The Secret Order 2: Masked Intent

Developer: Sunward Games | Publisher: Artifex Mundi sp. z o.o. | Release Date: 2015 | Genre: Adventure / Casual / Hidden Object | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

For a super-secret organization that has been guarding the world for centuries, one would think that The Order of the Griffins would be more careful with the screening process for new members. However, somehow they have managed to overlook the world domination ambitions of their latest recruit and end up paying the price. Not all hope is lost though as the Master of the order managed to get a message to his daughter, Sarah, informing her of the treachery. Now players must step into the shoes of Sarah and save not only her father and the order, but also the world.

Players familiar with the original game will feel right at home with the story and characters, but initially it can be a little confusing to newcomers. We would recommend playing the first game in the series for more backstory, but unfortunately it is not available on Steam at the time of writing. Seeing as the series is known for plenty of surreal elements, such as time travel, it can get pretty confusing at times even if you have played part one.

Seeing as Nathan, the villain of the game, is using a powerful mask for his wicked plans it is up to Sarah to find the magical scepter that can counteract it. After some initial exploring and puzzle solving in and around a museum, Sarah uncovers an old sailing ship, which also doubles as a time travelling machine. Her quest for the artifact takes her through close to a hundred locations, including a mysterious island and medieval village. Interestingly enough, the bonus chapter often unlocked upon the completion of these type of games has actually been inserted in the middle of the main game for Masked Intent.

Visually the game features some very lavish and detailed scenes, which makes exploration a lot of fun. The lack of major animations can make these scenes look a bit static, but this is something that is common in the genre. With about ninety locations in total it is a good thing you also have access to a map, which can be used to fast travel to previously visited spots. Occasionally you’ll also run into other people and while their facial features are very realistic it does result in a bit of an uncanny valley effect. The game also features plenty of cut-scenes to further the story, but these tend to look a little pixelated when playing the game at higher resolutions.

In total there are about fifteen hidden object scenes and it is nice to see that these feature items that are relevant to their surroundings. None of the scenes are too tricky, but there is the usual “Hint” button for people who do get stuck. If you are not too keen on finding hidden objects or simply want a change of pace, you can also switch over to Mahjong scenes. In addition to the hidden object scenes you’ll also have to beat more than 30 minigames. Although most of these will be very familiar to fans of the genre they still manage to entertain and pose a nice challenge. The game contains plenty of fetch quests and after a while your inventory can become pretty cluttered, but the journal serves as a helpful reminder of what still needs to be done.

Despite the rather surreal storyline, The Secret Order 2 takes itself very seriously, so the music is quite ominous. The eerie, moody soundtrack does suit the story and locations, but makes the game feel a bit oppressive after a while. The rest of the audio is decent enough for the genre and the voice acting, while not the best we’ve heard, gets the job done. Our only gripe is the comments made by Sarah when you try to use the wrong objects together does become a little repetitive after a few tries.

With its secret orders, time travelling sailing vessel, ghosts and dragons, this game offer plenty of variety and an intriguing story. It can be a little hard to keep track of what is going on as you travel between different time periods and locations, but overall the game is very engaging. It is also not necessary to play the first game to enjoy this one, but doing so will definitely clear up some confusion. It’s not perfect, but we had fun with The Secret Order 2 and look forward to seeing what adventures await Sarah next.