The Secret Order 3: Ancient Times
Gameplay 8
Graphics 8
Sound 8

The Secret Order 3: Ancient Times offers more of what made the previous installments so much fun to play. It doesn’t make any drastic changes to the formula, but instead polished everything up a bit and switched to a more fantasy theme. It is still not perfect and probably won’t sway players who aren’t already fans of the genre, but once again provides a couple of hours of solid entertainment.

Gameplay: Veterans might find it a bit easy, but there are some nice puzzles to solve.

Graphics: More colorful and detailed than previous installments.

Sound: The sound effects are a highlight, but the music and voice acting is mostly good as well

Summary 8.0 Great
Gameplay 0
Graphics 0
Sound 0
Summary rating from user's marks. You can set own marks for this article - just click on stars above and press "Accept".
Accept
Summary 0.0 Terrible

The Secret Order 3: Ancient Times

Developer: Sunward Games | Publisher: Artifex Mundi sp. z o.o. | Release Date: 2016 | Genre: Adventure / Casual / Hidden Object | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

Nobody deserves a break more than Sarah Pennington, but unfortunately for her and luckily for us, this is not to be. Instead, Sarah discovers that the chaotic artifacts she spent so much time retrieving the previous game has become unstable and could actually destroy the universe. Sarah has no choice but to use the Royal Griffin to travel back in time again to prevent this from happening. Her destination is the mythical realm of Aeronhart, home of the man who ordered the creation of the artifacts in the first place, King Amadon.

Ancient Times is the third entry in the Secret Order series, so having some knowledge of the previous games will be useful. We recommend playing at least the second game in the series, not just for the story, but also for the fact that it is really quite good. On the other hand, The Secret Order 3 starts with a recap of the events that transpired in the last game, so playing part two is not absolutely essential. Sarah is the daughter of the Master of The Order of the Griffins, which has some perks. One of these perks is a time travelling sailing ship, which Sarah uses to go back in time. Her first stop is 19th century London, but after that it is straight to the 3157 BC Kingdom of Aeronhart. Ancient Times is definitely more fantasy themed than he previous games, so expect to see dragons, griffins and all manner of other interesting creatures.

Visually the game is a little less dark and gloomy than Masked Intent and the artists have definitely made the most of the fantasy setting. There are 57 locations to discover and most of them look a bit more animated than the previous games. Effects like running water and flags waving in the wind make a big difference and the scenes are also very detailed. Once again, there are plenty of cut-scenes and while they look a bit better than Masked Intent these movie scenes are still not in high definition. Those playing the game at lower resolutions will probably not mind or really notice, but the cut scenes do look rather fuzzy on high definition monitors.

The game uses 3D animations for many of the characters, which can make them look a little out of place against certain backdrops. Also, while we appreciate the amount of detail that went into characters faces, their mouths look rather weird when they talk. This is not a deal breaker, but it is very noticeable and quite distracting. Interestingly enough, the bonus chapter that is unlocked after completing the main game features a slightly different visual style. Although it takes place directly after the main story the scenes and characters in it features a more painted look instead of the rendered style.

The gameplay remains mostly the same as previous installments, so once again your time is divided between solving puzzles and completing hidden object scenes. As in Masked Intent, the hidden object scenes can be substituted for mahjong tiles if you prefer. There are a total of 60 mini games and hidden object puzzles to complete and while the majority of these are quite easy they are still fun. You’ll encounter the usual sliding and pipe puzzles, along with a host of others, but the game also features some other neat elements. Our favorite is the baby griffin that you encounter early on. This little critter is not only adorable, but can also be selected from his perch next to your inventory and commanded to retrieve objects that are too high for your character to reach. While this game is not the first to provide you with a helper the baby griffin absolutely ranks amongst the cutest of them all.

Sarah also comes into possession of an artifact known as the “Golem’s Heart” which is used to animate statues. As you progress through the game this artifact increases in power, allowing you to manipulate larger and larger statues. As a nice bonus there are also hidden griffons and dragons to find while playing. These don’t’ really have anything to do with the story, but you are rewarded with achievements for finding them all.

The audio of Ancient Times really impressed us, especially the sound effects. Each scene features some nice crisp sound effects and ambient effects that sound great when playing with earphones and really helps build the atmosphere of the game. The voice acting is the usual mixed bag of good and bad that we have come to expect from the genre. The soundtrack features a nice selection of tunes, although we did recognize a few from the previous game.

Overall anyone who enjoyed the previous two games or like a good hidden object game shouldn’t hesitate to add Ancient Times to their library. The bonus chapter, which involves uniting dwarves, fairies and elves against a common enemy didn’t feel as polished as the main game, but Ancient Times is still a great entry in the series. We have a feeling that we won’t have to wait too long for the next installment to hit Steam either.

