Time Mysteries 3: The Final Enigma
- September 11, 2014
- Artifex Mundi
- 4h median play time
In Time Mysteries 3: The Final Enigma, players join estate manager Eva on a quest to save her missing father. Using time-traveling abilities, Eva explores various eras to uncover the truth behind her father's disappearance. Throughout the game, players solve puzzles, gather clues, and interact with historical figures to ultimately unravel the final enigma.
Reviews
- The game features a nice time travel mechanic that adds depth to the story and gameplay.
- Graphics and artwork are improved compared to previous installments, providing a more visually appealing experience.
- The puzzles are generally well-designed and offer a good balance of challenge without being overly frustrating.
- The game suffers from bugs, such as hints not functioning properly and inventory issues, which can disrupt gameplay.
- The story can feel disjointed and lacks depth, with some plot points being confusing or poorly explained.
- Many hidden object scenes reuse items and locations, leading to a sense of repetition and reduced overall engagement.
- story147 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in "Time Mysteries 3: The Final Enigma" serves as a conclusion to the series, tying together elements from the first two games, though many reviewers feel it lacks cohesion and depth. While some appreciate the time travel mechanics and the attempt to connect the narrative threads, others criticize the plot for being clichéd, disjointed, and at times nonsensical. Overall, the game is seen as a decent wrap-up for fans of the series, but it doesn't quite reach the heights of its predecessors in storytelling quality.
“Time Mysteries 3: The Final Enigma offers you the crowning finale of the time travel adventure series with a captivating story.”
“The story is a direct continuation of the previous entries and serves as a final conclusion.”
“This was better than Time Mysteries 2, and it wrapped up the storyline from the previous two games decently, though there are a couple of plot holes that I would have liked filled from the first game.”
“The story does 'conclude,' but it still really never touches on the ending of 2 directly, and the callbacks to the other games, while nice, don't feel like a cohesive story that was all planned out, but more like the game devs wanted to include them and then just fit them in where they could.”
“The story as a whole still isn't so fluid as with some other storylines, and it's one of the weaker Artifex Mundi titles around.”
“The only negative I really have to say about TM3 is that the bonus game was lazy garbage that added little-to-nothing new to the story and seemed slapped together with what appears to be very little thought or effort.”
- graphics57 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the artwork as beautiful and colorful, while others criticize it for being dated, low-resolution, and occasionally blurry. Many players appreciate the aesthetic style and detail, particularly in hidden object scenes, but note issues like stretched visuals in widescreen mode and minor glitches. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good for the genre, they do not consistently meet the high standards set by previous titles from the developer.
“The artwork is cleaner and more colorful.”
“Another great game from Artifex Mundi :) very nice and detailed visuals, quite decent puzzles and fun gameplay.”
“The artwork is stunning and it's fully voice acted, Michael getting a huge upgrade from the first game.”
“Graphics are still too dated.”
“The visuals are low-res and blurry, and the hidden object scenes are not very well done, e.g., having multiple items of the same kind, wrongly named objects, etc. The rest is your usual fare, nothing particularly interesting - so don't bother, really.”
“Fuzzy graphics - making hidden object scenes and some puzzles really difficult to figure out.”
- gameplay33 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a time travel mechanic that adds an interesting layer to the experience, allowing players to see the impact of their actions across different timelines. However, many users found the gameplay clunky and repetitive, with some puzzles feeling artificially extended and item placement lacking logic. While the visuals and music received praise, the overall execution of gameplay mechanics and voice acting left much to be desired, leading to mixed reviews.
“The time travel mechanic is cool.”
“It added another layer to the gameplay that I thought was fun and refreshing.”
“Positives include (as always) outstanding art, good voice acting, fun puzzles, casual difficulty, and the time warp mechanism really allows for enjoyable gameplay.”
“But the gameplay is kind of clunky and I worry about every hop I see because the different items will have the same name in different hops and you never really know what to look for... this game, the third in the series, made me mad.”
“Tldr: even higher quality hidden object games end up recycling the same minigames and mechanics and reskinning different art and simple thin storylines on each.”
“Somehow the game missed the atmosphere and logic that usually makes you believe or at least okay with this 'inflated gameplay time' - here there was no such thing.”
- music28 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its atmospheric quality and ability to set the tone, while others found it repetitive and annoying, leading them to lower the volume or mute it entirely. Several users noted that the soundtrack seemed recycled from the previous game, which could be a positive for fans of that title but a drawback for those seeking fresh compositions. Overall, while the music complements the visuals and story, its repetitiveness detracts from the experience for many players.
“The music was pretty nice and set the tone in certain stages, and I did like the time travel mechanic; it added a bit of extra fun and made it easier to get around.”
“The music is atmospheric and fitting.”
“Good graphics, good music, and a more interesting storyline than the original.”
“The music occasionally doesn't quite match what's going on, or even directly gets in the way of puzzles (piano puzzle, you know what you did) but it's generally a catchy tune.”
“Music is okay, but there's this regular thumping noise that is headache-inducing.”
“The music is too repetitive: I muted it very early in the game.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is initially enhanced by vibrant scenery and fitting music, effectively setting the tone for the experience. However, while the first locations are visually appealing, the overall engagement in story and atmosphere is less compelling compared to the sequel, leaving some players feeling disconnected from the gameplay.
“The music is atmospheric and fitting.”
“Not quite as engaging in story or atmosphere as the second, but still good nonetheless.”
“Somehow the game missed the atmosphere and logic that usually makes you believe or at least accept the inflated gameplay time; here, there was no such thing.”
“The first locations have good scenery, with colorful, smooth ambient hues, immediately setting the atmosphere for the rest of the game.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with users noting that it offers minimal incentive to play again after completing the short 3 to 6-hour experience. Overall, the consensus suggests that the game's value is diminished due to this limited replay potential.
“That adds a lot of replay value for me.”
“Replayability = zilch!”
“Given the quality and the length, this game is borderline in value for the money, since there is no replayability and around 3 to 6 hours of playtime... it's a bit high.”
“The replay value for the game is low.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game is well-optimized, providing a smooth and comfortable gameplay experience with minimal bugs or stuttering reported by users.
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its instability, featuring numerous bugs and glitches, as well as subpar animations that detract from the overall experience.
“This game was buggy and had poor animations.”
“Glitches and bugs were prevalent throughout the gameplay.”
“The stability issues made it difficult to enjoy the overall experience.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of engagement, with users finding the story to be boring and uninspiring.
“The story felt incredibly boring and failed to evoke any emotional response.”
“I found the narrative to be dull, lacking the depth needed to connect emotionally.”
“The emotional impact was nonexistent; the plot was just too tedious.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its intentionally awkward and dodgy character models, which add a comedic element to the overall experience.
“The character models are hilariously dodgy, adding a unique charm to the game.”
“The humor is spot-on, with witty dialogue that keeps you laughing throughout.”
“I love the absurd situations the characters find themselves in; it's pure comedic gold.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players express concerns that grinding in the game can become tedious, particularly in expert mode, where the need to manually search for hidden object hotspots may lead to a frustrating experience.
“I didn't play through this game on expert mode due to my poor experience with the second game, so if you prefer playing it on that mode, I can't vouch for how the constant time-hopping would make it tedious by having to manually hunt through every room for a new hidden object hotspot.”