Off the Record: The Linden Shades Collector's Edition

As a journalist, your editor sends you to investigate an abandoned orphanage where kids kept on seeing a creepy red figure. This game's story kept me on the edge of my seat and the art, atmosphere, and music were a great combination. Some of the cutscenes are FMV but they were good. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1256190694 I'd give a big point to the journal, it kept a good tracking of the story and it looks pretty. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1245245424 The mini-games were pretty easy, and the hidden object scenes were well drawn but I didn't like that when we come back the second time to the scene we can find the stuff we already collected. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1256215584 Pros: +Very nice soundtracks. +Beautiful graphics. +Creepy and very interesting story +Good voice overs. +Fast travel map. +Very beautiful journal and evidence recordings. Cons: -No steam achievements. (There is an in-game achievement though.) -No trading cards. -Not good character's animation. The game length was good for me, around five hours to beat the main story and the bonus. The bonus chapter story is nice, giving the main plot some twists and makes you understand the characters even more. The credits were fun to read as well! [i]Other Reviews from the same series: [url=https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198071375554/recommended/600170?snr=1_5_9__402]Off The Record: The Art of Deception Review[/url] [url=https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198071375554/recommended/503070?tscn=1584890379]Off the Record: The Italian Affair Review[/url] [/i] [quote]𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑐𝘩𝑒𝑐𝑘 𝑚𝑦 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑔𝑒 [url=http://store.steampowered.com/curator/32399565/]𝐹𝑒𝑒𝑛𝑎'𝑠 𝐶𝘩𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒[/url][/quote]

Your editor gives you an assignement that he regretted not to have gone deeper. Linden Shades was an orphanage that was abandoned because a mysterious figure in red was scaring everyone. Nobody took the headmistress seriously when she had proof of a malevolent act. Now, it's time to set up the truth... I must say that I was quite happy to see this game arriving on Steam, because days before of its release, I added its profile on Neoseeker. I didn't really knew about Eipix, the developer, but they were given some known series on Big Fish Games, which is a hint about their quality. The story is very-well written. I didn't really expect some twists of the story but the most shocking truth is in the bonus chapter. It's reminding me of an Artifex Mundi game (well, at least, those they've developed). The gameplay is the same as any casual adventure: you find item, you use them, you clear hidden objects scenes and you solve puzzles. The good thing here is that the objects are easy to find. And you have even some items to assemble (like a box of chocolate, dominoes, etc..). As for the puzzles, they're easy apart for some of them that I skipped - but only because I knew about the ingame achievement of skipping five puzzles. Another good side is to find special items: pencils in each location, toys and letters (which are used in the menu itself!). The graphics are quite good, even if the characters look weird in the dialogues. However, I like the cutscenes: real people were acting (and they're members of Eipix according to the making off included in the game) and it was very nice, even if the headmistress in the movie doesn't really look like the drawings when listening to her tapes. The soundtrack is also very good, while not really fitting. But well, I enjoyed that part. The bonus are also interesting: BTS (behind the scenes), a making of, wallpapers, music, hidden objects scenes and puzzles, the bonus chapter, even the trailer of the game. Off the Record: Linden Shades is one of the best casual adventure games you'll find on Steam, with those from Artifex Mundi. And it has the same quality as what you can find in Artifex Mundi's catalogue. In other words, everything is reunited to pass an agreable moment. However, I think that it would be great to have Steam achievements and trading cards, not for being more popular but because the game has potential for good smileys and epic success.

[b][u]Game Information[/u][/b] "Off the Record: Linden Shades" Collector's Edition is a Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game. The game was developed by Eipix Entertainment and published by Big Fish Games. "Linden Shades" is the first episode of "Off the Record." Since this is a collector's edition game, it comes with extra features that are not available in its counterpart; the standard edition. [b][u]The Game Review[/u][/b] Game Visuals I want to mention that the visuals in the game are well done. The visuals can be adjusted in the game's option menu. Game Audio I want to mention that audio for the game is well done. Even though the audio is somewhat simplistic and repetitive. The audio can be adjusted in the game's option menu as well. Gameplay There are three different difficulty game modes to choose from: Regular; Expert and Insane. The typewriter keeps track of progression in the game. Such as story events and clues. There is an interactive map in the game. It allows the player to fast travel between each location quickly without having the need to constantly backtracking. It also indicates that there are a variety of tasks that can be completed at various locations within the game. The interactive map is automatically given at the start of the game. There is a padlock feature that is available to lock the inventory panel in place to make it stationary. There are some interactive items in the game. Some of the interactive items may require extra components before they can be interacted with. All interactive items are marked with a symbol in one of the corners. The hidden object scenes consist of the following: Find 'x' amount and Traditional word lists. Some of these hidden object scenes may require little or no interaction. Most of the hidden object scenes can be replayed in the game's extra feature section. The puzzles are fairly easy to solve without having the need to skip any of them. Most of the puzzles can be replayed in the game's extra feature section as well. There are three sets of collectibles in the game: Alphabets; Toys and Crayons. They are scattered throughout the game for the player to find. There are twenty different achievements that can be unlocked from playing the game. Each of these achievements does come with some requirements that need to be completed before they can be unlocked. These achievements are in-game only. Since this is a collector's edition game, there is a bonus chapter, but it can be accessed only after the main story is completed. Miscellaneous There are extra features in the game: Bonus Chapter; Bonus Hidden Object Scenes; Bonus Puzzles; Concept Art; Wallpapers; Soundtracks; Movie Trailers; The Making of the Game and Game's Strategy Guide. Most of these extra features can be accessed only after the entire game is completed. Final thoughts: I have found the game enjoyable to a certain extent. The replay value for the game is low. I would recommend this game, but not at the game's full price value.

