No Pretending Here: This One's a "Work of Art!" – Grim Facade: The Artist and The Pretender HD - A Mystery Hidden Object Game (Full) Review

A real winner! The story takes place in Florence, Italy, during the lifetime of Leonardo da Vinci with focus on the arts and sciences of the Italian Renaissance. An evil Mage wants to destroy all pieces of art and works of science, and he uses his magic on the townspeople to make terrible prophecies happen. You are a detective who is asked by da Vinci to help defeat the Mage, along with his "hunchback of notre dame" sidekick, and to save the town from his evil grip. Also, what secrets has da Vinci's secret chamber hidden in store? The graphics are stunning with crisp, clear, almost realistic, and beautifully drawn scenes using a palette of soft, rich colors. You can choose from four modes of difficulty, including the beloved option to customize your settings. The inventory is labeled but does not seem to be interactive; items have not required assembly. The map, which is put together in puzzle form, will quickly transport you to desired location; and in custom mode, it will note that a scene has not been completed. So far I have followed along and had no trouble finding things to do. Transition between scenes has been smooth and quick. This game is very busy and has a lot going on. You won't be short on inventory items; there's a multitude of items to collect in each scene. At times in the game, you have an option to choose between two actions that can affect certain outcomes. Throughout your journey, you obtain information regarding the achievements of da Vinci. You obtain a scroll, which holds facts on da Vinci's accomplishments; notes on the different characters you interact with; and replay of cut-scenes labeled as Memories. This was a great addition to the game and is reminiscent of Hidden Expedition: Smithsonian where you learn about some history. You have some mechanical helpers, such as a bird to reach higher ground objects. The HOS are varied and fun, ranging from lists with interaction to progressive silhouette (find and use) and to collecting parts of an object to complete a whole, etc. You can play an alternative bubble shooter game in place of an HOS. The puzzles are varied as well - mostly on the simple side although you can choose a difficulty option for some. They are nicely interwoven into the story's theme; for example, one was to line up nuts of a telescope to reveal da Vinci's flying machine. You collect fans here and there to accumulate hints, but the only collectible items I came across were coins to purchase items to help you progress in the game. The mechanics have been smooth with no glitches thus far. The extras remain locked until completion of the main game; but there is something called a "Sheep's Room", whatever that is. I really don't have anything negative to report other than lack of a back button and that some of the black bar tip grammar was off. An example was, "I wonder where the leader of the Resistance now?", which apparently left out the "is." Even so, this game is one of the better ones compared to some of the recent ones; and I highly recommend it.
Review by KimTwilight69 on Grim Facade: The Artist and The Pretender HD - A Mystery Hidden Object Game (Full).