Mystic Diary: Missing Pages Review will pit you against your irresponsible brother who has been dabbling in dark magics better left alone in this exciting hidden object adventure game. Now, he's released a slew of evil spirits on the world in his attempts to gain immortal life. Can you stop him before he completely disrupts the order of nature and brings about the end of the world?
The kids are in bed and asleep early tonight. Poor guys are still worn out from our vacation at the beach. I’ll take advantage of that free time and give the new game Mystic Diary: Missing Pages a chance.
Ok, so here’s the run down. Your brother Gustav has taken the Mystic Diary and is using the magic spells it contains to become a greater magician. Unfortunately for you and the rest of the world, Gustav is the Seamus Finnigan of magic, (for you non Harry Potter fans that's the kid who always blows things up in class). Well this guy is constantly blowing things up and putting everyone in danger. And that's not all... lately, he’s been releasing evil spirits determined to take over the world.
Gustav is an excellent scientist… if only that were enough for him. But he has dreams on a grander, more evil, scale. As the main character, you play his brother, and all you wanted was a nice night alone with your lovely assistant, but noooo. You have to clean up after your brother's messes. Looks like you'll be saving the world…again!
Luckily the Mystic Diary has a mind of its own (it is a MYSTIC DIARY after all) and it’s been removing pages (let’s call them “Missing Pages” since that’s the title) and leaving them for us to find as clues. Hey, I have a diary entry to make. Dear Mystic Diary, I’d like to keep the axe after I use it instead of throwing it away for no reason only to find another one later. Is that too much to ask?
The clues are helpful. They go straight into the journal for your convenience. But, the clues don’t tell you exactly what to do. They are more of a guide. Here’s a clue from me to you, think “REDRUM” while working on the briefcase combination.
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The hint button works differently than you’d think. When you are searching for objects, it functions normally. When going from scene to scene, the hint button is a bit different. You have to drag an item from your inventory and place it on the hint button. The hint shows you where you need to use the item. It may be a place you’ve been to like the castle entrance or a place you’ve yet to unlock like the freight elevator. It took some getting used to, but I really liked it. It was a nice touch and made gameplay a bit different than other hidden object games I’ve played.
The spooky ghosts that you discover midway through the game only appear when the world is nearing its end. They cause major mischief. Click on them as soon as you see one to make them go away.
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The other characters are pretty cool too. There’s the smooth criminal and his wife in the cemetery. Hector and his spoon collection. And a Magic Mirror straight from the pages of Snow White. I don’t think it’s the same mirror, but I’m betting there is some relation. Unfortunately, there is no Charlize Theron.
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Overall, I thought Mystic Diary: Missing Pages was a fun play. It was easy to figure out what to do next, but still challenging. The puzzles were different than what you usually see, but not 100% original so don't expect anything to blow your mind. I think my favorite puzzle was the Water Supply Control puzzle, but that was only after I finally figured out what I was supposed to do. Least favorite: the clocks in the cemetery. I almost skipped it, it was so annoying.
If you have time and unresolved family issues, give Mystic Diary: Missing Pages a try. I’m a middle child. You know I had some family Issues. Maybe that’s why I was so into the game. LOL
One last tip, for those Contra fans out there, while working on the last puzzle, be warned, Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left Right, is NOT one of the solutions.
