[b]Grim Tales 2: The Legacy[/b] (IHOG)
[i]Abandon logic all ye who enter here.[/i]
Options include separate sliders for Music, Environment, SFX and Voices, a slider for Brightness and Custom Cursor. Choice of three difficulties, which can be changed at any time.
[b]Story[/b]:
This story continues the story that started in the first game, [i]GT: The Bride[/i]. Your sister has invited you to come visit her home -- a bona fide castle -- to finally meet and be present for her son's christening. When you arrive, the castle is deserted and wolves are on the prowl. Once again we will be entering Luisa's memories to learn what has transpired.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1907693119
There is no Journal, and at least once there is a mini-game that requires you to remember something from another room.
[b]Gameplay[/b]:
We have a [b]MAP[/b], which is kind of interactive. You can insta-transport, and it does show your location and areas where there's something to do, but not necessarily something you can do RIGHT NOW. If you hover your cursor over a location, you will get a [b]Task List[/b] for that specific site, but even if there's something to do there, if it's not on the task list, it won't show up as an active location. Ugh.
There are no directional [b]HINTS[/b], and you will instead get a popup with text telling you exactly where you need to go and what you need to do, making it only semi-useful.
[b]Hidden Object Scenes[/b] are all standard find-by-list with no interaction. Items are well-hidden, but at least there is no misclick penalty when you are in Casual mode.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1907694338
If you read my reviews with any frequency, you know that I really have a problem with being asked to do things that don't make sense. Ah, game logic, how do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways. The ridiculousness in this game was over the top, and really set my teeth on edge right from the beginning. Eventually I just let it go and went with the absurdity, and even managed to enjoy myself later in the game.
The [b]Mini-games[/b] range from fun to pretty challenging.
[b]Sights and Sounds[/b]:
The anachronisms were a little jarring. As discordant as... well... paraphrasing Dante and Elizabeth Barrett Browning in the same review! lol~
Visually the game is nice... Not my favorite style, but there are a few really pretty scenes.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1907693505
The soundtrack is good, and the few voiceovers present in the game were done well (as best I can remember!)
[b]CE Content[/b]:
[list]
[*]Integrated Strategy Guide
[*]Bonus Chapter
[*]8 Wallpapers
[*]8 Concept Art
[*]5 Music Tracks (can be saved)
[/list]
[b]Bonus Chapter[/b]:
The extra chapter has us entering the memories of another member of the Gray family in order to fix an issue from the past. It was a decent length, and I think I enjoyed it more than the main story.
[b]Verdict[/b]:
I was seriously annoyed by the logic in this title, but that doesn't make it a bad game... It's simply a pet peeve of mine. It didn't help that there are also some localization errors (grammar, etc.) that were jumping out at me. There are no Steam or in-game achievements that would have made it more enjoyable (for me).
The game took me almost 4.5 hours to complete, despite rapid-clicking in the HOS and skipping multiple mini-games. I would recommend this game for those who enjoy the genre and/or are fans of the series.
