The Secret Order 7: Shadow Breach
- February 28, 2019
- Sunward Games
- 4h median play time
There are dark secrets that have an annoying tendency to crawl back into the light, escaping oblivion. But there is also Sarah Pennington, the most skilled agent of the ever-watching Secret Order, who is there to face them.
Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and well-drawn backgrounds, enhancing the overall visual experience.
- It offers a fun variety of mini-games and puzzles that are engaging and provide a good challenge without being overly difficult.
- The story connects well with previous entries in the series, providing a sense of continuity and depth to the narrative.
- The game is relatively short, with many players noting it can be completed in under 3 hours, making it feel less valuable at full price.
- Some puzzles are repetitive and lack creativity, with several being recycled from earlier games in the series.
- The story can feel disjointed and lacks a cohesive narrative flow, leading to confusion about the plot progression.
- story86 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in this game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its connection to the series and engaging elements, while others found it weak, lacking coherence, and sometimes frustrating. Many noted that the narrative felt short and disjointed, with a few praising the graphics and soundtrack, but criticizing the voice acting and character development. Overall, while some enjoyed the storytelling and immersive gameplay, others felt it fell short compared to previous entries in the series.
“I loved that the story actually connects, and together they tell a great novel.”
“The story gets into the origins of the order and its ancient rival, the dragon clan.”
“This game has a great storyline that is easy to follow and to get immersed in.”
“This was one of the shortest hidden object games I've played, with a weak story that doesn't seem to have enough contextual background to make you invested.”
“The artwork is pretty, but in the end it's a bunch of run-of-the-mill hidden object puzzles glued together by a boring story with forgettable characters.”
“It's colorful and full of inventive scenes and has some fun little hidden object scenarios/mini-games, but the plot doesn't really make a lick of narratively cohesive sense (you'll be sent from region to region without much real compelling reason other than to introduce another bunch of imaginative scenes that have little to do with what came before), and the voice acting is just wretched.”
- graphics37 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game have received widespread acclaim, with many users highlighting their beauty, detail, and overall quality. Players appreciate the solid graphic style and find the visuals to be a standout feature, often enhancing the gaming experience despite some criticisms of the story and character development. Overall, the graphics are described as outstanding and a major draw for the game.
“The graphics are outstanding.”
“The Secret Order 7 is one of the most graphically pleasing games I've played in a long time.”
“Beautiful graphics, good voice acting, and everything one can expect from this genre - interactive minimap, lots of puzzles, demonic opponent, and magical artifacts.”
“The artwork is pretty, but in the end it's a bunch of run-of-the-mill puzzles glued together by a boring story with forgettable characters.”
“What gets me every time is the graphics.”
- gameplay22 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally consistent with previous entries in the series, reflecting a stable development in the genre, though some players feel it lacks innovation. However, "The Secret Order 7: Shadow Breach" is praised for its immersive gameplay and diverse environments, providing a solid experience despite a forgettable story. Overall, while some find the gameplay familiar, others appreciate its quality and depth.
“The secret order 7: shadow breach convinces with an immersive gameplay at the highest level and an exciting story.”
“The story is forgettable, but the gameplay is very good.”
“The mechanics and overall gameplay are similar to the previous couple of games... I think development of the genre has reached a point of stability for this series.”
“The mechanics and overall gameplay are similar to the previous couple of games... I think development of the genre got to a point of stability for this series.”
“I didn't quite get 4 hours of gameplay, so I would buy it on sale.”
“Except for the bad fifth entry, we got solid gameplay and diverse environments throughout.”
- music12 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as good but somewhat repetitive. While it enhances the atmosphere and complements the beautiful graphics and engaging story, some reviewers noted that it lacks excitement and variety. Overall, it contributes positively to the experience without being a standout feature.
“There are some great graphics, a well-written story, and I really enjoyed the soundtrack in this one.”
“Beautiful scenes, fun plot, great music and atmosphere, good voice acting and character animation.”
“The usual good voice acting, art, music (the music isn't too exciting, but it's fine).”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating due to tedious backtracking and excessive white screen transitions, which detract from the overall experience. The shadow battles are particularly noted for being excessively tedious, contributing to a sense of annoyance.
“This caused frustration and annoyingly tedious backtracking to finally reach the object that the game said is the actual one to do the job.”
“Quite standard, but has some really annoying white screen transitions and the shadow battles are tedious in the extreme.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users consistently highlight the game's "replayability" as being infinitely high, suggesting that players can enjoy the experience multiple times without it becoming stale.
“Infinitely replayable.”
“Infinitely replayable.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from frequent freezing issues, significantly impacting the overall stability and user experience.
“The game freezes often.”
“The game freezes often.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its beautiful visuals, engaging plot, and excellent music, which together create an immersive experience. Additionally, the quality of voice acting and character animation further enhances the overall ambiance.
“Beautiful scenes, fun plot, great music and atmosphere, good voice acting and character animation.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The emotional impact of the game is largely diminished by a lackluster story and forgettable characters, despite the appealing artwork. Players feel that the emotional engagement is overshadowed by repetitive gameplay and uninspired narrative elements.
“The artwork is pretty, but in the end it's a bunch of run-of-the-mill puzzles glued together by a boring story with forgettable characters.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users consistently find the humor in the game to be effective and enjoyable, with multiple comments highlighting its comedic elements.
- optimization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that optimization in the game is closely tied to player performance in puzzles and minigames, emphasizing the importance of speed, precision, and the ability to progress without relying on hints or skips.
“The game excels in optimization, particularly in the performance of puzzles and minigames, emphasizing speed, precision, and the challenge of not using hints or skips.”
“The optimization in this game is impressive, especially in how it handles performance metrics in puzzles and minigames, focusing on speed and precision.”
“I appreciate the game's optimization, which enhances the performance in puzzles and minigames by encouraging players to rely on their skills without hints or skips.”
“The game struggles with optimization, particularly in puzzles and minigames where speed and precision are crucial, often leading to frustrating experiences.”
“Performance issues in the puzzles and minigames, especially regarding speed and precision, detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
“The lack of optimization in the game affects performance in puzzles and minigames, making it difficult to complete tasks without relying on hints and skips.”