It's time for another HOGuru Preview! This time it's actually a Hidden Object Game! Will wonders never cease!?
Artifex Mundi was nice enough to provide a copy of Grim Legends 3 as part of their open beta testing program, wherein their fans play a slice of one of their new games and then fill out a survey about its content/playability. So there's really nothing exclusive about how I got the game – but AM was nice enough to allow me to post a playthrough video of it, as well as some screenshots.
Obviously I'm not going to attempt a review at this early stage – the game is still a ways from complete after all, but as of right now I'm fairly impressed. The setting and characters are interesting – my first thought was that these roof-running monster hunters would best be described as a mixture of Castlevania and Assassin's Creed, but then they started calling themselves 'The Order' and I realized that AM were deftly ripping off that title, which is already kind of a combination of the things I mentioned.
While the premise may be overly familiar, what blew me away about Grim Legends 3 was how much AM manages to innovate within the HOG/point and click adventure genre. There's a great scene where the player must craft a plan to deal with a monster, rather than just have the game spoon-feed them the answer as part of the plot. There's one of the most visually interesting "hit all the points on a map without doubling back" puzzles I've ever encountered. The real stand-out, though, was the way the game kept managing to offer exposition during puzzles, including a wonderfully touching puzzle box that explains the relationship between two characters.
Check out the video for my thoughts on and experiences with this upcoming title!
Grim Legends 3 isn't available for purchase yet, but Artifex Mundi has plenty of other games on offer.
Nothing relevant to this conversation, that's for sure! Because we're here to talk about (sorry, write and read about, respectively) GC_Danny!!
Since the last time he updated this bio he's had a bunch of movies that he wrote come out, so that's neat. He's also managed to build up a small YouTube channel where he talks about Girls Und Panzer, The Dark Pictures, and Hidden Object Games.
In addition to general game reviewing, he's also dabbled in more long-form work, writing some of the longest and most comprehensive game reviews of all time. Then there's his non-GameCritics blogging, where he's famous as the world's foremost expert on the TV show Criminal Minds, as well as the co-host of a weekly podcast!
- The Cleaner Review - May 31, 2022
- Sniper Elite 5: Preview Follow-Up - May 4, 2022
- PREVIEW: Sniper Elite 5 Is A Dangerous Game - April 27, 2022
I also noticed a very ‘Assassin’s Creed’ feel to the game. The rooftop running, the scaling large buildings, the name “The Order”, and even the classic ‘pull-your-hood-up’ moment. It’s still a very good game. The visuals are stunning and the game seems to take a step beyond being just another point and click HO game.