The Stroke of Midnight

There are many releases out there almost every day. But few of those new games do actually stand out. The Stroke of Midnight is one the few. The game is really nice in its every aspect. So if you are a hidden object/adventure genre fan, you most probably enjoy it.

It feels like we got into the high school of the hidden object levels, as if it's not about being hard on you with all the limitations

The game follows one of the typical scenarios, when you join a writer in their journey along some story. This time you play as a young woman who is having troubles with being inspired for another book. Her husband suggests her going to Western Europe for a change, which all sounds weird - why would a man let her woman go to a totally creepy place alone.

But anyways that's what's going on. And the next thing you know is that she comes to this abandoned castle. The game doesn't even gives you any hints how she ended up there, but... Soon she finds out some details of the love story that happened in that place long ago. Then it gets bigger - she sees ghosts replaying the events right in front of her.

It is hard to say if you have more of the adventure parts or of the hidden object ones. But the fans of searching for items won't be disappointed that's for sure. Those parts are classic with a list of items to find. But there is no classic hint system as we know it. The hinting happens when you just click on an item on the list. It gets shown by a sparky circle on the screen. And just like that without recharging you know where the items are.

It feels like we got into the high school of the hidden object levels, as if it's not about being hard on you with all the limitations, but it's just more about enjoying the process.  Anyways, that was nice. Then you are going to do a lot of picking of different items and using them in order to proceed.  The game supplies you with the hints in the words of the main character as she shares her thoughts at the top of the screen.

One of the nicest features is that you get into high-resolution, 360-degree environments allowing you to view each location in its entirety - up, down, left and right. That is sweet. Plus some small effects. The minigames are gently interwined into the general gameplay. You most probably won't be shocked with the puzzles they offer, but they are fun to play.

The graphics are gorgeous and beautiful with different animation portions to make it more real. As to the music and sounds. The sounds are ok, but the music is just not there sometimes. I'm not sure why, but that's the way it is.

The Stroke of Midnight is definitely of the best releases there have been lately.

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