Harlequin Presents: Hidden Object of Desire

Harlequin Presents: Hidden Object of Desire by Big Fish Games is a hidden object game and romance novel mixed into one.  You play as Allie, a woman fending off the romantic advances of a handsome and charming Prince. The plot involves the usual romance novel twists, including a headstrong heroine, a cute man determined to get the girl, and lots of bling.

Unlike some of the most recent similar issues, which provide inventory items and interactive scenes, Harlequin Presents: Hidden Objects of Desire is a fairly basic Hidden Object game that focuses more on locating items. This is great news for fans of classic object hunting that would rather leave the puzzle-solving to mini-games. The art is lovely and objects are, for the most part, fairly clear and easy to see, though placement isn’t always too obvious so there is still a challenge in finding them. The hint system is interesting – not only does it automatically refill, but you can refill the hint meter by either finding a Harlequin logotype in every scene or by finding two items in a row.

The mini-games are interesting, though are fairly common in style, but can all be skipped if a player is stuck. The storyline keeps the game interesting and is actually quite sweet and surprisingly family friendly, considering its saucy romance novel background. There is a copy of one of Harlequin’s novels included with the game, which is an added perk, though players may want to keep in mind that its content is on par with the rest of their romance series. The music is also nice - not too intrusive and sets the mood perfectly. There are also a lot of dialogues, thankfully, they are all can be skipped.

In summary, it is impossible not to admit that Harlequin Presents: Hidden Object of Desire is green, but not bad one. The developers made a good attempt to bring something new to the genre. If you enjoy Romances, you will find the story rather entertaining.

16, December 2009