The Secret Order: Return to the Buried Kingdom > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

5 / 5

46 of 54 found this review helpful

RETURN TO THE BURIED KINGDOM IS EVERYTHING I HOPED IT WOULD BE!

PostedJune 9, 2019

biscuitsmama

fromAny game that has dragons is a keeper for me! I guess you know I love dragons.

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

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

It’s been three years since my favorite game in The Secret Order series, The Buried Kingdom, was released and finally Return to The Buried Kingdom is here. I loved the original and when I played the beta for this game I knew it would be an instant purchase for me. The game does not disappoint and it is well worth the wait.

You play the game as Sarah who has been called upon by her friend Julie ...Show more

It’s been three years since my favorite game in The Secret Order series, The Buried Kingdom, was released and finally Return to The Buried Kingdom is here. I loved the original and when I played the beta for this game I knew it would be an instant purchase for me. The game does not disappoint and it is well worth the wait.

You play the game as Sarah who has been called upon by her friend Julie who needs your help. With the loss of the Mother Dragon much has changed since your last visit to the Buried Kingdom and now it faces grave danger if it is to survive. With the help of Droi, Julie, and Princess Lillian can you find out who or what is behind the unrest in the kingdom and restore it to its peaceful existence? Return to the Buried Kingdom has a wonderful well-told storyline that unfolds as you make your way through the game. The graphics are as amazing and as beautiful as I’d hoped. Everything about this game is exactly what I want in a great HOPA: a game to keep me entertained and involved as I play my way to the end.

I enjoyed the HOPS in the game far more than I did the puzzles. There was variety with both the HOPS and puzzles but nothing really stood out as being anything new or different. For me the HOPS were excellent although many were the mini type or storybook which is my least favorite. That being said the list ones were very good and I even had some difficulty finding items.

The storyline and the dragons were the best part of the game for me. I love dragons and even an adult Droi is wonderful as he accompanies me through the game and acts as a helper when needed. As I mentioned earlier the graphics are beautiful and simply add to my enjoyment of the game.

The Secret Order Return to the Buried Kingdom is a game that I highly recommend particularly if you love underwater kingdoms and dragons. This game had it all for me and I hope you will try the demo to see if you will enjoy the game as well. Happy gaming! Show less

I recommend this game!

+38points

46of 54voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes46No8

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

5 / 5

9 of 13 found this review helpful

Does not disappoint

PostedJune 9, 2019

cyndrap

fromTexas

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):Hidden Object, Match 3

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I love this series. This is the 8th game in this series. Very well done. Good graphics, good sound, good play, Great story line throughout the series. I think you will also like this game.

I recommend this game!

+5points

9of 13voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes9No4

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

5 / 5

6 of 10 found this review helpful

Who Doesn't Like Dragons

PostedJune 16, 2019

deddu

fromCalifornia USA

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, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

I played the first Buried Kingdom and loved it, so when this came out I decided to go with the CE version. It is a fun game with a lot going on.

I recommend this game!

+2points

6of 10voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes6No4

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

5 / 5

1 of 1 found this review helpful

a good HO game

PostedFebruary 2, 2021

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

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

you re-visit the buried kingdom to fix things again. you have a friend that goes with you when you get there. you meet a princess that helps you on your travels. there is a surprise near the end but the ending surprised me. i played on the custom level. there is a good hint system.

I recommend this game!

+1point

1of 1voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes1No0

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

4 / 5

5 of 7 found this review helpful

Good game.

PostedOctober 17, 2019

rpggramma

fromMidwest, USA

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, Brain Teaser, Puzzle, Strategy

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

I liked this game, except the going back and forth. It was so much that I had to use the map to find out where was the next spot to work!! It was not a lot of places to go, it was so many things to do and finding the things to do it with!
Otherwise the game is good, puzzles very good.
Good map and journal. Info is great!!
Chapters seemed pretty long!!
Enjoy!

I recommend this game!

