My "Last Will" Declares: Not A "Keeper"! – Keeper of Antiques: Last Will Review

It's been a while since a game from this developer has come around, and when it does, I am usually met with mixed emotions. Their three (3) series — Witches' Legacy, Fear For Sale, and Keeper of the Antiques — mirror each other across the board, rendering them indistinct from each other, as if the same game is recycled over and over again. This plot steadfastly adheres to the reoccurring dark supernatural theme of saving disappeared people from the clutches of evil, so any hopes of novelty has been quashed. That said, the characters are well-evolved, and the backstory is effectively conveyed through the gameplay, as will be discussed later. I love this developer's inventive imagination when it comes to their artistic designs and background animations. The visuals are surreally portrayed through a plethora of intricate, fantastical elements; for example, heavy objects suddenly lift and float in the air. The scenery exudes a gloomy, sinister atmosphere, exacerbated by frequent scary moments, such as an entity jumping out at you from behind a portrait. Likewise, I am bewitched by the abundance of amusing animations integrated within the environments. Make sure you tap on the fortune cookies to read their quotes. The mechanics and user functionality are formulaic across the three (3) series, so I already know what to expect before I play. The teleport map, in custom mode, will indicate when you have discovered all of the collectibles within each scene. And within the notebook, you can assemble jigsaw puzzles upon acquiring the necessary pieces. This developer delivers highly interactive and immersive gameplay, especially within the HOSs. Be sure to poke all around the scenes to breathe life into ordinary objects; for example, I especially love how a deck of cards flickers in the air, forming a pyramid before vanishing into thin air. The varied HOSs are puzzle-like, as well as sometimes story-driven, thus advancing the storyline via narrative techniques and scattered reading materials in the form of letters, notes, etc. You can switch to an alternate mahjong game, if desired. The scenes are revisited, even though the formats will alter. I am disappointed that the puzzles lack challenge and are far too simplistic to be memorable. On the upside, they are smartly integrated into the storyline and often creatively executed. There are a few sets of collectibles to discover, another positive feature of this developer's style. Of course — cough, cough — no Elefun game would be complete without the customary sluggish transition between scenes, and it worsened by several seconds as I progressed in the game. In addition, my progression was also hindered by the constant popping-up of the textual banners, which obstructed my view as well as access to the scenes due to their delayed disappearances. Overall, the backstory, the production, and the HOSs were the highlights of this game. But, sadly, the brevity of the game and the irksome lagging ruined some of my enjoyment. Therefore, my true rating of 3.5 stars is lowered to a final rating of three (3) stars.
Review by KimTwilight69 on Keeper of Antiques: Last Will.