Forbidden Secrets: Alien Town > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

5 / 5

146 of 161 found this review helpful

Extraordinary - A Guy's Review

PostedDecember 8, 2012

TnT_TJ

fromKongsvinger, Norway

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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Puzzle, Mahjong

Current Favorite:

Brink of Consciousness: The Lonely Hearts Murders Collector's Edition

(162)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

*review based on completing the full CE version of the game in expert mode + bonus content, re-posted here in the interest of the release of the SE version, slightly modified*

This game is right up my alley. I'm mostly talking about the storyline. A sci-fi alien conspiracy mixed in with religion and Indian culture, and it is really well written. Now, this might not be for everybody, but for me it ...Show more

*review based on completing the full CE version of the game in expert mode + bonus content, re-posted here in the interest of the release of the SE version, slightly modified*

This game is right up my alley. I'm mostly talking about the storyline. A sci-fi alien conspiracy mixed in with religion and Indian culture, and it is really well written. Now, this might not be for everybody, but for me it is perfect. Beware if you are extra sensitive about your religion, or find alien conspiracy theories blatantly stupid. You might get offended. If not, then there is nothing to think about, buy it as soon as you can and join a spectacular ride.

The graphics in this game are high quality on the most part. Like many others, it has mostly dark and dreary locations, but they are highly detailed and interesting sites. The cinematic cut-scenes might be the best I've seen so far in the casual game scene. It's dramatic, moves smoothly and basically looks similar to what you would expect in a movie. There are no live actors though, but the characters are well drawn. I tend to like drawn characters better anyway.

Animations are not that smooth elsewhere in the game though. They feel somewhat stiff and they have not spent much time on the lip-sync.

The voice-overs are mostly nicely done, but there is a few exceptions. It sounded like the same kid voiced all the children, and wasn't that believable. A funny note is that all the kids growing up with American adoptive parents in North America from birth had a very British accent. Unlikely.

The music ranged from OK to terrible. Something sounding like a orchestra warming up made a very intrusive sound in many scenes. Sound effects are perfectly fine though.

If ratings were separate I would give Visual Quality 5 (excellent) and sound 2 or 3, so ended up with 4.

The game had quite a bit of adventure elements. Some typical and some quite creative. I usually enjoy the adventure elements the most and this game kept me happy all the way through.

Puzzles were varied with some easy and some quite hard. Some we've all seen before, but also a few that had some originality to it (at least for me). I like when a game mixes the difficulty levels on their puzzles, so a nice fit to me here.

The hidden object scenes were quite cluttered clutter scenes, but were highly detailed and nice and colorful. There was a few objects that were hard to find in dark areas and rather small, but nothing that got too frustrating. All HO scenes were mildly interactive and had at least one smaller scene within it. You have to visit all of them (I think) twice, but once for finding items listed and another time to place (reverse HO) objects on/in/next to matching ones. That kept all scenes fresh and interesting, and it didn't feel repetitive.

The game mechanics functioned well as far as I can tell. The interface was easy to use. You have a journal and a map. The journal felt almost completely necessary a couple of times and the map is your best friend. The map is interactive and you can use it for fast-traveling. You can also opt for highlighted active zones and morphing object locations right on the map itself. Hook it on or off and own leisure. Brilliant.

You can choose between two difficulty settings:

Casual:

-Sparkles on interactive zones
-30 second recharge of hint/skip function

Expert:

-No sparkles
-1 minute recharge of hint/skip function

I played it in expert mode and found the game moderately difficult. There was one or two times I had to use skip/hint. The map is of course very helpful to find out which locations you have stuff to do.

What's in the Collector's Edition?:

The CE version of the game also has a nice bonus chapter. Not lasting especially long, but was highly interesting and beautiful made as well. It also adds new locations and it is nicely connected to the main story. It does not ruin the conclusion of the main game, so in the SE you will not miss out on any essentials. It adds 40 morphing objects to find, a strategy guide and the typical wallpaper/art. It has no achievements or trophies

The main game seemed quite lengthy so you feel you get your money's worth. The CE doesn't add any essentials, but as far as CE's goes this one might be worth considering.