+3points

5of 7voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes5No2

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

4 / 5

1 of 1 found this review helpful

just love dragons ......... some the cuties here

PostedMay 10, 2020

storm011

fromaustralia

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

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

it was difficult to give it a score because i did enjoy it - i just love dragons and they have a couple of cuties in this game.

i did enjoy the fact that you had a puzzle and then a hidden objects - twice the fun.

the other thing i did enjoy was that you didn't have to look for a knife all the time - you could use the knife for a couple of scene - so it was retained in your inventory - i ...Show more

it was difficult to give it a score because i did enjoy it - i just love dragons and they have a couple of cuties in this game.

i did enjoy the fact that you had a puzzle and then a hidden objects - twice the fun.

the other thing i did enjoy was that you didn't have to look for a knife all the time - you could use the knife for a couple of scene - so it was retained in your inventory - i think you only needed to find another knife once.

the music was ok - didn't need to turn it off but it was a bit loud when the characters were talking but you had the dialogue so that you could read.

As always try the demo before you purchase - happy gaming :) Show less

+1point

1of 1voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes1No0

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

4 / 5

Cute, fun, short game. Got the SE version.

PostedAugust 30, 2020

JenayP

fromSomewhere in game land.

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I liked this game. It was short but that may because it wasn't the CE version. Nice sequel to the Buried Kingdom game. Everything was great, got it for free so no complaints. The dragons are too cute, I have to say.

I recommend this game!

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes0No0

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

3 / 5

40 of 49 found this review helpful

WHO DOESN'T LOVE DRAGONS!

PostedJune 9, 2019

pennmom36

fromHoly Dragon's-breath, do I really wanna go back? ❀

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

3 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

3 / 5

Completed Game approximately 5.0 hours
(including the CE Bonus Chapter & all mini-games)

Dungeons and Dragons-breath the Mother Dragon has perished causing sheer dragon-pandemonium! Sarah has been summoned to Return to the Buried Kingdom to save the world that survived a tidal wave annihilation. Without the mother of dragons, breaker of chains, the unburnt...oh wait, wrong series, any-hoo, ...Show more

Completed Game approximately 5.0 hours
(including the CE Bonus Chapter & all mini-games)

Dungeons and Dragons-breath the Mother Dragon has perished causing sheer dragon-pandemonium! Sarah has been summoned to Return to the Buried Kingdom to save the world that survived a tidal wave annihilation. Without the mother of dragons, breaker of chains, the unburnt...oh wait, wrong series, any-hoo, Sarah must bravely go where no man has gone before, oops, wrong series again, Sarah has been tasked with completing the Scorpion Staff which will hopefully appease Nezul, a powerful shaman gone rogue. The ship sets sail on the shore of this uncharted...buried kingdom?

I fell in love with this series from the start because I loved the thrill-seeking, time-traveling, secret order member Sarah. The Order of the Griffins was always at odds with the Dragon Clan and Sarah would hop aboard the Royal Griffin to travel to a different time period to thwart their dastardly plans. This is an enjoyable game but other than the title, there's nothing that even remotely ties it to The Secret Order series?? I realize it is a "Return to the Buried Kingdom" scenario, but not once does it elude to the fact that Sarah is a member of a secret order, it never even mentions The Order of the Griffins???

There are 9 Hidden Object Scenes and 3 Zoom Zone HOP's (+2 in the Collector's Edition BC) Sunward Games did a great job choosing interesting scenes, and some of the objects were nicely blended into the scenery. There are Interactive Listed Item Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Multiples Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, and my personal favorites were the FROG's (fragmented objects) and scenes that were completely interactive, requiring several interactions within the scene before finding the single item requested.

There are 29 Mini-Games (+5 in the Collector's Edition BC) some of which were very creative. Below are brief descriptions of some of my personal favorites:

1~Place missing gate ornaments correctly & then click on each ornament to set the correct shapes & colors based on the clues shown. ღღღ
2~Rotate rings to connect partially hidden pipes. ღ
3~Repeate the sequence of geysers x3.
4~Place mirrors to direct each beam of light to their color-coded disks. ღღ
5~Rotate & place metal emblems correctly.
6~Select partial symbols to create each central symbol shown.

The Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter continues the same storyline with a time-frame that takes place immediately after the main adventure. This is an average length BC with about 8 or so new locations. There are only 2 Hidden Object Scenes and 5 Mini-Games, and absolutely no Collectibles or Morphing Objects remaining which was a tad bit disappointing. I won't elaborate on the BC plot because it will spoil the main games plot ending.

The Collector's Edition version has 15 Wallpapers, 15 Concept Art Pictures, 9 Music Soundtracks, 8 Movie Video Cutscenes, 12 Skill-based and 20 Story-based Achievements, 8 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 33 Re-playable Mini-Games, 25 Collectible Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces (no assembly required) 20 Morphing Objects, 6 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-in Strategy Guide.

