During my years at primary school, reading time would offer us the chance to visit the library, pick out a book and sit down in silence for half an hour, whisked away in whatever exciting new world would come to life through reading its words. Well… for most kids. For me, it would offer a chance to race on over to the library with a very different book type in mind. One with little to no words. One that was less of a story and more of a manhunt. Where’s Wally.
The laid-back nature of a search-and-find book series like Where’s Wally? turned books into involved adventures, one where you weren’t merely along for the ride but actively participating in, pointing out amusing scenes tucked away under its massive crowds and hunting objects in order to advance. The level of humour and character displayed on each and every page gave everything a warm and charming vibe, one that made you excited to turn the page and start the whole searching process over once again.
Hidden Through Time 2: Myths and Magic (along with its predecessor and other examples like Hidden Folks) thus feel like a natural evolution of those kinds of books, scenes turned from static illustrations to full-on interactive scenes where tapping on an object or character might spring them to life in some amusing manner.
Just like those books, Hidden Through Time 2 is all about scouring over numerous scenes, looking for everything from people and animals to the most random of objects. Check off enough from a scene and it’s onto the next. The game’s main story mode takes place across four unique settings; 1,001 Nights, Greek Mythology, The Middle Ages, and a variation on the 80s, each one absolutely packed with detail and stunningly hand-drawn.
A rather inventive feature added to the sequel is its Reality Shift, a quick button press switching a scene from day to night or season to season. It adds a challenging layer to the mix with certain items only appearing at the right time of day or season.
The story mode eases you in gently to its constantly growing world of shoebox dioramas but even when things get tough, short-worded clues are on hand to offer teases of where said items and characters may be hiding. I will say, that while some of these proved particularly helpful in narrowing a search, there were a number that felt too obscure or limited to actually help me. Still, you’re free to move on without having to find absolutely everything keeping things from getting too bogged down.
Special mention has to go to the truly amazing presentation of the game, from its charming visuals to the cute narration that kicks off every new scene. It makes diving into every scene a truly cosy experience, intrigued at what or who may be hiding away in the corner of a map or underneath a building roof. Trust me when I say this is a game you’ll want to wrap up warm on the sofa and unwind with, the touch screen making for a perfect way to tap and interact although button-based controls work just fine too.
Outside the game’s main story mode lies the potential for hundreds if not thousands of further stages to explore and hunt for things through its Architect Mode. While I’m not much of a creator of things myself (mainly due to my lack of… well creativity when it comes to video game creation tools), the experience from what I could tell seems easy enough to get to grips with allowing you to create levels as complex or simplistic as you like. What I may lack in the building department, I am more than happy to reap the benefits of others’ far better work and Hidden Through Time 2: Myths and Legends couldn’t make it any easier. With creations able to be ranked by popularity, finding solid attempts has been a piece of cake. Already the ideas on display have impressed and I imagine as gamers get even more used to the toolsets, levels will only continue to grow in creativity and surprise.
There are a few areas where the game could perhaps improve meanwhile. As detailed as the game can be, sometimes that level of detail can make finding certain smaller items like a banana especially hard be it on the television or Switch screen. There were more than a few moments where I’d find myself scooting closer to the TV or leaning my head toward the Switch struggling to make out if a certain fish was the fish I was looking for. It made searching for things tougher than it should have been.
As a kid, I used to adore the likes of Where’s Wally? and Hidden Through Time 2: Myths and Magic fills me with those same warm and cosy feelings I had all those years ago scanning busy scenes and gleefully checking off another tough find. A perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch and a perfect game for those looking for something far more chill.
Version Tested: Nintendo Switch
Review copy provided by Rogueside
