16.7.2008

The story of Secret Files: Tunguska plays out like an indiana jones movie/ tomb raider game plot - in a point and click style adventure. The story is engaging enough to keep your interest, but not too in-depth or confusing to detract from the game.Its no great shakes with the puzzles, which takes the old fashioned "combine A with B and use on C, and then D will happen" format, but enough thought has gone into them that they aren't tedious, and MOST require a reasonable amount of thinking to get the job done.The pointing and clicking is also great - the (surprisingly gorgeous!) backgrounds are static, but the character is fully mobile,so you have to roam around the screens to solve the problems: the opposite of games like CSI.The length is spot on - I think it works out at about 10-12 hours long all in, so would be great for holiday travelling, long journeys, rainy days off etc. And that's another nice thing to it - you can very much pick-up-and-play - you can save and switch off at any point, and its very easy to pick up where you leave off.It doesn't get a perfect 5 from me for two reasons however:1 - And I think this is the biggest flaw - A fair few of the puzzles - maybe 15-20% - are utterly, totally illogical and/or non-intuitive. You therefore end up frustrated after wandering around desperately thinking you MUST have missed something, then stumble onto the solution by fluke - just by literally clicking on any and everything in sequence, so there's no satisfaction when you solve it, and a degree of irritation (not because you feel stupid for missing it, but because there's no logic as to why doing that would work!)2 - there's no increase in difficulty. Its as easy and hard at the start as it is all the way through. In fact I think the very end level is probably the easiest one! I'm sure this wont actually bother a lot of people, but it seemed odd that I was stuck for ages in an early level (which I loved, because I hate when games are too simple, and got a great buzz when I finally cracked it), then sailed through the last few stages (which confused me, as I thought itd get harder!)That said, it IS good fun, at times actually funny, is a perfect format for the DS and would probably appeal most to the slightly older end of the DS player market - i.e. 20+ - who fondly remember the traditional point and click adventures like Monkey Island etc. Not sure how a younger audience would go for it though - So if youre thinking for a gift, its probably more appealing for 16+ rather than the 12+ it reccomends (theres nothing adult, violent or scary in it other than a few mild swearwords, but aside from that I just dont see it appealing to younger audiences)Hopefully DS game makers will do a lot more DS transfers of other great PC adventure games, because this one is worth every penny and I highly reccomend it!(** For fans of this game, I also read Secret Files 2 is out this September on PC - hopefully that will migrate to DS too!)

14.12.2009

Secret Files is an adventure point and click game, similar to the broken sword series of games. Unlike broken sword however you can press a button to come up with all possible clickable points, which on the DS with its small screen is a definate plus.You follow the character Nina as she searches for her father, helped by a guy named Max. In certain sections of the game you can interchange between the two characters at a flick of the stylus, which keeps things interesting when you get bored in one location.The graphics of this game, although abit pixalated are certainly very impressive for a DS console and contains plenty of short cut-scenes with voice-acting.The puzzles all for the most part make perfect sence.

26.8.2009

Having previously played Hotel Dusk on the DS, I decided to buy Secret Files: Tunguska.I was very impressed! It kept my interest from beginning to end. The storyline was interesting, along with the cutscenes which helped move the story along.The only bad point in my opinion would be that sometimes the items that you need to combine to enable you to progress through the game didn't always make sense! I found myself quite frustrated at some points and even resorted to the use of a walkthrough, which kind of dampens the feeling you would have gotten had you been able to solve the problems yourself! The only other downfall would be that the game could have been longer as I was disappointed when it came to an end!Having said that,

23.2.2010

I really enjoyed playing this game as so often the storylines are thready and end dismally. This one didn't though.The plot is about strange goings on in Siberia when in 1908, a massive explosion occurs which triggers massive destruction. Fast forward to modern day and Nina one of our main characters, finds her Father has disappeared or has he? She and her boyfriend Max then set off on a series of adventures to find out where he is and even if he is still alive. Quite frightening in places but in a good way.The game isn't overly difficult but I have to admit that I did 'cheat' a couple of times (oops).This game is probably for older kids because of some of the language used but in general,

16.2.2009

Don't be put off by the bad reviews as I almost was!This is a really good point and click adventure game. If you like games like Broken Sword, you should enjoy this.You play predominantly as a female but some quests involve also switching to the male character.The puzzles are pitched at just about the right level - not too easy so you just walk through the game but not so hard that you sit for hours or even days wondering how to progress.The logic used in the game requires a creative mind - some of the items you would never combine in real life but if you have a good imagination you can work the puzzles out with a bit of creative thinking.Great game, enjoyable plot, exciting adventure.

