Hidden Expedition: Neptune's Gift > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

4 / 5

77 of 83 found this review helpful

AN EXCELLENT BUT DIFFERENT HIDDEN EXPEDITION GAME

PostedMay 10, 2019

biscuitsmama

fromGolly, I can't seem to find my HE toolbox. Maybe Sam took it when he left. I had better go find him and get it back!

Key Contributor
This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
Key Contributor

Skill Level:Expert

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

Recently I haven’t been very excited about games in the Hidden Expedition series but Neptune’s Gift did catch my attention. There is a lot to like about this game and a couple of things that I really didn’t like but for the most part the game is excellent.

The thing that confused me the most is that, although Neptune’s Gift is said to be a Hidden Expedition game, there seems to be only a vague ...Show more

The thing that confused me the most is that, although Neptune’s Gift is said to be a Hidden Expedition game, there seems to be only a vague link to H.E.L.P. Some of the things I liked the most about HE seems to be missing in this game and I wonder why the developer has moved away from what made this long-standing series one that many gamers looked forward to each year. I miss Sam who has been around forever but who is no longer is an integral part of the series. The HE interface is missing as well which seems odd but times change and apparently so do games!

The graphics are beautiful, and the storyline only makes the game better. The downfall with the graphics is the blurred HOS where some items seem so indistinct or small that it made finding the items difficult. Not all scenes were like that but a good many of them were and I wish that this developer, who once created absolutely the best HOS, would return to what made them my favorite developer in the past. Although HOS are what I love the most in HOPA games, I have to admit that I did enjoy the puzzles in Neptune’s Gift. The puzzles seemed to be very integral to the storyline and it did not seem like they were thrown in everywhere just to have puzzles in the game. Although I found the puzzles very enjoyable, what I did not care for at all was the unnecessary gimmicky puzzle that I had to solve simply to use one of my tools. That gimmick definitely classifies as a game extender and I can see no real reason it was there at all.

Even though Hidden Expedition Neptune’s Gift didn’t seem like a Hidden Expedition game, it was still one of the best HOPA games this year. The game did get off to a bit of a slow start but as I visited various locations and the story came together it became more exciting. The game might not appeal to die hard Hidden Expedition fans but if you can move away from the idea of having every Hidden Expedition tied to the traditional H.E.L.P. scenario then you might enjoy the game as well. As always, please try the demo to see if Neptune’s Gift is a game you will enjoy. Happy gaming! Show less

I recommend this game!

+71points

77of 83voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes77No6

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

3 / 5

27 of 29 found this review helpful

~~HIDDEN EXPEDITION #18 IS SURPRISINGLY BACK ON TRACK!~~

PostedMay 10, 2019

skullfun

fromEipix makes some new changes in this episode that renewed my interest in this long running series!

Key Contributor
This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
Key Contributor

Skill Level:Expert

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

Current Favorite:

Nightmares from the Deep: Davy Jones Collector's Edition

(78)

Fun Factor

3 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

3 / 5

In this 18th episode of Hidden Expedition you play the role of Dr. Ann Walters, a decorated archeologist and member of H.E.L.P. who has been called by the research team situated in Pompeii for assistance with a potential catastrophe. The famous Vesuvius volcano is unstable at the moment and experts all over the world are brainstorming to minimize the damage that the eruption can cause. With the ...Show more

It's fair to say that overall consistency has never been the Hidden Expedition series’ strong suit. Some installments are terrific, while others are disappointing. Looking back I think some sequels were very historical, while others ventured too far into the fantasy territory. This latest game is more history-based than I expected, with interesting history facts thrown in here and there (which is an attribute to this series IMHO). The game starts off rather slow, but quickly picks up the pace a chapter or two in. Although this is definitely not the most action-packed Hidden Expedition game ever, the storyline kept me intrigued from start to finish.

