PC

  News 
  Reviews
  Previews
  Hardware
  Interviews
  All Features

Areas

  3DS
  Android
  iPad
  iPhone
  Mac
  PC
  PlayStation 3
  PlayStation 4
  Switch
  Vita
  Wii U
  Xbox 360
  Xbox One
  Media
  Archives
  Search
  Contests

 

Vampire Saga: Welcome to Hell Lock!

Score: 80%
ESRB: Not Rated
Publisher: Alawar
Developer: GO!Games
Media: Download/1
Players: 1
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)/ Adventure

Graphics & Sound:

Vampire Saga: Welcome to Hell Lock! is another entry into the hidden object and adventure game mash-up genre that seems to be getting more and more popular for both the PC and mobile devices.

Welcome to Hell Lock! throws the player into a lonely town that seems to be filled with ghosts and apparitions instead of people. This town is portrayed really well since every scene you come across is filled with desolation and abandonment. Details like an unkempt lawn, coupled with more obvious signs like downed power lines and broken windows, really sells the game's setting and feel.

Vampire Saga does a good job using both music and sound effects to convey this feeling as well. Both background music and noises sound low key and feel distant. This is, of course, one of the major contributors to that alone feeling the game radiates. Unlike games like the original Portal, where your isolation is all but complete, the town of Hell Lock makes you feel alone, but also like there are things just outside of your view watching your character.


Gameplay:

Vampire Saga: Welcome to Hell Lock! follows the standard hidden object/adventure format. This version of the genre-blend is heavy on hidden objects, but uses those screens to give the player inventory items that are necessary in forging ahead in the game's story.

This format is becoming more and more common, and while the inventory-based puzzles that fall on the adventure side of things aren't too complex, it still adds a bit of depth to what would otherwise be nothing more than going from one hidden object screen to the next. As it is, Welcome to Hell Lock! seems to find a good mid-point to make it enjoyable to players who like both genres.

An interesting addition to this particular title is the use of a Polaroid camera. It is used to not only keep track of some of the places you've been, thanks to a handy book you automatically put the photos in when you take the picture, but it is also used for quick travel between locations. This isn't a new idea by any means, but it is a good addition for the more casual style game that is Vampire Saga, and it fits well into the game's story also.

You see, your character crashes his motorcycle outside of this strange town and has a bit of amnesia. While this works as an interesting setup for the game, it also allows for an excuse to take pictures to help reinforce the character's memories.


Difficulty:

For the most part, Vampire Saga: Welcome to Hell Lock! doesn't provide too much of a challenge. The hidden object screens are done well and I never felt tricked when I found objects. Because of the desolation of the town, there is junk everywhere, so while some items might not seem to belong in a certain area, given the overall feel of the game, nothing really feels out of place. The hidden object screens also play fair in the sense that there aren't many items hidden in impossible spots like a screwdriver in the bark of a tree. You might come across etchings or generic shapes in the walls, but it isn't as bad as some other games. Also, these screens don't seem to mess with the scale of the objects so that something that should be small appears really big.

All that being said, there were times when the most challenging aspect of Welcome to Hell Lock! was figuring out what I was supposed to do next. There were several times when I simply didn't know where to go. Thankfully, the game's hint system does a good job of directing you to the correct screen if you aren't already there. In these cases, the hint button doesn't deplete like it would if you were needing help to find an object or solve an inventory-based puzzle.


Game Mechanics:

Vampire Saga: Welcome to Hell Lock!'s hidden object screens are, as you might expect, the core of the game. While the puzzles you encounter outside of these screens do advance the story, you will find yourself rummaging through cluttered collections of items far more than not.

As I said above, Welcome to Hell Lock! takes the less absurd route and, more or less, hides its items in plain sight on these hidden object screens. Of course, the main issue with most hidden object games is the list of items you are looking for. In pretty much all hidden object games I've played that use the actual words of an item in the list, I will run into quite a few names that I simply don't know what they could be, or if I do find the confusing item, I realize that I don't actually call it by that name. Welcome to Hell Lock! is a rare case where these confusing list items rarely left me wondering what I was supposed to be looking for. There were a couple, mind you, but not nearly the number I've seen in other games. I'm not sure if some extra effort went into resolving this issue for this particular game, or if it was just the luck of the draw based on what they were asking me to look for and what I call things, but in the end, it was a noticeable improvement above other games that I felt was worth mentioning.

If you even have a slight interest in this type of game, then you should at least try out the one-hour demo.


-J.R. Nip, GameVortex Communications
AKA Chris Meyer

Minimum System Requirements:



Windows XP/Vista, 1.4 GHz processor, 1280 MB RAM, DirecX 9.0, 314 MB Hard Drive Space
 

Test System:



Windows 7 Ultimate, Intel i7 X980 3.33GHz, 12 GB RAM, Radeon HD 5870 Graphics Card, DirectX 9.0c

Related Links:



iPad Roads of Rome HD iPad Farm Mania HD

 
Game Vortex :: PSIllustrated