I recommend this game to everyone who likes these types of games, and especially if you like alien/government conspiracies and such. If you are a strict religious person, you might want to try it out before buying to be on the safe side. But for most people this should be pure enjoyment. I classify it as moderately difficult and it would suit mediocre and seasoned players. That does not mean that you should avoid it as a beginner. I think this game would be an excellent introduction game as well.

For the guys:

You play as a female character, but it is not very apparent. The story should suit both genders, so you don't want to miss this one.

TJ Show less

I recommend this game!

+131points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

38 of 40 found this review helpful

just a great fun adventure game

PostedJune 19, 2013

neilskinut

fromBridge city tx

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Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Happened across this one and boy is it good.
The graphics are great and so is the music.
Has voice over.
Has a map that really is the best ever.
Not that many HOS but the ones they have are good and interactive. The puzzles are good and some challenging.
More of an adventure and a good one at that. Not that much running around so when you find an item you use it fast.
Collectibles to find which ...Show more

Happened across this one and boy is it good.
The graphics are great and so is the music.
Has voice over.
Has a map that really is the best ever.
Not that many HOS but the ones they have are good and interactive. The puzzles are good and some challenging.
More of an adventure and a good one at that. Not that much running around so when you find an item you use it fast.
Collectibles to find which adds to the game and makes it fun. Show less

I recommend this game!

+36points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

33 of 34 found this review helpful

Great Game, The Best Map I’ve Seen

PostedFebruary 22, 2013

JustTheFacts

fromRural Western Australia

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Skill Level:Intermediate

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

GAME COMPLETED SEVERAL TIMES

Story: A TV show is turning the children of Fort Nightingale into zombies - but that's not the weirdest thing going on in the city! Enter this mystifying maelstrom as Clarrisa, a government agent that investigates unexplained phenomenon

Developer: ****
Release Date: Dec 2012
Extras: Morphing Collectibles, Interactive Jump Map with Toggles

This is a top notch game, ...Show more

GAME COMPLETED SEVERAL TIMES

Story: A TV show is turning the children of Fort Nightingale into zombies - but that's not the weirdest thing going on in the city! Enter this mystifying maelstrom as Clarrisa, a government agent that investigates unexplained phenomenon

Developer: ****
Release Date: Dec 2012
Extras: Morphing Collectibles, Interactive Jump Map with Toggles

This is a top notch game, offering an interesting and unusual story with an action packed finish. Great graphics, interesting puzzles, a few arcade games, and enough HOs to keep me interested. The iHOs were of both the list and return items styles.

The characters were fun, with well done voiceovers and definitely different. Music was creepy and very alien. The weather changed partway through the game, which was a nice touch. On all counts, excellent.

But the best feature by far is its map. It is a jump map, necessary as there are a lot of locations and a fair amount of traipsing. It gives you active areas and even where the morphing collectibles are and can be more use than hint (which I never used, because I had the map). I say ‘can be’ because you can switch that feature off! Then toggle it back any time. Brilliant! Show less

I recommend this game!

+32points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

45 of 54 found this review helpful

Save the world!

PostedDecember 8, 2012

centauri272

fromSt. Gallen, Switzerland

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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle

Current Favorite:

Margrave: The Blacksmith's Daughter

(80)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I liked the story, real sci-fi! There are 2 game modes; I played in Expert mode.
- The graphics are crisp.
- The HOS are partly interactive and also clear. There are no sparkles in this mode.
- The mini-games are quite easy but still interesting.
- There are 40 morphing objects to find.
- You have a helpful journal, containing the clues you found.
- The map is really good: you can decide if you ...Show more

I liked the story, real sci-fi! There are 2 game modes; I played in Expert mode.
- The graphics are crisp.
- The HOS are partly interactive and also clear. There are no sparkles in this mode.
- The mini-games are quite easy but still interesting.
- There are 40 morphing objects to find.
- You have a helpful journal, containing the clues you found.
- The map is really good: you can decide if you want it to show you the active locations as well as the locations where there are morphing objects. And it allows you to jump to a location.
I needed 3 1/2 hours to finish. It's a good length and I loved the final cut-scene! Show less

I recommend this game!