Until this latest installment I was practically burned-out on this never ending series, but the story line proved to be worthy of playing this one. I chose to play the CE version because it was a BOGO offer. Gamers gave the CE a 4 star average rating and comparatively speaking it does meet the criteria for a 3-4 star adventure. If you have a 'free game coupon' you might want to use it on this one. This adventure also offers longer game playing time than the past few editions too. I finished both the main game and the bonus chapter in roughly 6 hours.

The sights and sounds in Hidden Expedition: Neptune's Gift are really spot-on. The game sets in a variety of locations around the world and Eipix made some great improvements with portraying the exotic landscapes of those locations. The artwork is very detailed with just the right colors and effects to make them come alive. The background music wasn't repetitious and the voice-overs are perfect (as usual) and really helps keep the momentum of the game going. So, I'm glad I gave this series another go...maybe this series will start to trend again??? It's possible if Eipix decides to incorporate interesting history facts with unique storylines and make HOS and puzzles more innovative too. Cheers! Show less

I recommend this game!

+25points

27of 29voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes27No2

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

3 / 5

3 of 5 found this review helpful

i have played better games.

PostedSeptember 10, 2019

denniann2

fromharrisonburg, virginia

Key Contributor
This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
Key Contributor

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

this wasn't a bad game but i have played better ones in this series. it is based on the neptune's trident and the boxes it unlocks. there is a custom level that makes it easier.

I recommend this game!

+1point

3of 5voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes3No2

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

2 / 5

66 of 82 found this review helpful

BORING GADGETS, BORING GAME

PostedMay 10, 2019

pennmom36

fromMy Gadgetshave gadgets! ⚘

Top Reviewer
This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
Top Reviewer

Skill Level:Expert

Fun Factor

2 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

2 / 5

Level of Challenge

2 / 5

Storyline

2 / 5

Completed CE Game 5.0 hours
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all puzzles)
Demo only on SE version

World-renowned archaeologist Alvaro De Lucca has asked Dr. Ann Walters to join his excavation at Pompeii where he believes they have discovered incredibly important artifacts. Seismic activity stemming from Mt. Vesuvius has been hampering their progress, but as luck would have it, Dr. Walters hits the jackpot before even lifting a shovel! Neptune's Trident sends the good Doctor on a worldwide adventure from Pompeii to Egypt, France, and Sicily, searching for 3 Shells that adorn the Amethyst encrusted Trident. (reminds me of the movie Demolition Man & the 3 seashells in the bathroom) Completing Neptune's Trident is the only way to discover its true potential, but someone went to great lengths to prevent this from happening. Centuries have passed, the gods have been long forgotten, does Neptune's Trident wield otherworldly powers? Should we tempt fate on yet another Hidden Expedition?

Gadgets...get your Gadgets! We have so many Gadgets you're gonna wish we didn't have so many Gadgets! Clearly, Eipix didn't think this one thru, it's like I always say, a gamer won't specifically search for a game to play because it HAS a Gadget, but gamers WIIL opt to PASS on a game that has a Gadget, so why would knock out half of your gaming audience from the get-go by purposely adding a Gadget? Not to mention the fact that the Gadget has no curb appeal, and then take it one step further, to throw in a whole kitchen sink worth?

Worthless & Annoying Gadgets
(each time a tool is used it requires you to slide a button to align the image. Why? Did I miss something? Are these tools from a different planet?)
*Examination Kit that contains 3 ordinary tools: (or are they?)
COMPASS: Detects Amethyst...duh~used 3 times +3 slider games.
FLASHLIGHT: Helps brighten dark areas~used 8 times +8 slider games.
MAGNIFYING GLASS: Makes small things appear large~used 9 times +9 slider games.
LATIN BOOK: translates ancient parchment that somehow survived the Pompeii "incident"?~used 7 times, doesn't require slider game (& always located at the far left of the inventory bar...scrolling)
HIEROGLYPHIC DICTIONARY: translates gobblygook ancient Egyptian drawings, that also survived for centuries, into words that make sense, get the picture?~used 4 times (no slider game required)

