Guess What Fans? It's A MadHead Game! – Shadowplay: Whispers of Past Review

And, it's a good one! Shadowplay is back with a riveting sequel that combines stellar artwork, a creatively revealed storyline, and spectacular gameplay, within a first-rate production that demonstrates how these developers are in a class of their own. The storytelling, although the theme is rehashed, is presented in true Madhead fashion — a fast-paced, action-packed adventure full of heart-pounding twists and turns. Right from the get go, you have to break out of a museum, fend off a monstrous skeletal dinosaur, and escape from ravaging fires engulfing a theater. This developer always creates compelling characters whose personalities seem natural but unrefined; for example, the hippie with disheveled long hair, painting on the bench next to the theater, talking as if his mind is still tripping from the 1960's "free love" movement. The dialogue is sometimes conveyed within split panels, a hallmark of this developer. The quality of the graphics is average; the details could be sharpened up a bit. You can customize your settings. The inventory is labeled and interactive; items require assembly. In custom mode, the teleport map — thankfully located on the main screen — facilitates brisk travel to labeled locations and indicates available actions. Transition between scenes is smooth and quick. Just as I've been wondering if developers have met a brick wall in concocting fresh ideas for the gameplay, this developer steps up to the plate and exceeds my expectations by showcasing highly imaginative and revolutionary concepts that take my breath away. In my opinion, the HOSs are concrete examples of their visionary insight; the clever interactions arouse my curiosity as to what surprises I might discover next. I like the one in the museum in which you move the interactive display from side to side while finding silhouette shapes on the walls. The puzzles are well executed, and they intelligently suit the objectives in progress. Several are somewhat challenging, as I needed to work them out. I do not like the gimmicky puzzle that repeats, but I don't want to go into detail. The collectibles are well hidden within the environment. Now, I move to the other end of the spectrum — the not-so-good: When picking up objects sometimes, a strange clicking noise resonates, indicating a technical programming glitch. As usual, some of the key components are accessible from under the Menu — such as the Objectives — and this might be a distraction for some of you. The adventure portion of gameplay is not difficult. The trial's playtime is short, and the amount of tasks to perform in some scenes is minimal. For these reasons, I've deducted a full star. However, the positives far outweigh the negatives, and hence the 4-star rating.
Review by KimTwilight69 on Shadowplay: Whispers of Past.