THE SECRET ORDER SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating

1-New Horizon SE only (December 17-2011) 4.1
2-Masked Intent (April 20-2013) 4.0
3-Ancient Times (May 25-2014) 4.3
4-Beyond Time (April 19-2015) 3.8
5-The Buried Kingdom (June 19-2016) 3.9
6-Bloodline (July 16-2017) 3.6
7-Shadow Breach (June 24-2018) 4.1
8-Return To The Buried Kingdom (June 9-2019) n/a

by: Sunward Games Show less

I recommend this game!

+31points

40of 49voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes40No9

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

2 / 5

13 of 19 found this review helpful

Dragons, skeletons (yes, again) and trinkets

PostedJune 9, 2019

Rescue_helo

fromLondon (UK) - French Alps

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, Large File, Puzzle

Current Favorite:

Syberia II

(77)

Fun Factor

2 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

2 / 5

Storyline

2 / 5

The very first image that appears on screen tries to set the tone: a skeleton playing the harp... followed by dramatic music meant to chill your spine.
Amusing !
Then, aboard a sailing ship you fall into an abyss, come out unscathed and find yourself in a land of fantasy.
Nothing extraordinary in all that; we've seen this kind of thing in dozens of other games.
And the rest is on par, devoid ...Show more

The very first image that appears on screen tries to set the tone: a skeleton playing the harp... followed by dramatic music meant to chill your spine.
Amusing !
Then, aboard a sailing ship you fall into an abyss, come out unscathed and find yourself in a land of fantasy.
Nothing extraordinary in all that; we've seen this kind of thing in dozens of other games.
And the rest is on par, devoid of novelty, lacking originality, and without a spark of logic. But in a world that doesn't exist, anything goes.
Tasks are clearly defined and require the use of chimerical items that you have no problem finding, such as sharp dragon teeth, magical mirrors, a type of mushroom....well, trinkets everyone uses daily.... next to more modern ones: pliers, twizzers....
HOGs are few and far between, (that's a good thing), uncluttered, easy to solve.
Puzzles and minigames are also easy, so easy that it's unlikely you will skip any.
I didn't care much about the story or the cutscenes or the music or the voice-overs (I am more interested in good puzzles), so I will leave that to your appreciation.
But I rather liked the artwork, bright, colorful, cleverly drafted, even though some scenes tend to be somewhat overloaded.
Despite the obvious lack of imagination that went into the making of this game, its features will probably appeal to fantasy lovers, beginners and players who want something simple and relaxing
As seasoned players, however, might find this game rather disappointing, an unconditional recommendation would be misleading.
But wisdom dictates that you first play the demo. Show less

I don't recommend this game.

+7points

13of 19voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes13No6

Flagged as inappropriate.

Overall rating

2 / 5

2 of 2 found this review helpful

A very poor production

PostedAugust 17, 2019

effcee823

fromAustralia

Skill Level:Intermediate

Fun Factor

2 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

1 / 5

Level of Challenge

2 / 5

Storyline

3 / 5

Whilst not often prompted to write reviews, this game was so appallingly bad in graphics and storyline that I felt compelled to warn gamers off wasting their money.
Mini games were haphazard and I skipped so many because they either didn't work or didn't make sense in how they functioned. Scenes were disjointed and difficult to navigate and the storyline was disjointed. Some games seem to take ...Show more

Whilst not often prompted to write reviews, this game was so appallingly bad in graphics and storyline that I felt compelled to warn gamers off wasting their money.
Mini games were haphazard and I skipped so many because they either didn't work or didn't make sense in how they functioned. Scenes were disjointed and difficult to navigate and the storyline was disjointed. Some games seem to take forever to end. This one, I couldn't wait for it to end. When it did, it was very abrupt. No satisfying conclusion after wading through this one. It just got worse as the game progressed. Don't bother with this one. Show less

I don't recommend this game.

+2points

2of 2voted this as helpful.

Was this review helpful?Yes2No0

Flagged as inappropriate.

Browse by Genre:

Browse by Genre:

The Secret Order: Return to the Buried Kingdom

Reviews

The Secret Order: Return to the Buried Kingdom

, share your thoughts about this game!

The Secret Order: Return to the Buried Kingdom

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! The Secret Order: Return to the Buried Kingdom The Mother Dragon has passed on... 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.