The problem with a genre becoming popular is that the marketplace gets saturated with copies of the same type of game and people either love them to bits and buy every one or get quickly bored by the whole thing and switch off altogether.

It then becomes the responsibility and the task of the games developers to think of something new to rejuvenate interest in the genre etc. 

The hidden objects genre has not really being going that long and you would have thought that we were a long way from saturation, but thanks to the many different budget companies out there we have and it has quickly become a dated phenomenon.  

However, thankfully, Big Fish with the release of this sequel and latest game published by Focus Multimedia have at least tried to introduce some new elements into the genre to give it a new lease of life. 

In the first game you had been asked to solve the puzzle of the Book of Azada but this time you have various books to work through thanks to a strange enchantment that has affected the book in Great Uncle Argus’s library.

This means that one moment you can be helping Jonathan Harker escape from Count Dracula’s castle and the next you can be lending a hand to Hansel & Gretel to prevent them from becoming the wicked witch’s dinner.  

Unlike the original game and lots of games of this ilk puzzles are no longer limited to one screen. Infact you may find objects on one screen and keep them in your inventory and use them on a completely different puzzle. You also sometimes have to combine objects in order to complete a puzzle at some point in one of the books. 

There is also a multitude of mini-games woven into the main’s game structure. This helps to prevent the game from becoming tedious and boring and keeps the player’s interest level high. 

Graphically the game is one of the better examples found within the genre with well presented screens that although cluttered (as is the nature of the game) are always well drawn and of interest. 

One aspect of the game that is very well thought out however is the soundtrack as this game has an excellent orchestral score and possibly the best found in a “budget” title for years. Each book has its own music and each one has been considered to be connected to the contents found within the book. It is this care and attention that makes this game stand out among its peers. 

Overall although I have to admit I am getting a little bored with this genre I actually like this game. The puzzles are tough but not overly difficult and the variety and intelligent use of source material is something to be admired.

Azada Ancient Magic is the best game on the PC in its field this year and if you like this sort of game you really should purchase it. 

If you wish to purchase this game you can do by clicking on the link below: 

http://www.focusmm.co.uk/shop/Azada-Ancient-Magic-pr-1589.html

Developer:

Big Fish Games

Publisher:

Focus Multimedia

Genre:

Puzzle

Release Date:

09/09