24.5.2008

I just bought the game today. Got to play it for a few hours. My inital thoughts were YES!! I love games like Monkey Island (classic Amiga game) and Broken Sword (another classic series). This game operates similar to these. Although it seems to be not as overtly witty. What you do is, go around and talk to people, find objects and use them to interact with your environment. If you like this you'll probably also like hotel dusk. Although this game uses static back grounds rather than Dusk's 3d first person navigation. But dusk is quite a humourous game and has a unique a-ha "take on me" comic book style. Beautiful looking game. Anyway, they don't make too many games like this (Tunguska)

20.6.2009

I love puzzle solving and thinking games so this was right up my street. Great graphics for a little screen, the story line was quite mysterious, so that kept me interested, I got a little lost on the plot but it didnt affect the play. A few times I was stuck and had to go back and forth until I figured out what needed to be done - gets you really thinking, the only negative I can think of is having to read lots of text about what the characters are saying, when all you want to do is solve the next part of the puzzle. Love the way it splits between 2 characters, and left me wanting more.This game is for people who love puzzles and have the patience to solve them!

11.7.2009

This is a classic point and click adventure game and if you enjoy this genre, this will not be a disappointment. I found the puzzle level to be good, not too hard to have to resort to frequent hints or walkthroughs but hard enough to keep me involved, although some of the answers are a little random and you can trial and error your way through fairly easily. Gameplay was quite long, although could have been a little longer and it doesn't utilise the ds functionality that much. In my opinion, this was better than hotel dusk or trace memory and a great p&c adventure game for the ds (wish there were more), although trace memory better utilised the ds functionality.

21.4.2010

I really enjoyed playing this game - it's reminiscent of the old greats like Monkey Island and Grim Fandango in terms of gameplay. You click on things on the screen and build up an inventory, and then figure out how to combine items to use to solve puzzles. I admit that I sometimes just went through every possible permutation of adding one thing to another and applying them to the puzzle until I got the right one, but saying that, the solutions usually made sense, and it's impossible to dig a hole that you can't get out of. It's pretty long, so there's lots of value for money, and the story line is fairly engaging, if not very humorous.

21.5.2009

Loved it, liked the story and puzzles not too hard or illogical in my opinion and im not the best gamer in the world! If you're a fan of this genre you can't go wrong, yeah its retro but great on a handheld when you want a break from button bashing, specially if like me use the DS to get through train journeys/commute. There has been a fair few bad PC to DS conversions but this ones been done really well, good graphics and presentation with easy controls. I really hope there will be a sequel! Omy there is! A welcome change from the casual gimicky/ borefest Adultainment games that have flooded the DS market.

27.1.2009

I really enjoyed this game, am a little fussy with layouts of games normally which ends up in me ditching them after 5 mins, but with the ease of use of the controls and the way the screen allows you into the story I could never put it dowm.The graphics arent too bad, they are not the best but it is enoyght to get you by, the story is fresh and the puzzles are not that easy that you can get through it with ease so some thinking outside the box is needed!it has great sound effects and funny characters, i wouod definaltely recomend a play with this one!!

26.10.2009

Secret Files is an weird one. The gameplay is slow and at times completely incomphensible (why am I sticking this to that etc) yet it is a hugely addictive and compelling game. The characters are enjoyable and witty (but use graphic and, er, colourful language at times), the backdrops are evocative and you don't need to reach a save point to save your game - finally, a game that realises that not all of us have hours to spend playing until we reach a savepoint!I enjoyed this game so much that I have bought the sequel although I have yet to try it out.

12.6.2009

This is a really enjoyable point and click puzzle game. You spend your time collecting objects, which you then use in combination or on their own, to make your way through buildings and areas. Some of the puzzle combinations don't make any sense at all and I only progressed by accident on a couple of occasions by trying every object combination! I would definitely recommend this game and recommend you don't seek out a walkthrough, this would make the game far too short, it's not that long as it is, perseverance is the key if you get stuck!

30.9.2009

Quite simply, it's fab, I don't like the sound of my own typing, so I'll cut it short: Not too impossible, but challenging enough to make you feel like Einstein when you solve things, unbelievably addictive, great sounds effects that can be a bit spooky at times and an intriguing storyline that turns out to be rather graphic in parts *hence the 12+* Reminds me a LOT of Tomb Raider, but without the real time events. Really funky little game, that I'm not ashamed to play on the bus/train *^-^*

12.5.2011

If you like working your brain cells then this is definitely the game for you! This game appears to be never-ending with level after level of brain teasing situations. I adore games like this and the graphics are just another big plus. I got so hooked from the start it was well past 2:00am and I didn't even notice! You will not regret buying this game :)

Secret Files: Tunguska (DS) - Reviews

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