Once again here’s a game that sounds interesting, but is a sequel to a game I’ve never played. But that never stopped me before, and seeing as how Otherworld: Omens of Summer looks to be crawling with magic and the fey, I kind of had to give it a try.

Happily, the creators of Otherworld: Omens of Summer catch you up with a cut scene at the very beginning. The story is you saved this young girl names Fiona from an evil Shade who wants to capture all the magic users in the world so he can bring about an endless winter. Now that you have Fiona, you need to get to her old school and find her teacher so that she and Fiona can work together to defeat the Shade.

I enjoyed the storyline, and the game itself is gorgeous, but I was kind of put off by some of the voice acting. Especially the little girl, which is unfortunate because she yapps a lot.

I was also kind of perplexed throughout the game because at the veeery beginning there was a warning for adult content. So I spent the whole game being half distracted wondering, "Is that it? Is that the adult content?" Which meant I wasn’t able to get fully involved, as I was constantly on the lookout for something not suitable for kids under 14 (I never found anything, btw).

Anywho, there were some interesting things beyond the storyline; for example, the hidden object areas were probably the most interactive I’ve ever played. I really liked that it wasn’t just the usual clickclickclick, and instead I had to use me noggin to figure out how to get the items on the list.

In one area, you have to fix a little volcano, and then mix baking soda, red coloring, and vinegar to make lava. It was wonderful (even though sometimes it took me a while to figure out what on earth I was supposed to be doing).

I’m a little more conflicted with the puzzles. Some of them were super easy (which I like) but others were so confusing I sat and stared at them for what felt like ages before I could even figure out what on earth the point was.

There was a nice assortment of kinds of puzzles, though, and I did enjoy looking at them (so pretty). Still, I hate not even getting the point, and in Otherworld: Omens of Summer, I also hated using the hint button, which was Fiona (She’s just in the bottom right corner of the screen, staring at you. All. The time.)

Sadly, there are a lot of things in Otherworld: Omens of Summer that seem to be tailored to annoy me. A little girl as the hint button is just the start; there’s also a LOT of wandering around (which I haaaate), and I found Casual mode lacking (Where are you, sparkling hints?? How am I to know what I’m supposed to be paying attention to??).

I was also forced to do something I hate more than almost anything in the world: draw in the lines. Why, Otherworld: Omens of Summer? Why?

In summary, I didn’t really enjoy Otherworld: Omens of Summer. There were a lot of little things that bug me (creepy little girls as hint buttons for one). I don’t understand the point of the warning at the beginning, and it kept me distracted. It could be I wasn’t able to connect very well due to my not having played the first installment of Otherworld.

In general, Otherworld: Omens of Summer has been well received. It wasn’t right for me, but why not give it a try and let me know what you think?