The Agency of Anomalies: Mystic Hospital Collector's Edition

Having played The Agency of Anomalies: Mystic Hospital years ago, it had always been one of my favorite HOGs. When it mysteriously appeared in the New Releases here on Steam, I knew without a doubt I needed to play it again. However, as I booted up this classic, I questioned just what was it about the game that left such a mark on my memory; the artwork is good, but it’s nothing that stands out among others in the genre (or even the series itself), and the gameplay is your typical HOPA-fare. But as I stepped into the agency investigator’s shoes yet again, this time with a few years of HOG-playing experience under my belt, I was better equipped to pick out all the things that make this title one of the best the genre has to offer. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=734344930 Set in the post WWI era, the Agency of Anomalies has been contacted by one Dr. Oliver Orvos, a German doctor, scientist, and the sole survivor of a horrific incident that occurred 10 years prior at a top secret military hospital. Recent events lead him to believe that a dimensional vortex may surface at the abandoned installation, and he’s in desperate need of someone to investigate and deter this paranormal phenomenon before it risks tearing apart the very fabric of existence itself! As the Agency’s top investigator, you must uncover the hospital’s secrets in order to prevent a world-ending cataclysm. Nope, this isn’t your typical HOG story, but that’s one of the things I enjoy so much about it. One can only take so many haunted houses and magical fantasy worlds before boredom sets in. Traversing this abandoned military facility is a welcome divergence from the stereotypically colorful settings that fill the genre these days. Gameplay itself is pretty standard “adventure lite” fare, but it’s the little details that make it stand out. The addition of secret animations that play on certain clicked items breathe life and atmosphere into the empty world, even if they’re only tricks of the Agent’s mind. I also appreciate the era appropriate items in the hidden object scenes which help immerse the player in the time period. The scenes themselves are well composed with plenty of objects to search through, but nothing so obscured as to feel unfairly hidden, that is as long as one has enough patience to look carefully. The item that is to be added to your inventory is the final one to appear on your list after all others are found, which makes it feel as if there’s a purpose to searching through all that junk. Although it’s such a little thing, it adds a lot. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=733423166 But above all else, it’s the writing that distinguishes Mystic Hospital from the rest. The main character is written so well, his personality oozes from the commentary and journal entries. You can tell this is a guy who’s seen it all, nothing phases him, and he’s gonna finish the job no matter what it takes. He’s witty and sarcastic and dangit, I wish he had a name, but I’ll just have to settle for Agent. Then there’s the patient files which are narrated by the good doctor, giving us an interesting glimpse into the experiments performed on the hospital patients which ultimately lead to catastrophe. The voice actor does a wonderful job of describing the events that took place without hamming it up with the usual HOG camp. The inclusion of beautifully painted, sepia-colored art pieces serve as a pleasing complement, and contrast, to the grittiness of the rest of the game's graphics. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=739306365 As much as I loved the main adventure, it pains me to note how disappointing the bonus chapter was. Usually these extra snippets give additional background into the plot and characters, but it merely included a few documents hinting at the sequel, and not much beyond that. This would have been fine should the gameplay have been engaging enough, but the additional play time was padded with so many hidden object scenes that even I had grown weary of them towards the end. I still recommend playing through it, because why not? But I really wish we would’ve been given more information on the hospital, the villain, or even the protagonist himself. Small grievances aside, Mystic Hospital remains one of the best HOGs I’ve played. Perhaps the artwork and premise may not appeal to those used to more brightly painted titles, but the gameplay, atmosphere and writing is truly some of the best I’ve come across in the genre. I certainly hope the rest of the series makes it over, as I cannot wait to experience more of this Agent’s paranormal adventures. Bottom Line: Highly Recommended. [code][h1]Curated by: [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/6458642-Hidden-Object-Gamers/]Hidden Object Gamers[/url] & [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33004802-Chudah%27s-Corner/]Chudah's Corner[/url][/h1][/code]

