I’ve always thought the mighty magic mirror from Snow White was never really given its chance to shine. I mean, the guy can show you anything you want to see and reveal any secret or truth you want to know. That’s some power right there.
So naturally, when I came across The Mirror Mysteries: Forgotten Kingdoms, which casts the mirror as the bad guy, I had to give it a shot. How could you pass that up?
I’ve gotta tell you, I was hooked from the very beginning. The voice acting in The Mirror Mysteries: Forgotten Kingdoms is AMAZING and the plot was so much fun. Seriously, I wish they would just take this and make it into a made for TV movie; I’d watch it.
I’m also happy to report that even though this is the first installment of the Mirror Mysteries series I’ve ever played, not knowing the backstory didn’t negatively impact this game at all. In fact, the writers did a great job weaving in enough back story to make you aware that something has gone down previously, so you don't need to worry about being hazy on the details. I was just really impressed with the writing, the acting, and the world in general. I mean, look at that creepy old house. It’s perfect!
I was also completely satisfied with gameplay, which moved along at a good pace. I think it was kept moving along mostly by the mirror shards that you collect; as soon as you pick one up, you figure out how many it’s out of, so it gives you an idea of how long you’ll be in each area.
And I ADORED the complete lack of running around to-and-fro. When you’re in a world, you’re there until you’re finished and ready for the next world. That gives you maybe five or six rooms you’re dealing with at a time, which is perfect for a spaz like me. Even though The Mirror Mysteries: Forgotten Kingdoms doesn’t have a map, I never felt the need for one; I found it easy to manage those five or six rooms the entire time I was there. And believe me when I say: I love feeling like I know what I’m doing.
I was also strangely enthralled by the hidden object areas, which game me strong flashbacks to I Spy books (remember those?). Instead of a list of things to collect, there are pictures of objects you need to find in order to complete a larger object that you put in the area to trigger other small objects (it sounds a little weird when read, but it’s very interesting when playing).
At the end you’ve built/discovered the item that goes into your inventory, which I love. I was a little less thrilled with the sheer NUMBER of hidden object areas (I’m talkin’ every two minutes, if that. A TON...), and, after a while, they sort of lost their awesomeness sheen, but I still prefer them over the traditional trash collecting kind.
There really weren’t that many puzzles, and the ones that I did come across weren’t really anything worth writing home about, but I pretty much loved everything else about The Mirror Mysteries: Forgotten Kingdoms.
The plot, the voice acting, the music (which changed depending on the world you’re in at the time; how fantastic, right?), just the look of the whole thing. I can’t express how much I loved the magic mirror, which was a truly amazing villain and whose monologues made me grin so hard my face hurt. I’ve read some reviews written by people who weren’t thrilled with the game and the big "down side" seems to be its length (it’s kinda short).
Personally, I prefer a shorter game; that way I can figure out what happens in the end before I have to call it a night or do the dishes or something silly like that. Besides the overabundance of hidden object areas, The Mirror Mysteries: Forgotten Kingdoms was exactly what I’m looking for in a game. You just can’t beat a good bad guy.