I haven’t played enough of this genre to be an expert by any means, but I’m not sure
I’ve ever played a hidden-object game with this kind of ambition. Holy crap, there are
wizards and curses and gem stones and MILFs...this freaking game is ridiculous. In fact, you
might even say it’s...enchanted.
It’s Lost Souls: Enchanted Paintings for the iPhone.
Just released to the App Store, Lost Souls puts you in the shoes of said MILF. She discovers
a suspicious painting on her doorstep one night, and instead of phoning the Department
of Homeland Security, she decides to hang it in her son’s bedroom. Then he gets sucked
into the painting. Smooth move, lady.
Nonetheless, at least she’s willing to travel into paintings to search for him. So you explore
the worlds inside these paintings to find pieces of the one your son has been trapped
in. And to do that, you have to find other things. So in a sense, Lost Souls is very
much what you’d expect from a hidden-object game.
Only it’s much more elaborate.
There are actual levels, for one, and they’re comprised of several individual areas. You’re
usually there to restore these worlds to their former glories, so you navigate a map and
travel to lots of different locations to find objects and solve puzzles. It feels much bigger
than the usual hidden-object game, which makes it feel unique.
In terms of its structure, Lost Souls is basically split into three styles of gameplay. You have
the typical “find these objects” screens, but you also have puzzles and even some minor
adventuring to do. You might have to find a bunch of gemstones, for example, so you’re
exploring different locations and following clues...and once you find them, you have some
puzzles to solve before you can use them. Another cool thing about Lost Souls is how
some of those objects you find have to be used to find others. So the rake you found
in one area might help you clear some straw in another, which unveils yet another item
you need in a third area. All these things are really interesting additions to the standard
hidden-object gameplay.
Of course, that also comes at a cost...literally. The game is a free download, but you’re
really only getting a free sample. It’s not long before the game prompts you to purchase
the full product in-app...and that’s going to cost you seven dollars for the basic version
alone. So as fun and interesting as Lost Souls is, it does have a fairly steep price.
If you’re into hidden-object games, this one is a no-brainer. In fact, it’s one of
the few games that actually deserve the label “hidden-object adventure” game. Lost Souls
is a fun and unique casual gaming experience, but it does cost some coin. And uh, not the
kind you find in a picture.