[b]The Agency of Anomalies 1: Mystic Hospital[/b] (IHOG) [i]2012 review updated after replaying Steam version April, 2019[/i] There are separate sliders for music and sound, plus options for full-screen, wide screen and custom cursor. Choice of Regular or Advanced mode. Our notebook contains tabs for Goals and Story, plus a separate Top Secret file that will show you patient charts. The notebook also tracks your time in-game, which is used to compete against the (pre-populated) Top Players on the Main Menu. [b]Story: [/b] The opening sequence long, but the voice-over is very well done. In short, the government tries to harness the paranormal activity of a haunted hospital to create the perfect soldier. Of course, things don't go as planned, and now our investigator extraordinaire needs to stop the dimensional vortex that would devastate our world more surely than any war. Further cutscenes are not as long, and can be rewatched at any time via the Top Secret file next to your notebook. [b]Basic Gameplay:[/b] Using the HINT button during the adventure portion will either tell you that there's nothing to do on that scene, or will highlight the areas that you need to pay attention to. Choose one of the highlighted items, and it will give you an image-solution. No directional hint. Mini-game instructions are available, and the puzzless can be SKIPPED, but this will add 30 minutes to your in-game time counter. No [b]MAP[/b] or fast travel, exits to new locations are not always clear and there is a LOT of to-ing and fro-ing. [b]Hidden Objects:[/b] There are two types of hidden object scenes. The first is your standard find-by-list with light interaction (items in red need some kind of task before you can collect them). There are more items to find than are listed - 22 for each scene - and each time you find something, a new item will be added until you've found everything. The scenes are not terribly crowded, nor are items tiny or concealed by poor lighting. The second type gives you items that you must return to the scene. These are lot of fun, as they requires you to really study the scene. Sometimes items will be used in ways that make perfect sense, but that you might not have thought of initially. [b]Sights and Sounds:[/b] The music is nothing outstanding, but nice enough. The sounds of the skip and hint buttons becoming ready to use were pretty irritating, but otherwise the sfx are good. Sometimes you will have just the background noises, such as the cawing of a bird or the sound of the wind. It's a pleasant effect, and nicely-environmental. The graphics, on the other hand, are very nice; sometimes beautiful! I love how well the devs took the era into account, both with little comments in our journal and with the care they used in choosing what objects to use in their HOS. [b]Bonus Content:[/b] [list] [*]12 in-game achievements [*]20 Collectible Post Cards [*]Integrated Strategy Guide (accessible via Menu button) [*]Bonus Chapter [*]8 Replayable mini-games [/list] [b]Bonus Chapter:[/b] The main storyline wraps up nicely at the end, so we are given a new area of the hospital to explore in the bonus. As opposed to the main game, this chapter is incredibly repetitive in actions. Two of the mini-games are played three times each (one of which is a Simon Says-type game), and we visit the HO scenes at least three times each. I stuck with it for two hours, but even though the strategy guide showed that I was close to the end, I just couldn't finish it. It was mostly finding hidden objects, and not enough adventure to break things up. HOS are find-by-list only in the bonus chapter. [b]Verdict:[/b] The main game was very interesting, and I enjoyed having a different take on the abandoned hospital theme. Gameplay is nicely varied, and the story is strong without drowning you in things to read. Recommended to IHOG-lovers~

[h1]Short version: 75%[/h1] Agency of Anomalies 1 is the kind of hidden object game that either captivates you with its eerie paranormal atmosphere or you quickly file it under the “okay, but nothing special” category. [h1]Long version:[/h1] Agency of Anomalies: Mystic Hospital has a weak first impression with its uninspired puzzles or reliance on pixel-sized items during the hidden object scenes. Still, the longer you play it, the more it grows on you. The game is set in a large hospital, where we have to find five former patients, five terrible experiments gone horribly awry, so we can dispatch them. Since progression is similar to a survival horror, the setting and even the copious amount of backtracking help to create an immersive atmosphere, one where we almost expect to find our character in mortal danger (even though this is still just a HOG, so you can never get stuck). To enhance the parallel, the puzzles often feel like something ripped from old survival horror games, only with a more casual gaming approach in design. The bonus chapter is the only contradiction, because despite the huge density of hidden object scenes, it is painfully bland, repetitive, boring, and lacks almost any semblance of story.