+36points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

21 of 29 found this review helpful

WOW!! GOOD GAME

PostedDecember 8, 2012

donadriedger

fromNova Scotia, Canada

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Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Mahjong

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Loved it!! I was totally hooked by the demo..the graphics are amazing, the story is compelling, the HOs are interactive and different and the mini games are fun. You get to find morphing objects and use an interactive map, which is a must because there are tons of places to go! This really has a lot to offer for a SE. True, the scenes are a little dark, but it only adds to the overall spookiness ...Show more

Loved it!! I was totally hooked by the demo..the graphics are amazing, the story is compelling, the HOs are interactive and different and the mini games are fun. You get to find morphing objects and use an interactive map, which is a must because there are tons of places to go! This really has a lot to offer for a SE. True, the scenes are a little dark, but it only adds to the overall spookiness of the story. Some strange disease has rendered most people in the village into a frozen state, while the children seem to be turned into shining eyed zombies....scared the cheese right out of me the first time I encountered one!
A lot of fun! Show less

I recommend this game!

+13points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

15 of 20 found this review helpful

Outstanding si fi

PostedDecember 14, 2012

sifi_mum

fromVictoria, Australia

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Just wonderful si fi game. I wish there were many more like it. The beginning is brilliant!

The story is absolutely fantastic and it grabed me from the start. I was intrigued by the plot due to the amazing start and was hooked on the game from then. Lots of different puzzles and many different areas that you have to work on. The game made you think about what you had to do. It wasn't just ...Show more

Just wonderful si fi game. I wish there were many more like it. The beginning is brilliant!

The story is absolutely fantastic and it grabed me from the start. I was intrigued by the plot due to the amazing start and was hooked on the game from then. Lots of different puzzles and many different areas that you have to work on. The game made you think about what you had to do. It wasn't just straight forward. This added value to the game.

Most importantly for me anyway, it was a si fi and as I am a si fi nut, I reckon it has been the best game of the year. Lots and lots of gaming fun which is what it's all about.

To the game designers Alaware - please make more for next year. I can't wait!!! Show less

I recommend this game!

+10points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

6 of 6 found this review helpful

Forbidden Secrets: Alien Town SE

PostedJune 20, 2015

pennmom36

fromThose kids have glowing eyes, by the way I'm thirsty, can you get me a cola?

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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Current Favorite:

Phantasmat Collector's Edition

(100)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

In October of 1949, a very strange phenomenon occurred in Fort Nightingale. The nun's at the Saint Bernadette orphanage opened their doors to find 10 newborn babies, each nestled in a basket, abandoned anonymously on the front porch! That night was just the tip of the iceberg for paranormal events in the city that never existed on a map. The government has sent Clarrisa, a Biosafe agent to ...Show more

In October of 1949, a very strange phenomenon occurred in Fort Nightingale. The nun's at the Saint Bernadette orphanage opened their doors to find 10 newborn babies, each nestled in a basket, abandoned anonymously on the front porch! That night was just the tip of the iceberg for paranormal events in the city that never existed on a map. The government has sent Clarrisa, a Biosafe agent to investigate the strangest of all unexplained phenomenon. Shortly after the military's unexplained exit of their base camp, the citizens of Ft. Nightingale began displaying signs of a mass stupor! People were literally frozen in place, with no sign of life! Is this the beginning of a contagious disease that will wipe out humanity? Is the military involved in a secret government experiment, or could it have anything to do with those 10 children left at the orphanage a few years back, surely not!

Alien Town is my second favorite game of all time. I love sci-fi and stories about aliens, and this developer is one of the best out there when it comes to creep factor and making you feel alone in an abandoned town. I do prefer the Collector's Edition over this Standard Edition because of the 40 Morphing or Beyond Objects (and again, kudos to this dev who does an incredible job with the morphs) The graphics are fantastic, no detail has been overlooked, and as I said before, the graphics really do the storyline justice, you feel like someone is watching you and an alien will pop out at any time!

