My "Heart" is Beating To This "Tell-Tale"! – Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-tale Heart - A Hidden Object Mystery (Full) Review

I cannot believe all of the negative reviews; I enjoyed this one. My favorite detective has returned; my handsome, fashionable, aristocratic, and dazzling detective.......you get the picture. The premise discovers a hair-raising, spine-tingling fusion of murder mayhem with a horror-like themed concept. The plot successfully builds suspense and unfolds fluidly as the drama shifts from one predicament to the next. I like the shift from one witness's perspective to another. The graphics are beautifully and tactfully drawn with precise, refined details illustrating this developer's aptitude. The prevalent display of darker colors, such as gray, brown, and blue, exudes an austere, shadowy mood. The artwork displays an appropriate expertise of a grim and primitive glimpse into an 1800s laboratory: hanging skeletons move upon touch; jars contain freshly preserved body parts; blood and gore are splattered all over victims' bodies; and a grotesque, outstretched hand beckons for your attention. You can customize your settings; options are standard. The inventory is labeled, interactive and puzzle-like; items require assembly. I admire the layout of functions on the bottom left as they are displayed in one confined area but distanced enough to obviate accidental access. By the way people: when many items require assembly, that's called "puzzle-like", which adds some spice to gameplay. The map is nonessential in that your adventure is quite linear; objectives are indicated. Unfortunately, the map is not shy of imperfections and lacks its main purpose: it does not teleport! I was not able to jump to other locations even though I could manually travel to the same. It's a good thing I did not need it. Transition from scene to scene is fluid and uninterrupted. Some of the HOS are original and include a variety of clever and ingenious approaches to gameplay. The puzzles are varied, unique, and offer something for everyone. Some are "tastefully" rotational; some depend on dexterity skills; some are forensic-natured where you put your detective skills to work with your handy kit. The textual information appears in the form of acquired reading materials. You have a collectible; they are highly visible in placement. Overall, this game offers inventive variety and originality. I really felt as though I were transformed into a character of a novel through the high level of interaction. I did have to deduct a star due to the flawed map and a slight temperament of the lenses puzzles. It might be on the short side, but still one of the best in a while for me.
Review by KimTwilight69 on Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-tale Heart - A Hidden Object Mystery (Full).