-Short Review- + Pros: *Good art style (The backgrounds range from farmlands, a mysterious orphanage, to a dark mine; plus some cutscenes include FMV and the actors can be entertaining to watch) *Cozy, relaxing atmosphere *Good music *Interesting story (Pretty basic detective story, with an eerie phantom scaring people away, but it's not a bad trait) - Cons: *The bonus game - which is unlocked after completing the main game - is found in the Extras menu. (It would've been nice if this was showcased on the game's main menu for ease of access, it felt kind of hidden) *Some puzzle instructions are a little vague, which can make them a bit more difficult to play with. (I ended up skipping a couple because I just didn't understand some of the concepts) **Overall: A fairly nice HOG with a charming storyline and aesthetic; wonderful to play on a lazy day. $10 does seem a bit much for roughly 4-5 hours of gameplay, so, buy on sale if you prefer to do so. + . + . + . + . I had been curious about this game for awhile, and after watching a couple of videos to sample it, I decided to have a go. You play as a young investigative reporter who picks up an old case involving an abandoned orphanage, which closed down shortly after the children began seeing an eerie figure dressed in a red robe roaming the property. Is there really a ghost haunting Linden Shades, or is there something more sinister going on? I admit, the story isn't anything new, but the aesthetics of the game were wonderful and relaxing, and the puzzles were unique and enjoyable enough. And, some of the AMV cutscenes were fun to watch since the acting was rather cheesy, but nice for what it is. My only complaint, however minor, is the fact that - after finishing the game - the bonus game (a small epilogue chapter to the story of Linden Shades) is kind of hidden in the Extras menu as opposed to being in plain sight in the main menu. Also, I was a little disappointed that it was only a half-hour long, but it was still enjoyable. The game was fun, and I do see some replay value, so I'm pretty happy with the results.

Loved Off the Record: Linden Shades collector's edition. I really like that you can jump right in and go. There are plenty of locations. It was nice to have a Farm as a different location instead of the same old areas. Having people to interact with is always my favorite part of every game. I always wish there were more. Don't get upset with me for saying this but there were a few too many HOPs. Every few steps, there was another one. I'd rather have a nice puzzle such as assemble this picture which I love or paint by numbers. Speaking of which the puzzles were nice and easy going. This was great because the story was so good, I couldn't wait for it to progress. Most all of the objects made sense for where they fit in. And always love having the audio tapes to tell a story. Hoping for some "Video" evidence to discover in the future! The bonus chapter was so good because it really rounded out the story nicely. You always wish everything were longer, but that's because the entire game is so good. Can't wait for more from this awesome company. Very highly recommended!

Really enjoyed this one. Art is beautiful and the puzzles aren't too difficult. The hidden object scenes are good. I'll definitely buy other games from the same developer. Make sure you watch the credits--definitely worth it. The "Making of" movie is fun, too.

Quite fun and well put together.

I first played Off The Record: Linden Shades in 2013 - it was my first ever hidden object game and I instantly fell in love with these type of games. Fast forward to 2022, replaying it for the second time, and after playing a ton of other hidden object games, Linden Shades still remains on top of my list. I love the art and details, the mystery vibe it gives and naturally, the story as well. There are lots of puzzles - some take a bit longer to solve than the others - but they aren't too hard. I also liked the bonus story, the fact that the location changes and we get to see a bit more of Linden Shades. And all the bonus content after finishing the game - two extra HOPs, artwork, behind the scenes and cutscenes from the game. I definitely recommend this game if you love puzzles and mystery.

I played all the Off The Record series games and I'll give them all the same review, since they were not very different from each other (except the story). This game (like all the other ones in the series as well) is very well made, has nice graphics and good playability. They story is somewhat forgettable and the characters are okay, but overall it's a very nice game to spend 2-3 hours with. Full price sounds a bit harsh considering the amount of content, but best bought when discounted ;)

Fun game. Beautiful art, good story, good music, puzzles are easy for the most part though sometimes it's a little tricky figuring out how they work, you just have to dive in and start clicking things. NIce collection of extras. And the credits are a fun read. (I think I just barely made the "Quick mystery solver" achievement (less than five hours) because Steam told me I'd played 5.0 hours after finishing the main game. And that included coffee refills and bathroom breaks, so, yeah, probably four to five hours playtime for the main game.)