Magic Encyclopedia: Illusions

Magic Encyclopedia 3: Illusions is the latest installment by Alawar Entertainment that offers you to test your hidden object skills. This time you are to assume the role of brave student who have to save the Academy from a perfidious Illusionist.

Surely, those who have already played the first two titles will be on familiar grounds. You are able to observe the main features of the earlier titles here again: pure fun, pure enjoyment, cleverly balanced task’s challenge. However, the gameplay is a little bit confusing as it takes some seconds of thinking to figure out what to do, how to use the items, and where to go. Honestly, this imitation of gameplay complexity may disappoint it Magic Encyclopedia series’ fans. The absence of instructions or other sort of information is a lame trick to make title more complex or intriguing. On the top of everything, there are too many small items to find, some of them are just too small to see and spot. If you are not a hint lover, you cannot help but use hints there again and again.

As for the artwork, it is suitably fairytale-like, well-drawn, bubbling with bright colors, extremely clear, thought not as vivid and lush as in the previous editions. This time the colors are too bright making the game too cheap and plastic. Most of mini-games and puzzles are varied, still rather classical and easy. The background music is not as bad as irritating ding bell sound effects that drive you crazy in a few minutes. The dialogues are trite, not informative but thankfully skippable.

Nevertheless, Magic Encyclopedia 3: Illusions is one of those books that can be slandered by its cover. While ordinary in appearance, not overly innovative, the hidden object scenes and adventure features can give the newcomers to the genre a good challenge. But with the so-so graphics, terrible audio and hackneyed dialog, this game will draw few fans. What a pity!

7, April 2010