Nostradamus: The Last Prophecy

The title says all, and if you are into astrology you will enjoy the game even more. Although the game can feel a bit clunky at first, due to the fact that the keyboard is not used (only the space bar works and is used to skip videos and texts), and everything is done using the left and right mouse buttons; after a few minutes, I got the hang of it and found it to be well designed. The right mouse button opens the inventory, which is rather complex and full of functionalities, and it is also the way to access the main menu of the game. Everything in the inventory is located in such a way everything is clear and easy to use. The objects inventory slots, the special tools section (quill, scissors, magnifying glass and more), the documents section, the recipes section, the section in which dialogues are recorded and can be read again... Everything is well thought out and easy to use. The game is not overly difficult, although there is some pixel hunting here and there, and there are times in which it is not clear enough what the approach to some puzzles should be. But that doesn´t prevent the game from being enjoyable. Make sure to check the documents in the inventory in a regular basis and don´t forget that the magnifying glass and other tools are there for a reason. I liked the ending very much.

Microids developed this one using the same engine/environment as Dracula 3: Path of the Dragon. Anyone who has played D3 will be familiar with the ins and outs of this game. Anyone who hasn't is in for a pleasantly well constructed adventure with a few extremely challenging puzzles. This game has the D3 "consult your notes" mechanic, but the game takes the notes for you - no more underlining or highlighting things you might need and might not. There is one puzzle with an added layer of difficulty because the message you are decoding is not from cipher to English. Crazy good deal when on sale. There are very few games that come close to Path of the Dragon and IMO this is one of them.

Interesting investigation and historical background if you know a bit about French history. But I didn't enjoy puzzles. Some are too difficult and clunky and I often referred to the walkthrough. And then there's a whole series of timed puzzles. I think there's a warning about epilepsy in the manual. If you suffer from vertigo, you may also want to give this game a miss.

A sweet, short adventure game. I liked the protagonist, the atmosphere, the puzzles and a neat little murder mystery too!