Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat Collector's Edition

Did you enjoy Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street by Tim Burton or the movies of Robert Rodrigues? If yes, the new game by Big Fish Game is definitely for you! Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat Collector's Edition is the second endeavor of the studio to make a game based on Edgar Allan Poe's novels. The first one was Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe's Murders in the Rue Morgue Collector's Edition and got quit positive reviews almost a year ago. But maybe the mysterious atmosphere of Victorian England will bewitch you even more this time...

I'd like to inform those of you who is acknowledged with Poe's novels pretty well that the black cat in this game is not at all a victim. The only thing that makes BigFish's cat related to his literary prototype is a missing eye. A black cat in the game meets you at the very beginning and the first thing you notice is his ruby eye. By the way all the tints of red are so widely used in the game's graphics that the movies of Burton and Rodrigues were the first ones to come to my mind to compare the game to. As for the cat it will be your main helper during all your absorbing journey through the numerous back time locations in England.

When it seems that you've already solved all the tasks and approaching the end the plot makes a twist and everything turns upside down.

The game plot is a continuation of the previous story: Inspector Dupin proposes you to take part in the investigation once again. This time it goes about a missing woman. Sara Davies has vanished in suspicious circumstances and precisely 13 days later people started to see her on the streets with her cat. But as soon as they tried to approach her she disappeared. Perhaps some timid man would step back and refuse to meddle in such a strange story. But that's not you for sure. You're already following the cat.

The game is a classic Hidden Object with a little quest and puzzles. The unambiguous merit of it is its artwork. All the graphics are made inwarm colors and provides you with the real scenes of good old England. Though the place is nowhere indicated, hardly anyone can prove me it's not London. It is as obvious as the fact that money make world go round. We may dispute that, but everyone will stick to one's own opinion. So following the cat you'll ramble the paved streets and enter the centuries-old estate. All the tiny details of the gorgeous interior just made me feel sad there is no chance for me to touch them!

As for the music at the beginning it seemed really solid and worth some opera show, but the more I played the more I got tired of it, as it has repeated time after time. That made me appreciate the possibility to mute it. The other strange thing concerning the sounds was that you can hear all the noises starting with a barking dog ending with the wind, but when Inspector Dupin addresses you, you may just read what he is saying. In my opinion the overvoicing could make the game even more fabulous...

The thing that I liked the most as for the graphics was the unusual inventory panel and the cursor that took non-standard forms. For example when it is possible to take a look on something closer you're informed not with a magnifying glass that became standard for the majority of the games, but with a revolving eye!

If I were asked what is the best in the game, I'd point on the unpredictable plot. When it seems that you've already solved all the tasks and approaching the end the plot makes a twist and everything turns upside down. Many detective writers may be jealous to the developer's creativity!

All the tasks of the game are catching but not really challenging. The HOG-scenes prevail. The hint and skip system works perfectly. You're provided with the tutorial and what is more there is a strategy guide. For those who complete the game and don't feel satisfied there are some bonus scenes.

Anyway everyone can find something lovely for him in the game let it be graphics or plot. Ready to argue? Just try and lie that you reserve your own opinion!

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