There are 16 Hidden Object Scenes (+4 within the Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter) I will admit that some of the objects are cleverly hidden, but sometimes it was because of a lack of clarity within the scenes making it difficult to identify the object. You will use the Magnifying Glass from the Evidence Kit on 3 of the Hidden Object Scenes, which of course requires you to slide a button on a bar to align images before it can be used. There are several Keywords In Sentence Finds which helps to progress the storyline, but there are also Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Finding and Replacing Items, Pictured Item Finds, Fragment Finds, Multiple's Finds, and Combination Silhouetted Shape Finds (_+_=_) Most of the HO Scenes are multi-layered and offer 2-3 different types in each scene, and in the Collector's Edition version, each of the HO scenes have a fairly well hidden Morphing Object. You can re-play the Hidden Object Scenes in the CE extra's menu to pick up any Morphs you may have missed.

There are 17 Mini-Games +20 Tool Kit repetitive slider puzzles (+4 in the CE Bonus Chapter) They range from super simplistic to medium difficulty, and most can be solved on the first attempt. As I said earlier, there is a repetitive mini-game associated with the Examination Kit which was super annoying, requires no skill, and is a complete waste of time. To play this particular so-called "puzzle" you simply slide a button across a horizontal line until 3 disk sections align together. If someone can't slide a button, I'm pretty sure they won't be able to play this game in the first place, so why have it? This is repeated 20 times!

These are some of the mini-games I did actually enjoy:
1~Rotate reels using directional arrows & drag letter tiles to match the clue. ღ
2~Jump tokens to swap their positions.
3~Eliminate the enemy tokens by trapping them between 2 tokens. ღ
4-Set numbers until all the bonds between pentagons have identical numbers. ღღ
5-Place triangular puzzle pieces until all partial edge images align.
6-Use buttons to rotate & change patterns on disk sections.ღღ

The Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter rewinds the clock to 200-BC playing as a Roman Emissary named Agrippina. Disaster and chaos don't take long to catch up, and we soon find ourselves shipwrecked and at the mercy of a crazed Captain Cornelius who desperately wants to become a god to controls Neptune's Children. The is a fairly short Bonus Chapter with only 8 Scenes, 4 Mini-Games, and 4 Hidden Object Scenes. There are 8 large & obvious Stone Turtles remaining (after completing the BC you can return to the scenes to pick up missed Turtles) There are only 2 remaining Hidden Object Morphs (you can pick up missed Morphs by playing the HOP's in the CE "extra's" section, as well as earning Gold, Silver, or Bronze Medals, and missed HOP Achievements) There are no Fact Cards remaining within the Bonus Chapter.

The Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers (only 3 have characters on them, yay) 4 Concept Art Pictures (with before/after sliders) 9 Music Soundtracks, 12 Movie Video Cutscenes, 14 Re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 16 Re-playable Mini-Games, 13 Achievements To Earn (5 achievements have 3 categories) 21 Fact Cards, 14 Morphs (within the Hidden Object Scenes only) 39 so large you can't miss 'em Stone Turtles (Hidden Signs) a Souvenir Room (search 21 Scenes to find a souvenir in each location) 4 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-in Strategy Guide. Fruor!

HIDDEN EXPEDITION SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating

1-Titanic SE only (July 22-2006) 3.6
2-Everest SE only (June 1-2007) 3.3
3-Amazon SE only (June 20-2008) 3.8
4-Devil's Triangle SE only (October 23-2009) 3.6
5-The Uncharted Islands (October 29-2011) 3.4
6-Smithsonian Hope Diamond (January 17-2014) *no longer available*
7-The Crown of Solomon (August 1-2014) 4.3
8-Smithsonian Castle (January 23-2015) *no longer available*
9-Dawn of Prosperity (September 25-2015) 3.7
10-The Fountain of Youth (February 5-2016) 4.3
11-Midgard's End (July 1-2016) 3.7
12-The Eternal Emperor (September 30-2016) 4.0
13-The Lost Paradise (January 20-2017) 3.8
14-The Pearl of Discord (May 7-2017) 3.1
15-The Curse of Mithridates (November 26-2017) 4.3
16-The Golden Secret (March 11-2018) 3.7
17-The Altar of Lies (August 19-2018) 2.9
18-Neptune's Gift (May 10-2019) n/a

by: Eipix Entertainment Show less

I don't recommend this game.

