot of content, very few hidden-object scenes, uninteresting mini-game puzzles, repetitive tasks, all layered on top of a story that makes little sense, has no context, and really has almost nothing to do with the series.”
“Granted, the series never really used excessive plotting, but here the story is almost non-existent.”
- graphics28 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally well-received, with many users praising the beautiful artwork and artistic style, though some noted that the visuals can lack crispness at times. While the graphics are not universally considered exceptional, they are described as imaginative and fitting well within the game's scenes. Overall, players appreciate the visual quality, which enhances the gaming experience despite some minor criticisms.
“I've got to say that, overall, despite the satisfactory challenge of the puzzles and the beautiful graphics, the lack of story consistency and the achievement glitch makes me hesitate to try another of these games.”
“Great job to the developers and the graphics are as always so very beautiful.”
“Art style improved as well and the majority of objects look really decent and more often than not they look like a natural part of the scene instead of a pile of random pictures thrown together.”
“The graphics are not exceptional, but some of the scenes are imaginative and passably well done (decent but not great). The music isn't offensive, but I've now heard the same piece of music three times in the last calendar year.”
“The graphics and colors aren't always crisp, which is a little frustrating for the hidden object scenes.”
“While the graphics are still of high quality, they are pretty good but not outstanding.”
- music12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as pleasant and fitting, enhancing the overall experience. While some reviewers noted the reuse of generic tracks from other games, the sound quality and voice acting were praised, contributing positively to the atmosphere. Overall, the soundtrack complements the beautiful graphics and engaging puzzles, making it a notable aspect of the game.
“The story is decent and the sound quality as well as the music is good.”
“I really enjoyed the puzzles, all the areas were beautiful (especially the underwater ones), music and voice acting were great, and the plot was fun (if a little silly as always) and a cool departure from the constant time travel of the other installments.”
“Like the others in this series, I love the story, the graphics, the puzzles (and the ability to quickly skip them if desired) and especially the music!”
“The graphics are not exceptional but some of the scenes are imaginative and passably well done (decent but not great). The music isn't offensive, other than, once again, the re-use of a seemingly generic piece of music found in other match 3/HOG games. Come on folks, I've now heard this exact same piece of music three times in the last calendar year.”
“The soundtrack was fitting, but it lacks originality and variety.”
“While I appreciate the extra features in the game, the music feels repetitive and uninspired.”
- gameplay11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay offers a high level of customization, allowing players to adjust difficulty to their preference, and features engaging mechanics like using a dragon pet and solving various puzzles. While the graphics are praised and the gameplay is immersive, some users feel that the total playtime of around 4 to 4.5 hours, including a bonus chapter, is insufficient for a fully satisfying experience. Overall, it adheres to standard gameplay elements typical of the genre, such as item usage and hidden object scenes.
“Instead, you are free to customize almost all the gameplay elements, so you can play as easy or as hard as you want.”
“The Secret Order 5: The Buried Kingdom convinces with immersive gameplay at the highest level and an exciting story.”
“The gameplay is quite standard for anyone playing this kind of game: use items, combine them, find them, clear hidden object scenes of several sorts (which is now the standard: list of words, shapes, actions required, etc.) and solve puzzles.”
“The gameplay is quite standard for anyone playing this kind of game: use items, combine them, find them, clear hidden object scenes of several sorts (which is kind of now the standard: list of words, shapes, actions required, etc.) and solve puzzles.”
“Expect around 4 1/2 hours of gameplay including the bonus chapter.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report a significant improvement in stability compared to previous versions, noting the absence of glitches that were present in TSO4.
- 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.”
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