Mystery Murders 2: The Sleeping Palace

Mystery Murders: The Sleeping Palace
by Casual Arts - May, 2013

Series links:  Mystery Murders 1: Jack The Ripper, Mystery Murders 2: The Sleeping Palace

Available at:
Big Fish for PC
GameHouse
iWin



Sophia has awoken trapped in a mysterious bedroom within a strange and beautiful palace. She has no memory of who she is, where she is or how she came to be there. Discover why everyone within the palace has been cast into a magical slumber and uncover the truth behind the mysterious Heart of the Palace. Help Sophia recover her memories, discover her Royal romance and uncover the dark secret behind the Curse of Laroche Palace in Mystery Murders: The Sleeping Palace!

• Explore a beautiful and exotic palace
  
• Fabulous hidden object scenes
  
• Lavish and ornate locations
  
• Intriguing story of mystery and magic
  

Click images to enlarge

Ornate, Opulent, Over The Top ***

BASED ON FULL DEMO

First of all, it is ESSENTIAL that you IGNORE THE INTRO if you are to give this game half a chance. The opening scenes and (written) backstory delve into new depths of awful. Definitely felt like something dragged from the vault where it had been lying for eons.

The GAME is not that bad. It is PRIMARILY HO SCENES with some older WELL KNOWN & EASY PUZZLES, and the mystery is in finding your way about the palace. That is tough, the palace is huge, but you have a NON-INTERACTIVE JUMP MAP to help.

HINT is USELESS outside HOS. Just the “nothing to do here” message. And even when it does indicate a hot spot, it is not necessarily one you have the inventory items for now. That’s REALLY ANNOYING.

I admit the GRAPHICS are not to my taste. They are a strange mix. Some CLOSE-UPS are clearly HAND DRAWN. The HO SCENES are REALISM, CLEAN & CRISP, but are so embellished with gilt and ornate tapestries that, for me, I can hardly focus my eyes - literally. Some of the OUTSIDE scenes are gorgeous.

The STORY comes out piecemeal, via the “Heart Of The Palace”, an entity of mechanical/magical origins which took it upon itself to put all the inhabitants to sleep when a disaster threatened. You awake with no memories of who you are or why you are in this magnificent edifice, but you start remembering pretty quickly.

You must fix the “Heart”s mechanical components. Solve the mystery of who killed the King – if indeed he is dead. And there is also a ROMANCE to be sorted out between you (a commoner) and the Prince and Heir to the Throne. So you’re going to be a busy girl.

Minor details – my cursor felt draggy in this game, and that doesn’t usually happen with my pc.

The HO SCENES are for the most part NOT INTERACTIVE, but every now and then, an action is required, but there will be no indication on the list.

While the VOICEOVER was GOOD, there was TOO MUCH CHATTER from our character. AMBIENT SOUNDS, when I turned them up, were WONDERFUL.

This is not a game I would buy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think it’s okay. Many people, particularly HO FANS WHO PREFER REALIST GRAPHICS, will like this game.

Okay as a Daily Deal for the rest of us.

I recommend this game!

Note: Enough people had tech trouble with this one that I remember the furore 9 months later.