When I first opened up Detective Quest The Crystal Slipper, my first thought was... crystal? Well that must be a step up from glass right? I mean, what is the street value of glass vs crystal these days, and do we have the option of pawning that sucker? Hmmm... there's a chance I've been watching too much Pawn Stars lately...
After some quick research, I was bombarded with way more science than I cared to see at the moment, so I gave up, and, for this review, we're going to go with crystal being better. Unless you want to get into a discussion about viscous liquids and amorphous solids? No? I didn't think so... on to the game!
I have to admit, my first reaction to the opening title screen was to roll my eyes and try not groan. It looked like your average detective story set in the prime time 50s era on the cobblestone streets of Paris. OK well, that doesn't sound too bad, but, it doesn't matter. The game doesn't actually take place here.
At the start of Detective Quest The Crystal Slipper, you are confronted with a prince that has more than a passing resemblance to Howard Wolowitz from The Big Bang Theory to be entirely comfortable... seriously guys... that's the prince? You couldn't just stick to a nice stereotypical prince and give him blond hair, blue eyes, and a gorgeous face? We had to go with that? All right, but I don't have to like it. I keep envisioning him with too tight pants and a ridiculous belt buckle.
Anyhow, the story starts off pretty much how you would expect it. Prince sees girl and it's love at first sight. They dance the night away, until, for reasons unknown, the girl whisks away into the night leaving behind only one small crystal slipper as evidence of her existence. The prince hires you to find her. And so, your story begins as you stare deep into the eyes of a unicorn that you're supposed to use as transportation. And well, who doesn't love unicorns?
One of the things that captured my heart immediately in Detective Quest The Crystal Slipper was the playful banter of the copy. Being a writer myself, I suppose that was the reason I picked up on it so quickly. Usually the written content of hidden object games leave us wanting a bit more... Oh, I don't know... complete sentences, correct grammar, a plot? So when I was smacked in the face with a line like "Someone's herb collection... probably for medicinal purposes" or "If this were my kingdom, I'd put unicorns on the coat of arms, too" I couldn't help but fall head over heels in love.
The graphics themselves are nothing to sneeze at either. The game is peppered with lush magical scenes straight out of a storybook, and the level of detail is truly exquisite. You can see each tile carefully placed on the roof of the forest cottage; you can see the grains of dirt on the worn pathway. The wooden floors in the huntsman's trophy room are deeply lined and aged, and you can see each blade of grass in the forest in infinitesimal detail. It's really a pleasure to behold and adds to the magic of the game.
The characters you meet along the way in Detective Quest The Crystal Slipper are also memorable and lively. The quaint cottage guarded by a two-headed cobra, a cute and fuzzy ermine your only chance of defeating it. A stately unicorn and hideous harpies blocking your path. All wonderful beasts and creatures that will help and hinder you on your quest to find the missing girl.
And what's more, you can capture your adventures with these creatures by taking their picture with your trusty camera. This is a fun and exciting achievement system that's integrated into the game, and it lets you find up to 30 creatures for your scrapbook. In case anyone calls you a liar back home... or they try to commit you when you start gushing about unicorns.
The music was episodic, full of potential, building the story of a hero about to go on an adventure. It reminded me of something you would find in an Indiana Jones movie or something you would hear on an amusement park ride. If you've ever rode Soaring at Disney, you might have the same feeling of building exhilarating, all soft sounds rising to crashing crescendos.
The sounds complemented the scenes nicely. Birds chirping, water flowing, or dogs barking all at appropriate times displayed the care the developers took in matching the correct soundtrack to the flow of the story.
Hidden object scenes were unique. Challenging and exciting to tackle. Instead of finding items, you were tasked with placing objects back in the scene where they belong. So instead of searching for solitary items, you would have to find areas where the object would potentially fit in.
But not everything was in plain sight. You would sometimes have to open one chest with one item in order to find where another item went. Overall, a wonderful breath of fresh air to what's started to become a chore for me in Hidden Object Games. I actually looked forward to these amusing scenes instead of trying to rush through them.
The same goes for puzzles and mini-games scattered throughout the game. While nothing was extremely mind-blowing, I did enjoy the different approaches to some of the same old puzzles you might find in any HOG.
For example, there was a puzzle where you had to get the vines from one end of the board to another. Nothing new about that, right? Well, each move you made was thwarted by a purple vine, which would move in turn after you, until you finally were able to make your way to the endpoint. Again, nothing super unique, but definitely not your ordinary run-of-the-mill puzzle.
Overall, Detective Quest The Crystal Slipper was a smashing success. The story was entrancing, the graphics were some of the best I've ever seen, the hidden object games were unique and the puzzles were challenging. What more can a girl ask for in a game?
Maybe some socks... some better footwear... I mean really, how comfortable are glass slippers anyhow... maybe it should be the bunny slipper instead. Now, that's my kind of slipper...