Sister’s Secrecy: Arcanum Bloodlines is a gripping hidden object adventure game set in a fantastical world of dark magic, where winged demons prowl the night waiting for their next victim. With her twin missing, it’s up to Ariel to track her down and unlock the key to their murky past, hidden in a small corner of the world where magic still thrives. With stunning graphics dripping with shadows, and a story fantasy lovers will die for, this hidden object adventure game is a smashing success.
Sister’s Secrecy: Arcanum Bloodlines is a gripping hidden object adventure game set in a fantastical world of dark magic, where winged demons prowl the night waiting for their next victim. With her twin missing, it’s up to Ariel to track her down and unlock the key to their murky past, hidden in a small corner of the world where magic still thrives. With stunning graphics dripping with shadows, and a story fantasy lovers will die for, this hidden object adventure game is a smashing success.
Finally… a game with a dark fantasy theme. I’ve had just about enough of cute little sparkling fairies sprinkling pixie dust on my head… I have allergies you know. There’s only so much cuteness a person can take before they start wishing the Wicked Witch would show up and make the lollipop guild stop singing that annoying song. So, as you can imagine… it was with much relief that I started playing Sister’s Secrecy: Arcanum Bloodlines.
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The story at first is shrouded in mystery. You begin in your sister’s house, in a room shattered by what appears to be some kind of epic struggle. Broken pieces of furniture are scattered on the floor and the walls are filled with your sister’s weird drawings of fantastical creatures, images she drew from visions you both apparently experience. Images your sister believes are the answer to your unknown and shadowy past.
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It appears that you both were found years ago in a small town, dropped off at an orphanage, with no memory of where you came from or who your parents are. Now, your sister has been abducted with your only clue a map and a destination marked by her hand. You quickly board a train and endure a long and grueling trip to a place tucked away from the rest of the world. A place where you hope to find your sister and unearth your past. A place where demons walk the land and dark magic permeates the air.
It’s a setting you could just lap up, it’s so darkly delicious.
The graphics are a fitting accompaniment to this delectable story - eerie and beautiful at the same time. Areas are dripping with shadows, and there are corners of the screen where the soft pitiful glow of the lantern light just can’t seem to penetrate the darkness, letting your mind wonder - what could be hiding there, watching you...
There’s no stretch of the imagination with scenes like these. A dark and murky swamp, lit only by the green iridescent glow of fungus growing on the trees, and a body tossed carelessly broken at the water’s edge only help add to the feeling that you’ve stumbled across an ancient evil that’s been preying on the town for years, and it’s got its sight set on you next.
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The cut scenes are also well done and plentiful, adding to your overall game immersion. You feel a sense of loneliness and abandonment when the train pulls away from the station, until even the light from the engine dwindles and is gone - leaving you alone in a land that already feels hostile and strange.
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The music and sound effects were the icing on the cake, haunting and lingering, emphasizing your isolation in this strange town, and terrifyingly chilling during intense action scenes. My one and only fault I found with the music, and this was minor, was during the hidden object scenes. A bell struck whenever you found an object, and the overall repetitiveness began to grate on my nerves after a bit.
All of these things are leading up to a stellar 5-star rating from me; however, I’m sad to say I did have an issue with parts of the gameplay. I found at times it was clunky and unresponsive. I knew a certain object was on the floor, but I couldn’t quite find the right place I needed to be on the screen in order to pick it up… so it took me a few tries in order to accomplish my task.
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The same goes for using an object. I knew without a doubt that the valve needed to go on a certain area, but it took me a bit to find exactly the right place to put it. These things tend to take away from the overall experience of the game because it takes you out of the story when you have to deal with technicalities of point and click mechanics… and you know how I hate that.
Still, it wasn’t enough to totally diminish the positives of the game for me. Overall, Sister’s Secrecy: Arcanum Bloodlines was an exceedingly awesome game that satisfied my craving for a dark fantasy game quite nicely. If you’re in the mood for something a little less cutesy… Sister’s Secrecy: Arcanum Bloodlines is sure to do the trick.
And, just for fun, I decided to include a video of the first 15 minutes of my gameplay in case you want to take a closer look at Sister’s Secrecy: Arcanum Bloodlines… enjoy!
