Here we go again, another
point-and-click adventure game. I’m going to skip a detail explanation about the
genre since the name explains it all: point and click. The difference maker
between a good/great point-and-click adventure game and an average game is
usually the story. If the story is engaging enough to keep you playing the game
then you’ve got a good point-and-click adventure game. The next ingredient is
the puzzles since puzzles are the key gameplay experience in a point-and-click
adventure game. If the puzzles are too complex and difficult to figure out then
gamers could lose interest quickly. However if the puzzles are too easy then
gamers could breeze right through the game leaving them wanting more of a
challenge. It’s a hard predicament to be in since the programmers can never
please anyone. Barrow Hill offers gamers a quality point-and-click game with a
good story and puzzles that cover all bases from difficult to easy.
The premise behind Barrow Hill
focuses on a mysterious ancient circle of stones that are similar to Stonehenge.
The stones on Barrow Hill have been left intact since their creation thousands
of years ago. In fact, no one has ever performed an archeological study of the
circle, which is how the game starts off. You’re playing the role of an
archeologist sent to study and dig around the stones to uncover the mysteries of
the reclusive stones. But you soon discover that something is terribly wrong at
Barrow Hill.
Someone, or something, has been
awoken by the dig at Barrow Hill and has been killing those involved with the
dig. It’s up to you to solve all of the mysteries surrounding Barrow Hill.
The game does a good job of creating
a mysterious and spooky atmosphere within the game. All of the game is played at
night with you searching just a few select areas around Barrow Hill. As the plot
unfolds you run across the standard scary unexpected moments that should rattle
you a little. You read some disturbing notes left over by various characters in
the game and learn some history of various stone circles around Europe.
The gameplay area is really very
small compared to other point-and-click games since you’re exploring the same
areas several times in the game. But Barrow Hill does offer a very non-linear
approach to a point-and-click adventure game. You can investigate nearly all of
the locations within the game at anytime without clearing certain puzzles or
events first. This is usually done by finding other ways to an area besides the
obvious “let’s open this door to move to the next room.” You will have to move
boxes and ladders around in certain segments to access other parts of the game.
Some of the puzzles in the game are dependent on solving other puzzles which is
an obvious limitation in almost every game released.
All of the graphics in the game are
based on 3D images instead of static 2D images. But the majority of the visuals
on screen are static images with little to no reaction to your involvement. The
few characters that you do see in the game are depicted by multiple still
pictures. The still pictures are then put together to make the character appear
animated. It’s a strange effect that seems to work at first but some of the
characters in the game use the same pictures no matter how stressful and
dangerous the plot has developed into. This problem does cheapen certain plot
developments in the game since you’re seeing the same pictures that you noticed
a couple of hours earlier.
There were a couple parts in the
game where the game would end if I did something wrong. Actually one point in
the game had my character interacting with the mysterious object that killed the
other characters in the game, even without any involvement from me. I never at
once pressed my mouse to touch the object but the game would automatically touch
the object, which would kill me instantly. This happened a couple of times
before I figured out that I just needed to run away from the object (I know, I
know…why didn’t I do that at first). Another part of the game had me moving to
an area that left me trapped with no place to escape.
Barrow Hill is an enjoyable
point-and-click adventure game that will please fans of the genre. For gamers
that have never played a point-and-click adventure game should definitely check
out Barrow Hill. The puzzles are at just the right level between easy and
difficult that shouldn’t turn away most gamers. The plot is well written with
some nice surprises and twists to keep you playing until the end. I would even
recommend this game to anyone that has a fondness for Stonehenge and other
unexplained ancient historical landmarks. Barrow Hill isn’t the best
point-and-click adventure game but it is a good game, regardless of the few bad
scores by other gaming sites on the net. The game offers a great, albeit short,
experience that will be enjoyed by hardcore and casual gamers alike.
Review Scoring Details for Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle |
Gameplay: 8.0
Barrow Hill offers a nice mixture of difficult and easy puzzles with a rather
non-linear gaming area to explore. The interface is easy enough for everyone to
master since you just point and click. The game’s cursor changes when you can
interact with an item in the game. There were a few items in the game near the
bottom of the screen which were difficult to inspect because the inventory
screen was located at the bottom of the screen.
Graphics: 7.4
The game does a good job of presenting a spooky, rundown, out-of-the-way look in
the graphics. If it wasn’t for the character pictures repeating again regardless
of the plot development the graphics would have scored a little higher.
Sound: 7.5
All of the music in the game is the ambient, atmospheric music heard in just
about any horror movie or mystery adventure game. The music does a great job of
creating a creepy, disturbing environment to explore. I do have to mention that
I never felt the voice acting in the game really matched the characters they
portrayed. The sense of urgency was in their voices but the voices just didn’t
seem to match the pictures of the characters. I guess you could blame this on
some of the characters having the same pictures regardless of the plot changes.
Difficult: Easy/Medium
The game shouldn’t be a challenge to the majority of gamers today. Just make
sure to take the time to explore all of the locations in the game. Move your
cursor around the entire screen.
Concept: 7.3
It’s another point-and-click adventure game. Sure this is a good one with a plot
that is different than the usual “let’s explore this mysterious house” but it’s
still a point-and-click adventure game. Some gamers automatically quit reading
this review right at the beginning because of the point-and-click design.
Overall: 7.6
Barrow Hill is another solid addition to the point-and-click genre. The genre
will never go away, especially with quality titles such as this one coming out.
