[b]Redemption Cemetery 3: Grave Testimony[/b] (IHOG)
You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time...
Options include separate sliders for Music, Sound and Voices, Full-screen, Widescreen and Custom Cursor. Choice of Regular, Hard or Expert Mode.
[b]Story[/b]:
You witnessed something you shouldn't have seen, and you're going to pay for that with your life... At least that was the plan. The odds were in your favor when they chose to try to [i]off[/i] you on a cursed island, except that now you're stranded on that island with nothing but corpses and ghosts for company! Help restless spirits find closure to earn your passage home, and try to right the wrongs of the past in the process.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1813626638
Our [b]Journal[/b] tracks the story nicely, and we regularly find articles and letters that help to progress the story and fill in what's already happened.
[b]Gameplay[/b]:
In true [i]Redemption Cemetery[/i] style, we have multiple storylines that we go through during the game, helping one spirit and then moving on to the next. The three separate tales are nicely tied-together by the overworld (the haunted island), where we will stop briefly after helping each soul.
We have a helper, but we must find special runes to earn his aid, lest our request be met with stony silence. It works well with the storyline, and the runes are a nice reminder that we have other avenues available to us.
Some inventory items can be combined, as indicated by a + sign. Simply select one from your inventory and drop it on top of the other.
There is no [b]MAP[/b], but each story is limited to its own separate locations, so the backtracking isn't overdone. Using a [b]HINT [/b]during the adventure portion will get you one of three things: Bats that pinpoint something at the current location, a message that you need to combine some inventory items, or a message that you should look elsewhere. There is no directional hint.
There are two types of Hidden Object Scenes: Lightly-interactive to-find lists and find-by-silhouette puzzles that are highly-interactive. Although the first few HOS are all by silhouette, I'd say that 65-70% of the scenes throughout the game are done via lists.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1813628051
The puzzles in [i]Grave Testimony[/i] are some of the easiest I've seen in a HOG. I'm used to having a few easy mini-games, but this game has the same difficulty level throughout most of the game. There are only a couple of minis that needed any thought at all.
[b]Sights and Sounds[/b]:
The first thing I noticed was the live actors. I never have been a fan of FMV, but at least they're (mostly) well-integrated into the background. Acting is about what you'd expect from a casual game, but I really enjoyed one actor's performance in particular.
The graphics are really nice, and the different environments were a lot of fun to visit. Musically, the soundtrack was well-suited to the environment, as were the SFX and ambients.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1814534590
[b]CE Content[/b]:
[list]
[*]Integrated Strategy Guide
[*]Bonus Chapter
[*]6 Wallpapers
[*]3 Screen Savers
[*]24 Concept Art
[*]5 Music Tracks (can be saved)
[/list]
[b]Bonus Chapter[/b]:
The main game ended pretty suddenly, and although it was an OK ending, the extra chapter's was much better. Here we have one last soul to help before we return to normal civilization.
Gameplay is the same as in the standard portion of the game, but it seemed a little harder than the rest of the game... Or maybe I was just tired. lol~
[b]Verdict[/b]:
There's nothing groundbreaking about the gameplay or stories, but I still really enjoyed this installment of the series. The completely different themes were a lot of fun to explore, and having multiple storylines gives a great natural stopping-point when you have limited time to play.
I clocked in at about 4.5 hours of game time, and am very happy with the time spent playing this game (especially story #3 - it had the scariest sound effects, but I found it delightful!) Recommended!
