Hidden Expedition 6: Smithsonian Hope Diamond

Hidden Expedition: Smithsonian Hope Diamond
by Eipix - December, 2013

Series links: Hidden Expedition 1: Titanic, Hidden Expedition 2: Everest, Hidden Expedition 3: Amazon, Hidden Expedition 4: Devil's Triangle, Hidden Expedition 5: The Uncharted Islands, Hidden Expedition 6: Smithsonian Hope Diamond, Hidden Expedition 7: The Crown of Solomon, Hidden Expedition 8: Smithsonian Castle

Available at:
Big Fish as Collector's Edition / Standard Edition



You’re on a train in the middle of nowhere, and a band of dangerous thieves demand you tell them where to find the Hope Diamond’s shards. As the newest Hidden Expedition recruit, you’ve got to find the shards before they do…

In this exciting continuation of the Hidden Expedition series, your journey takes you from the Smithsonian Institution’s iconic castle to the remotest jungle as you track down the missing shards and learn the Hope Diamond’s secrets.

Check out the Smithsonian's sneak peek of Mystery of the Hope Diamond.

The Collector’s Edition includes:

• Play the bonus game to uncover more secrets
  
• Hunt for Smithsonian Institution symbols
  
• Collect Fact Cards on Smithsonian history
  
• Earn Achievements
  
• Get soundtracks, wallpapers, screensavers, and concept art
  

For the Standard Edition

• Walkthrough
  
• Strategy Guide (Big Fish)
  

Click images to enlarge
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Heart Stopping Action!
 
   

BASED ON DEMO

It’s high adventure and thrills in this latest game in the Hidden Expedition series, developed now for the first time by Eipix, a name that is well regarded by just about everyone for their unique ability to keep us entertained. This game will be another feather in their cap, despite a distinctive shift into their own style and away from the series. It is not a major thing, and I believe the game is the better for the change.

I love that this game starts with us jumping out of the window of a fast moving train – that definitely IS in keeping with the feel of the series, and is spectacular and different from the old car accident intro! The graphics are a delight, crystal clear, bright and great to look at. The cut scenes are so exciting, the voiceovers great. Music that builds up the tension to intense! Special effects very effective!   . Baby scared the living daylights out of me.

So, accept that this game has all the essentials. The emphasis is on HOPs, and they come in many forms – also characteristic of the series. Hidden Expedition Uncharted Islands had, I think, 8 different variations. In the demo for this game I noted:

• Standard Interactive List
• Silhouettes
• Objects outlines
• Multiples (Find 12 feathers)

And in some cases, combinations of 2 or 3 types. The puzzles are less obvious, although there really is quite a few of them too. I found them a step out of the ordinary, and not particularly difficult. Some inventory items can be combined, added to or changed within the inventory bar. Of adventure there is plenty, and heaps of help with directional hint, a H.E.L.P. kit which includes objectives, journal, and fact cards. There is also an interactive jump map. Custom build your own difficulty settings. And the SG.

All this is great – I love the game for this much. But then there are all the extras.

• Bonus Chapers and SG
• Collectibles: fact cards x 20, morphing objects (in HOPs) x17, Smithsonian Emblems x49
• Achievements also available from the H.E.L.P. kit
• 18 replayable mini-games and 22 HOPs
• A souvenir room (your guess is as good as mine, but there’s an achievement related to it)
• Pictures (of the team), movies, music – with interesting new ways to access these

Just for the record, YOU are the cute helper.   

Personally, if I hadn’t just blown all my xmas ‘mad money’ on half price games, I’d be playing the full version right now. I think it’s a classic in the making.

I Recommend This Game!

Love, Love, Love This Game!
    

BONUS CONTENT REVIEW

STRATEGY GUIDE – of course.

BONUS CHAPTER
This game is an epilogue to the main game, which ended conclusively without it. It is another adventure with our mentor from before, and we end up in some of the same places, but with new locations in that spot. The story is as exciting, and of the same quality as the main game, offering some quite different and compelling puzzles, in particular the ending ones, which I really enjoyed. There are several other HOPs and puzzles, all of them new. One HOP scene is from the main game.

I can’t tell how long the game was, but it felt appropriate, and I didn’t feel at any time as if I was “going through the motions”, even though I was quite tired after the main game.

ACHIEVEMENTS & COLLECTIBLES
Achievements have a spot in the H.E.L.P. kit for you to view in-game as well as on the menu. There are 20 achievements are they are genuine – HOPs without a hint, puzzles without skip, that sort of thing, and a few relate to the collectibles and bonus games.
Collectibles are definitely fun. There are:

• 20 Info Cards providing background on the Smithsonian and the Hope Diamond
• 49 Smithsonian sun emblems throughout the game
• 17 morphing objects found only in the HOPs

The Smithsonians are fairly easy to spot, but the morphing objects are REALLY hard. I got an all-time low of 9/17. The info cards are placed to be found, and I doubt they are exclusive.

BONUS GAMES
The best reason for buying this CE is the bonus games. They are all over the place.

• To get into the gallery items, you must complete a very easy (but skippable) puzzle. For each type!
• Click on the Smithsonian symbol and you get a beautiful rosette indicating which emblem you missed where, click on them to go to the location and find it.
• Once you complete the bonus chapter you unlock a Souvenir Room which has a souvenir from each location. Find all of them by being transported to the location from the room, and you win another achievement.
• 17 Replayable HOPs allow you to improve your performance by – finding the morphing object, time, accuracy and hints.
• 15 Replayable puzzles.

GALLERY

• Wallpapers x 6 (various sizes)
• Pix of cast x 22 (Careful boys, this girl’s got a crush on one of you already)
• Music x 20 (an indication just how varied the music is in this game)
• Movies x 22

COMBINED IMPACT
Brilliant! I loved this game before I got to the Extras. Now I’m ecstatic! If you buy no other CEs this or any year – this is the one!

Great review, and great info!  Thanks, Justie!