System Requirements

  • OS: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8
  • Processor: 1.5 GHz
  • Memory: 512 MB RAM
  • Graphics: 128 MB VRAM
  • DirectX: Version 9.0
  • Storage: 1 GB available space
  • OS: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8
  • Processor: 2 GHz
  • Memory: 1 GB RAM
  • Graphics: 256 MB VRAM
  • DirectX: Version 9.0
  • Storage: 1 GB available space
  • OS: 10.6.8
  • Processor: 1.5 GHz
  • Memory: 512 MB RAM
  • Graphics: 128 MB VRAM
  • Storage: 1 GB available space
  • OS: 10.6.8
  • Processor: 2 GHz
  • Memory: 1 GB RAM
  • Graphics: 256 MB VRAM
  • Storage: 1 GB available space
  • OS: Ubuntu 12.04 (32/64bit)
  • Processor: 1.5 GHz
  • Memory: 512 MB RAM
  • Graphics: 128 MB VRAM
  • Storage: 1 GB available space
  • OS: Ubuntu 12.04 (32/64bit)
  • Processor: 2 GHz
  • Memory: 1 GB RAM
  • Graphics: 256 MB VRAM
  • Storage: 1 GB available space

Related posts

Runespell: Overture

Runespell: Overture

Runespell: Overture shares many similarities with the Puzzle Quest series, but never quite manages to be as great. It is undeniably addictive and has some great ideas, but can become repetitive and the whole thing ends rather abruptly. Considering the low price tag it is well worth checking out however. Gameplay: Addictive but can become repetitive. Graphics: Nice considering the limitations. Sound: Orchestral soundtrack and great sound effects.

Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden

Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden

Abyss: Wraiths of Eden is yet another very enjoyable hidden object game from one of the best developers in the genre. The setting might not be that original, but looks great and makes for an interesting story. Since it is a relatively easy title, it is a good starting point for newcomers, but it is polished enough that even veterans will enjoy the experience. Gameplay: Easy to complete but remains enjoyable throughout. Graphics: The hand-drawn visuals look great, but the close-up character animations are not the best. Sound: Nice music, but the voice acting could have been better.

The Sagara Family

The Sagara Family

This game features the usual unlikely storyline of a male character ending up in a house full of females but it does provide a bit more substance than usual. There are quite a few branching storylines and a multitude of endings so the replay value is quite high. If you are a fan of the genre and don't mind the whole family incest angle, then this title ticks all the right boxes. Gameplay: The usual limitations of the genre, but with plenty of storyline branches. Graphics: Not bad. Sound: Includes plenty of sound effects as well as both Japanese and English voice overs.

TankBlitz

TankBlitz

If you have a hankering for jumping into a tank and blasting everything in your path to smithereens, then TankBlitz has got you covered. This 2D, top-down shooter looks and feels like an arcade game from the nineties, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's got nonstop action, tons of different enemies to shoot at, and enough upgrades to keep you coming back for more. Three difficulty levels and many achievements add to the replay value, but we would have loved to see more than 12 levels. Nevertheless, the game was entertaining from start to finish, and we had a blast with it. Gameplay: You shoot things to earn cash for upgrades so that you can do it all again with even more powerful weapons. Graphics: The visuals are not as sharp as we would have liked in high resolution, but they are packed with detail. Sound: The game features no speech, but the effects sound like they've been plucked straight from an arcade.

Japanese School Life

Japanese School Life

Japanese School Life follows an American exchange student named Brian as he experiences life in Japan for a year. Most of this time is spent in the company of Chiyoko and Arisa, two girls in his class who take him under their wing to show him around. The game is mostly a kinetic novel, apart from a few instances where players can choose which girl Brian likes more. However, these choices do not lead to any type of romantic encounters and the focus of the game is on educating players about Japanese culture. It is a familiar concept to games like Go! Go! Nippon, but not quite as memorable, unfortunately. Gameplay: Apart from a few choices that don’t change much about the story the game is mostly a kinetic novel. Graphics: The only sprites in the game are for the two girls, but the e-mote system and lots of CGs make up for it. Sound: There are only a handful of music tracks, but the Japanese voice acting for Chiyoko and Arisa are really good.

Papers, Please

Papers, Please

Papers, Please is one of those titles that you have to play in order to truly appreciate. It is hard to try to explain the concept to someone else without making it sound dull, but believe us, the game will suck you in. With some thought-provoking moral dilemmas and multiple endings, you might find yourself coming back to this one again and again. Gameplay: Papers, Please, is a truly unique and engaging experience. Graphics: The unique visual style matches the mood and setting of the game perfectly. Sound: The audio for the game is very sparse but quite fitting.

Leave a comment

12 + five =