The Hidden Object Scenes are mostly interactive list finds, but there are also progressive interactions where you find one item on the list and use that item somewhere in the scene to find the next item, and there are scenes where you take inventory items and return them in the scene where they logically belong such as a baseball mitt goes next to the baseball bat.The Mini Games are fairly easy, rotating rings to restore the image, or rotating tokens until the ones with crows line up under the lock mechanism in the correct order so that the lock mechanism and the crow tokens shapes match up.

The Collector's Edition has Wallpapers, Concept Art, 40 Beyond Morphing Objects, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy! Show less

I recommend this game!

+6points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

6 of 6 found this review helpful

OMG Where do I start ?!

PostedAugust 14, 2013

Gameritis50

fromTriadelphia,WV

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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Family, Arcade & Action, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Puzzle, Mahjong

Current Favorite:

Namariel Legends: Iron Lord

(107)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

This is a review of a finished game... There are 40 beyond (morphing) items to find. If you move your mouse around on the screen eventually your cursor hand will open up and grab the beyond object. The items listed in red in your HO's are your interactive to do's. The map is a BIG helpful tool for backtracking. The ambiance of this game is the best. Just play and you will see.
game on gamers...

I recommend this game!

+6points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

14 of 21 found this review helpful

A fine game, yes a very game!

PostedDecember 10, 2012

pgillenw

fromDewey, AZ

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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Current Favorite:

Forbidden Secrets: Alien Town Collector's Edition

(117)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Loved this game. I have played the CE twice already. The Bonus Chapter in the CE version is quite good. Answers who on this earth placed the critters on the porch of the orphanage. Now if you choose to play only the SE you will not feel slighted in play.

Play it! Perhaps it will become an all time favorite as it has for me.

I recommend this game!

+7points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

4 of 4 found this review helpful

If I Had 10 Thumbs, They Would All Be Up!

PostedApril 17, 2017

upsysydaisy

fromOcala, FL

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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Word

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

With so many reviews already posted, there's not much more I can add to the praises. I agree with all the 5 star ratings. This is a stellar Standard Edition game, I imagine The CE offers even more thrills with a bonus chapter.

We rarely see a great sci-fi game here at Big Fish, so this was an exciting discovery. The adventure was top-notch with a very good storyline that did not weaken along ...Show more

With so many reviews already posted, there's not much more I can add to the praises. I agree with all the 5 star ratings. This is a stellar Standard Edition game, I imagine The CE offers even more thrills with a bonus chapter.

We rarely see a great sci-fi game here at Big Fish, so this was an exciting discovery. The adventure was top-notch with a very good storyline that did not weaken along the way. The kids bared a slight resemblance to "The Children of the Damned". It came out many years ago, many of you may be too young to remember that 50's movie which was a sequel. Very creepy style for that era in movies. Good old black and white stuff! Check it out! It was scary then, but wouldn't even raise a goosebump now, in our futuristic time in history.

Thoroughly enjoyed this game. It was long, the graphics were excellent, the colors were very appropriate to the dismal surroundings, the map was so helpful that the hint button was rarely needed. The map quickly took us to our required locations and showed tasks and morphs that were available. A very nice extra feature not normally provided in Standard Edition games.

The few characters we had contact with were nicely done, the deserted town gave off a real scary feel. I had the feeling something was just about to reach out and touch my shoulder, then whisk me away to a place of no return.

I had fun with all the games, HOGs, morphs. I mostly enjoyed the HOGs where we returned the inventory items to their proper place amongst the hidden objects.

The ending left a lot to speculation and I don't know what I believe about the agent's parents. But the good story outshined the weak ending, so all is good.

I hope we will see more sci-fi games soon. Now that technology has come such a long way, these brilliant game developers/creators should have no trouble delivering something really spectacular!!

God Bless.... Show less

I recommend this game!

+4points

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