Brink of Consciousness 2: The Lonely Hearts Murders

Brink of Consciousness: The Lonely Hearts Murders
by MagicIndie - November, 2012

Series links:  Brink of Consciousness 1: Dorian Gray Syndrome, Brink of Consciousness 2: The Lonely Hearts Murders

Available at:
Alawar as Collector's Edition / Standard Edition
Big Fish for PC as Collector's Edition / Standard Edition
GameHouse as Platinum Edition / Standard Edition
Steam as Collector's Edition



How far will you go to save your only daughter's life? Is there a limit? Help Owen Wright rescue his daughter from the clutches of the Lonely Hearts Killer, the mysterious figure who kidnaps and murders people who have suffered a love gone wrong. Unravel the intrigue, put a stop to the whirlwind of crime that has paralyzed this late 19th century British city. Olivia must live! The killer must be brought to justice! Only you can do it!

The Collector’s Edition includes:

• A bonus chapter with a surprising plot.
  
• An integrated strategy guide
  
• Downloadable soundtrack, concept art and wallpapers
  
• An interview with the developers
  

For the Standard Edition:

• Blog Walkthrough
  
• Strategy Guide (Big Fish)
  

Click images to enlarge
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Brink of Consciousness: The Lonely Hearts Murders CE (IHOG)

There are separate sliders for music, sound effects, environment, and voice volume, plus full-screen option (plays beautifully in wide-screen) and film grain.

We have three difficulty modes to choose from:  Casual, Normal, and Expert.  Differences include HINT and SKIP recharge speed, sparkles, and whether places of interest are highlighted on the MAP... and whether you have a map at all!  Speaking of which, there is no jump-to option with the map.  Using a hint during the adventure portion (assuming that you're not on expert mode) will give you a directional arrow without discharging your hint.

The feeling of this game is entirely different than the first game -- more like a Sherlock Holmes mystery than anything else I can think of.   Like in Dorian Gray Syndrome, everything about this game screams quality from the first moment you begin.  The music is perfect for the setting, and the character's personalities are richly detailed with outstanding voice overs. I highly recommend playing with the sound ON, as it greatly increases the immersion factor.  The graphics are gorgeous, and the opening scene was like watching a movie.  No, scratch that... the entire game is like watching a movie!  There is no journal, so pay attention to everything the characters have to say, and be aware that if you see a '...' when you hover the mouse over them, they have something to say.  Playing HOG scenes and doing puzzles seem a bit out of place in such a detailed environment, but there would be no game without them, eh?  

The hidden object scenes are interactive, and on Normal mode, there is no misclick penalty.  These scenes will repeat, but the actions you need to take there will, of course, be different.

You are given no instructions for mini-games unless you want them -- just click on the '?' in the top left corner if you need them.  WARNING:  There is ONE mini-game that requires that you click as fast as you can.  If you are on Expert mode and are not capable of rapid-clicking, you may not be able to progress in the game


Overall, I'd say that the main game is magnificent... what else can I say?  I've never played a game quite like this.  To fully enjoy it, I HIGHLY recommend waiting to play it until you can turn up the sound, unplug the phone, and remain undisturbed whilst you immerse yourself in the rich world the devs have created.  The main game gives us full closure, with one short scene at the end that sets us up for the bonus chapter.

And so with no further ado, the CE CONTENT:

• Integrated Strategy Guide
  
• Bonus Chapter
  
• 11 music tracks which you can listen to whilst in the program, and/or download to your computer
  
• Concept art -- 10 scenes
  
• 7 Wallpapers, one of which is from the bonus content
  
• Interview with the developers, which is 19 minutes, 30 seconds long
  

The Bonus Chapter:

This takes up right after the intriguing tidbit we see at the very end of the main game.  There's some awesome humor that left me almost laughing out loud, a very nice and unexpected touch there   We have entirely new locations to visit, both beautiful and eerie.  While the main game is entirely a whodunnit mystery, we have a touch of the unexplainable in the bonus, reminiscent of the first game in the series.  It's not terribly long, but still fun... and disturbing.

I can't recommend this game highly enough, whether you get the SE or CE.  Way to go devs!

An Unprecedented Level Of Sophistication  
    

BASED ON COMPLETED GAME

The first game in this series was well worth its five star rating, but this sequel makes it look like a trial run. What makes this game so special?

Let’s start with its story – no magic or ghosts – just a genuinely scary human monster. Although beautifully presented, there is nothing ‘cute’ about this game. The atmosphere is unrelentingly grown up, the characters, and the tension, feel real. Our interaction with the detective is superbly presented, with cutscenes as good as any I’ve seen. And what a treat to ‘give voice’ with professionally acted voiceovers – including our own middle-aged pompous self!

Needless to say, all the visuals are extremely well done and thoroughly professional, the HO scenes are beautiful, interactive and imaginative. The balance between HOs and puzzles ‘felt’ right, although I was far too involved in the story to be counting.

Gets my vote for the ‘Oscar’.

I recommend this game!