Dark Heritage: Guardians of Hope raises the bar on game quality. The entire intro is a filmed prologue with human actors and city scenes. I wouldn't call it Hollywood quality, but the production values were none too shabby.
Dark Heritage: Guardians of Hope raises the bar on game quality. The entire intro is a filmed prologue with human actors and city scenes. I wouldn't call it Hollywood quality, but the production values were none too shabby.
If you've read any of my prior reviews, you know that backstory means a lot to me and the quicker and deeper a game developer can “hook” me, the more I will be “wowed” by the experience... and tell everyone who cares to listen. I want to know who the characters are and why they are in their current predicament. As corny as it sounds, I need to “care.” Otherwise, all I'm doing is flitting around picking up hammers and rocks, right?
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In this case, a solid and compelling story supports the polished production. In Dark Heritage: Guardians of Hope, you visit the island of Cannon Rock, having been summoned by your favorite college professor, Gordon Child. Dr. Child seeks the Philosopher's Stone created by the Order of the Rose. Recovered Order of the Rose manuscripts tell of the Philosopher's Stone and the dreaded consequences of it falling into the wrong hands.
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When you arrive, you find that Dr. Child has disappeared and a madman roams the island, murdering residents and wreaking havoc. His hope is to find the Philosopher's Stone before you do.
The graphics and game play seemed a cut above. Many of the games I play seem to be plotted on a glorified “grid” system. You proceed through towns and villages going dead ahead or making perfect 90-degree turns. Forward, back, left, right. The rocky coast of this game has you feeling as if you are rambling around “S” curves and over hill and dale.
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The music, too, wasn't your ubiquitous spooky organ chords. In fact, it sounded like your typical New Age CD played in the massage rooms of suburban day spas all across the country. I expected Enya to break out into Orinoco Flow at any minute.
The Hidden Object Areas and mini-games are of average difficulty. Not hair-pulling-out hard. And, at the risk of putting myself out of a job, I'd say the strategy guide is all you'd ever need to enjoy this game experience.
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There is one little anomaly worth mentioning. After the game developers went to the trouble of knocking my socks off with that filmed intro, they took their foot off the gas with the inter-game cut scenes. Several of the ones that involved characters speaking to you made use of a “still” human image with “moving lips.” It was like one of those joke interviews that Conan O'Brien does.
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That small slipup notwithstanding, I can confidently recommend Dark Heritage: Guardians of Hope for the unique game experience that it is.
