I wasn't a huge fan of hidden object games before I put my hands on this game (and I've played the second in the series) and I was pleasantly surprised. Games in this genre tend to have very vague and straight-forward plots but I really enjoyed this one. The atmosphere is pretty engaging considering the limited amount of animations (the second game has a bit more). Make sure you play the bonus mini-level that opens when you finish the game before playing the second game in the series (and one of the puzzles in the bonus level is fun). Game also does a good job with the difficulty level settings, if you want a challenge you can turn all the hints, map pings and arrows off.
Nearly every hidden object game has the same puzzles and so does this one. Moving on. This particular series has better stories than most, and the pacing is good. It manages to maintain suspense by having the heroine solve puzzles that are somewhat related to the plot. The "evil preacher" is still a cliche, so I'm not going to give it full credit for the story, but it's not bad. The art is good, although too pastel for my taste. The voice acting remains okay. (I think the same woman voices all these games.) Camera movements are terrible (they try and fail to produce jump scares), and the animation looks cheap because only key areas move. Overall, this is better than average and one of the best hidden object games available.
The game was designed for the 4:3 aspect ratio. On today's 16:9 monitors, the game gets stretched 33 percent wider. Some of the elements are not stretched: Notice that the clock on the screenshots is a perfect circle. You can also pick up elements in the game, and when they zoom into a larger view, they change proportions. There are no options to play the game in its correct proportions via letterboxing.
To me, the stretched artwork is a dealbreaker. But check the screenshots. They show the amount of stretching, which most people likely won't notice. If the stretching doesn't bother you, the game is likely pretty fun.
Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creekis a supernatural thriller disguised as a routine detective tale that enthralls with its multitudinous mysteries that develop throughout the game
Suffering short term memory loss, a private detective awakens outside on a derelict street, with the storm receding, the towns people mysteriously absent and only the vaguest memories of why she is there. The detective embarks on a mysterious and thrilling adventure that will have her expose the twisted conspiracy that has held a town in thrall for years.
Narrative
Enigmatis is an excellently executed tale of mystery that carefully weaves plot elements to gameplay that will have you deducing each aspect of the story as you progress. That said, the story itself is not particularly difficult to unravel, its obvious from the outset who the perpetrator is, it’s the unfolding of the narrative and the way the game allows you to take charge of this that is special here.
Gameplay
Since Enigmatis is your traditional standard HoG, you can expect a large variety of HO scenes, puzzles and traversing back and forth looking to interact with the environment using objects in your inventory. It can become a little repetitive.
The puzzles themselves are fun to decipher and although not challenging, are not always immediately obvious so the game is not overly simplistic either.
Graphics
Enigmatis uses what appears to be photo-manipulation. The game appears very realistic, with harsh and soft textures that are lacking in more recent games in the genre. It adds a gritty noire feel to the game, which complements the private detective themes that run throughout.
Conclusion
Enigmatis is a game that will draw you deeply into its mysteries. From the various natures of the individuals you encounter, discovery of your primary target and what became of your own short term memory its an enjoyable experience throughout that will keep you playing to deduce just one more clue.
Enigmatis is a very simple casual adventure straight off the bat mixed with hidden object scenes. I said simple so you pick up/use staffs, play minigames, and no item combination which is fine by me. Truely I don't favourised the hidden object part due to the tiny objects! I played many more interested Hidden Objects games, this one was frustrating. The makers probably realised it because the bonus chapter "Ghosts of the Past" already improved that. I had to mention Enigmatis 2 much better in this. The story not really intimidating unless you finish the game and start the Bonus Chapter which in my opinion the best of Maple Creek. Knowing the fate of Hamilton's girlfriend from the base game makes really interesting how things happened! Of course you go way back in time this time as Hamilton to investigate what happened to his girlfriend. If you interested in story this add a few information about how long stretched back this disapperances and the Preacher is older than you imagined! I give a game 3 star, for Ghosts of the Past 3.5 star even its just a short story.