[b][u]Game Information[/u][/b] "The Agency of Anomalies: Mystic Hospital" Collector's Edition is a Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game. The game was developed by Orneon and published by Big Fish Games Studio. "Mystic Hospital" is the first episode of "The Agency of Anomalies." 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 nicely 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 two different difficulty game modes to choose from: Regular and Advanced. The notebook 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 backtrack. 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 padlock no feature that is available to lock the inventory panel in place to make it stationary. The inventory panel comes automatically stationary. There are some interactive items in-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: Traditional word lists and Reversed objects. Some of these hidden object scenes may require little or no interactions. The puzzles are fairly easy to solve without having the need to skip any of them. There is a collectible in the game: Postcards. They are scattered throughout the game for the player to find. 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. There are twelve 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. Miscellaneous The extra contents: Bonus Chapter Soundtracks; Game's Strategy Guide; Wallpapers and Concept Art. Some 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.

A rather challenging casual point-and-click adventure with many good hidden-object scenes. The story doesn't make much sense, but is told well, with appropriate graphics, sound, music, and occasional voice acting. All in all I strongly recommend it to fans of the genre. Note that though the game features achievements, they are not linked to Steam. This game is the first in a series of four games: [I]Mystic Hospital[/I], [I]Cinderstone Orphenage[/I], [I]The Last Performance[/I], and [I]Mind Invasion[/I]. The fourth game is not currently on Steam.

when you do not know what is around the corner when looking for clues.

Pozytywy: - mroczna grafika - dobre udźwiękowienie - znośna fabuła Negatywy: - problem z wyświetlaniem gry na Win 10 Gra bez efektu WOW, ale przyjemna i wciągająca. Polecam

A classic HOG with a great story!

As a paranormal detective, living in the 1920' (and I suppose, in Germany, during the Weimar period), you're contacted by a scientist revealing his involvment in a secret project about making enhanced soldiers. He's the sole survivor of an explosion but the artefact he saved reactivated. He asks you to investigate the destroyed hospital to find answers... I really loved the plot. It's efficient: you must investigate what is happening now and you discover also how the people the scientists experimented on became the paranormal entities haunting the area. I liked the idea to face these men and "free" them of their sufferings. However, I can't really tell the same for the bonus adventure, as suddenly, you discover a brotherhood behind the scenes. I would have preferred to have hints of them in the main adventure. The gameplay is the base for that kind of games AND mainly for the beginning of the 2010': hidden objects scenes with a fixed list and with items to place at the right location and minigames, without forgetting objects requiring a specific action to find them. It means that you'll stumble upon a lot of hidden objects scenes. This game also proposes more or less 20 objects to find (sometimes more, sometimes less), so it may explain that after a while, I was tired to play them. It is worse in the bonus adventure, I was under the impression to finish a scene only to find another one in the next location. The minigames are also a little harder than what we can find in hidden objects. So, that game, it's not for someone discovering the genre, it's for the gamers that are regularly playing it. While you don't have achievements on Steam, you have in-game achievements for each profile, among them, one requiring you to be the leader in the high score table, in reality, the one who finished faster the game. It's pretty rare now to see that kind of feature in a casual game: it disappeared from the early days as the genre leaned towards the adventure aspect. The graphics are "grim". I mean, don't expect colorful scenes but less flamboyant colors, to strengthen the heavy atmosphere. I loved how the cutscenes were drawn. I really enjoyed these.... The soundtrack is also good, but if you read previous evaluations from me, it's pretty rare when I'm whining about the music. I could add another negative point: you can't use powers you're retrieving. It didn't bother me at first but I've played Cinderstone Orphanage and The Last Performance, and I must say that it would have opened more possibilities for the game if that feature was included. I loved Mystic Hospital, despite some flaws. The game is clearly a challenge, has a good plot, good ambiance, good sountrack... However, I recommend the game to fanatics of the genre, not to beginners or casual players (or if you prefer, if you play from time to time that kind of games);

Although I give it a thumbs down, some people may still enjoy this, but get it on a steep discount. For the age of the game, it's a quality game. The mini-puzzles are all different, not just the run of the mill. The music was far less annoying than usual. The story was good enough for HOG (maybe better than many). The reason for the thumbs-down is there is no map and the Hint does not point you to other locations. I don't like getting stuck and get impatient. (I play these games to relax, not for tedium of going to every single scene and checking every single item when I get stuck.) I ended up using a YouTube walkthrough in 5 or so places. I had to set my resolution to 1680x1050. If you do get this, note that there is bonus chapter in the Extras. They don't inform you of this when the main game ends.