+50points

66of 82voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes66No16

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

2 / 5

13 of 14 found this review helpful

Hidden Expedition, what has happened to you?

PostedJune 30, 2019

cuthillh

fromCalgary, Canada

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy

Fun Factor

3 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

2 / 5

Oh my. I used to look forward to a new HE release. But those days are gone. How disappointing can this get? Let me count the ways.

1. Terrible voice work. The series has been up and down with voice actors, but this game represents a new low. Are these people supposed to be Italian? The accents are cheesy at best and insulting at worst.
2. What is the point of that stupid tool gimmick? Before you can use a tool you have to focus three circles on top of each other. Pointless and off-putting.
3. Oh, I miss Sam.
4. There is no logic to many of the actions the player takes. For instance - right off the bat in Pompeii we discover a priceless artifact, an amethyst coin unlike anything discovered previously. And what do we do with it? We drop it down a shaft to see how long it takes to hit the bottom. Wow. And this character is a scientist?? Couldn't we have used a non-priceless rock to accomplish this task? No, let's just throw the irreplaceable antiquities down the shaft and watch them bounce.
5. I'm forced to admit that I had to use the Help button a few times on HO puzzles - because I couldn't see the objects clearly. They were just a jumble of slightly blurred -- things. Indistinguishable from one another. Like most of these games are now.

Another great series bites the dust. Show less

I don't recommend this game.

+12points

13of 14voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes13No1

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

2 / 5

14 of 18 found this review helpful

So Disappointed

PostedMay 11, 2019

thornyrose69

fromLexington,MO

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3

Fun Factor

2 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

2 / 5

Level of Challenge

2 / 5

Storyline

2 / 5

Well looks like another great game goes down the tubes,Dark Parables and Mystery Trackers have gone down and now Hidden Expedition. Go back to the basics guys!

I don't recommend this game.

+10points

14of 18voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes14No4

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

2 / 5

18 of 26 found this review helpful

Not for me

PostedMay 10, 2019

oasis53

fromAkron, OH

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Fun Factor

1 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

2 / 5

Level of Challenge

1 / 5

Storyline

3 / 5

I have played all of the HIdden Expedition games but his one is not for me..Hardly any HO scenes and when they are available it is so simple that it is boring..I had to constantly use the hint button to find out what hey wanted me to do..Worst one so far

I don't recommend this game.

+10points

18of 26voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes18No8

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

2 / 5

14 of 22 found this review helpful

Here we go again !

PostedMay 11, 2019

ttomm46

fromCenterton , arkansas

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Strategy

Visual/Sound Quality

2 / 5

Level of Challenge

2 / 5

Storyline

1 / 5

Big fish has really slipped up the last 5 years..I find HO games extremely boring..Everyone lately copies another one..

Maybe some real adventure games strategy,or rpgs would help..

This game is dumbed down for older people and kids..I'm 73 and nothing coming out to help keep my mind sharp..
It's Big Fish games..Not Big Fish hidden Objects and mosaics..

I don't recommend this game.

+6points

14of 22voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes14No8

Flagged as inappropriate.

Browse by Genre:

Browse by Genre:

Hidden Expedition: Neptune's Gift

Reviews

Hidden Expedition: Neptune's Gift

, share your thoughts about this game!

Hidden Expedition: Neptune's Gift

Heres what your review will look like once it’s posted.

Click Submit if you’re happy. Your review should appear soon. To make changes, use the Edit or Cancel buttons.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this game!

You’ve already shared your thoughts about this game.

Thanks for submitting the review below.


	, share your thoughts about this game! Hidden Expedition: Neptune's Gift Some secrets are better left hidden... Heres what your review will look like once it’s posted. Click Submit if you’re happy. Your review should appear soon. To make changes, use the Edit or Cancel buttons. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this game! You’ve already shared your thoughts about this game. Thanks for submitting the review below.