Hidden Expedition 4: Devil's Triangle

Hidden Expedition: Devil's Triangle
by Big Fish Games - October, 2009

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 for PC and Mac

                       

While leading a mission to the Bermuda Triangle to find a lost  member of your team, you and the Hidden Expedition Adventure Team find  yourselves trapped on an uncharted island. In this electrifying Hidden  Object Adventure you’ll solve challenging puzzles, uncover the secrets  of a colorful cast of characters and unlock a 400 year old mystery.  Become captivated by the island’s unique beauty as you race to free yourself from the dark hold of the Devil’s Triangle!

• Perplexing puzzles
  
• Mysterious atmosphere
  

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Giant Leap Forward  
  

BASED ON DEMO

Despite valiant efforts in the first two games, and a disastrous fall backwards in the third of this series, I can only now recommend a Hidden Expedition game without hesitation. The changes have all been for the good, an increasing sophistication evident in all aspects of the game.

The graphics are the most obvious improvement, and the change is huge. From being unable to see anything at all practically in Amazon, here we have visuals that are perfectly respectable even 4 years later. The locations and characters are well chosen and well drawn. Particularly the many HOP scenes, where the items are clearly defined and well detailed.

There are once again several types of HOP, including:

• Much more active interactive lists
• Progressive lists, where some objects must be found and used on the scene in order to find others
• Match related pairs
• Multiples
• Riddle-forms. e.g. 12 bits of pollution, where you have to figure out the appropriate items

This is a true HOPA now, not a HOG. We have a larger number of puzzles than ever before, and many are quite complex. Likewise, the gameplay is no longer map-driven (your choice of actions is determined by the map) to a more inventory directed game where finding and using the inventory items is what drives the game. You can also now combine certain items within the inventory panel.

There is also no more timers, and no misclick penalties. This is good. Sadly, the collectible items used to accumulate hints has gone too, in favour of a rechargeable hint that can also be used outside the HOPs.

The notebook holds important information about the adventure so far, characters, and the tidbits of information about the Devil’s Triangle that are found as part of the game.

It is a good not brilliant game (for that you must seek out the Hidden Expedition Smithsonian Hope Diamond), with all the characteristics that have made this series popular, with a new sophisticated look and feel and a new approach to gameplay.

I Recommend This Game!