Chimeras: The Signs of Prophecy Collector's Edition

[b]Chimeras 2: The Signs of Prophecy[/b] (IHOG) Options include separate sliders for Music, SFX, Environment and Voices, Full-screen, Widescreen, Custom Cursor and Special Effects, as well as a slider for Brightness. There are three pre-set Modes to choose from, or you can go with Custom difficulty. This can be changed at any time. [b]Story[/b]: An unusually long eclipse in Munich starts a series of events that could lead to either great things or mass destruction. Your sleuthing skills are needed to help solve a series of murders, and a mysterious wanderer seems have the answers you seek. A secret society has focused on this man as the city's savior... or its greatest villain. First off, I have to say that this secret society is the most blatantly out-in-the-open "secret" I've ever seen. Their sigil seems to be everywhere, right out in plain sight. *shrugs* Ah well, perhaps we see it so much because we're such great detectives. ;D The [b]Journal[/b] has some nice details in it, giving us our character's thoughts about events, as well as documenting clues that we find. If you need it, there is a task list that you can access by clicking on the [b]![/b] at the top left of the retractable toolbar. [b]Gameplay[/b]: There are THREE types of collectibles to be on the lookout for: Morphing items and morphing "chimeras" (one of each at every location) and tarot cards (scattered about on different scenes, including zoom-ins, but NOT in HOS). Some inventory items are interactive, as indicated by a + sign. Our [b]MAP[/b] is interactive, and has insta-transport available... As a matter of fact, the game WANTS us to use it. Periodically we will find a new address, and the local law enforcement will point out the way we need to go. This map does NOT indicate where we might have missed collectibles, so keep that in mind. Using a [b]HINT[/b] during the adventure portion of the game will either pinpoint something at your current location, or pull up a picture of another scene - "There's something you can do here" - along with a button to insta-transport to that location if you wish. The [b]Hidden Object Scenes[/b] vary, with lightly-interactive find-by-list scenes, as well as finding pairs, find-by-silhouette and even a find-by-riddle scene. [b]Sights and Sounds[/b]: The graphics are quite beautiful, and I enjoyed the character design, as well. The voice overs... Well, they're mostly average, though a couple of them were pretty well done. The music was really noticeable, with one track in particular standing out because it was so moving and dramatic. [b]CE Content[/b]: [list] [*]Integrated Strategy Guide [*]Bonus Chapter [*]Collectible Postcards [*]Collectible Chimeras and Morphing Items (one of each at every location) [*]22 in-game Achievements [*]18 Wallpapers [*]16 Concept Art [*]5 Music Tracks (can save) [*]1 Screensaver [*][b]Secret Room, which contains[/b]: [*]Secret Game* [*]11 Replayable Mini-games [*]12 Replayable HOS [/list] [b]Bonus C[/b][b]hapter[/b]: The extra chapter takes place not long after the ending of the main game, and involves one last mystery for you to solve. You will find the last of the tarot cards and morphing objects during this part of the game, and finishing it will unlock the Secret Game area of the Extras. [u]Warning for my dexterity-challenged friends[/u]: There is a timed "battle" of sorts at the end of this chapter in the form of a marble-popper game. You do not have to remove ALL of the marbles - just be sure that you don't let the whole playing area get filled with marbles, and you'll be OK. The mini is tiered, so you'll have to do it three times, and the third time you'll have to track two lines of marbles at the same time. If you get overwhelmed, you don't "lose", you just have to start that part over again... or skip it! ;) [b]*Secret Game:[/b] This was actually pretty fun! You have four locations from the game, and the object is to find all of the morphing items. The items you're looking for are pictured at the top left, and once you find them all, you'll move on to phase two with new items, and so on. This sequence is timed, and there are multiple achievements involved in completing the secret game, and that is what you will see in the toolbar at the bottom of the screen - the possible achievements for finishing this area. [b]Verdict[/b]: The game didn't have the urgent or dangerous feeling that I think it should have had (based upon the storyline), but this is still a high-quality and fun-to-play game. Recommended!

Edit: All of the games in this genre are too short for the price here on Steam. However, after playing many, many of these games, I have to say this is one of the better ones, far better than average. Definitely very fun and worth the time, but as with all of the games in this genre, I recommend getting it on a discount. This was an okay HOG with some fun elements. Some of the hidden object scenes were at least not just a list of names. But it was way to short for $10.74 US, which is mainly why I gave it a thumbs down. Maybe $7 and I'd give it a thumbs up, but I grow weary of these games that are so short. I never skip cut scenes. I do skip some mini-games, but only after giving it some time. This did have a "secret room" game after the Bonus Game that was a nice little touch.

This was a good game to play. I liked pretty much everything. I often times found myself thinking out loud "Hey, this Wanderer looks like Raziel from Legacy of Kain!" and sometimes I found answers (the lens capturing energy, transforming it into crystals) to the game I love the most, that is True Fear: Forsaken Souls Part 2. (Can't wait for Part 3!) Okay, here is a list of what I've found interesting in Chimera: The Signs of Prophecy. PROS: - Journal entries; - Beautiful scenes; - Good music; - Well-worked voice-overs (especially the Drunkard XD); - Fast-travelling map; - Interesting HO minigames; - Story revolving around super-naturally gifted children and chimeras; - Three-set collectibles (The Tarot Cards are interesting); - Main Game + Bonus Game + Secret Room (just like Chimera: Cherished Serpent and Haunted Hotel: Room 18). CONS: - No other disadvantage comes to mind. If you're looking for a HOPA game with a good story and interesting puzzles, I think you hit the jackpot with this one.

Great HO game. The plot is engaging, the minigames fun, and the HO scenes challenging. Most characters have a lot of depth. Those that don't... well, they are already dead. Your task is to save Munich from a wanderer. And the wanderer from himself. Worth a buy. Probably in the Chimeras bundle, as both are great HO games.

Pretty fun and a long game! The ending was amusing to me. The storyline was good and I found the flow easy to follow. Good amount of HOG and non HOG!

Nice fantasy-based hidden object game! Good hint system, map, and well-designed puzzles. Well worth it if you're a fan of this type of game, and worth checking out if you're looking for a relaxing game to play.

After a disastrous experience with the first game, I approached this one with hope and a little trepidation. However, I had none of the problems that I had with the first game. It moved at a technically correct pace and not like I was wading hip-deep in mud. With that established, I enjoyed this game very much! I'm not an old hand at these games, so I found several of the puzzles quite challenging and the HO scenes were well done (I do tend to do better at those. lol). The artwork is very pleasing to the eye and helps establish the ambiance of the story. I would and did wait for a sale to purchase it, but I definitely recommend the game!