Off The Record: The Art of Deception Collector's Edition > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

5 / 5

195 of 206 found this review helpful

FULL ON ADVENTURE WITH PLENTY TO DO

PostedFebruary 7, 2015

charlene_lane

fromWellington, New Zealand

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Skill Level:Expert

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

Current Favorite:

Graven: The Purple Moon Prophecy

(102)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Review of completed Game, Bonus and Extras.

In the main game you help Lisa Steiner, a painter. In the Bonus you help Felix, her boyfriend.

There is:

* Casual, Expert, Insane and Custom modes of play.
* Voiceovers (together with dialogue);
* Achievements Room;
* Interactive map;
* Find 42 paint tubes in Game and Bonus;
* Find 17 letters in Game only;
* Find 14 morphing objects in HOS games.

I ...Show more

Review of completed Game, Bonus and Extras.

In the main game you help Lisa Steiner, a painter. In the Bonus you help Felix, her boyfriend.

There is:

* Casual, Expert, Insane and Custom modes of play.
* Voiceovers (together with dialogue);
* Achievements Room;
* Interactive map;
* Find 42 paint tubes in Game and Bonus;
* Find 17 letters in Game only;
* Find 14 morphing objects in HOS games.

I played on Custom mode and turned off Hint and Skip to make it more challenging.

The graphics are very good - nothing dark or blurry and I enjoyed navigating around the scenes. There is good colour to the graphics and easy to see everything.

Sound is good. Music is adventure style - loud in some places and quiet in others.

The story line is easy to follow.

The hidden object games are interactive and are straightforward and silhouette. There is one morphing object to each HOS. These are not hard to do and don't take long.

There were a lot of mini-games which were fun. Some of these includes sliding puzzles, folding paper, turning lights on, matching pairs, rotating cylinders and pushing orange cubes onto the X mark. A couple I really enjoyed were getting two skiers down the mountain at the same time with obstacles in the way and another with hitting troll thingies with a hammer. Most of them were easy to medium to do, but a few of them took me a while to do - one about 20 minutes.

If you don't want to collect the paint tubes during the game, you can do this later in the Extras. I did miss a couple during the game and collected those later on. You can also collect 42 objects which go into the Souvenir Room at the same time as well.

It is possible to get most of the achievements. A few were watching the credits, using the interactive map, finding all the morphing objects, doing a HOS in so many seconds, etc.

All up, the Game, Bonus and Extras took me about 7 hours to do.

Overall, I really enjoyed the game. Its light hearted with plenty of action and tasks to do, without being over bearing or too dark. It even made me laugh a couple of times. With the Custom mode you can decide what you want, with the option to change any time.

Definitely recommended. Happy playing fishies. Show less

I recommend this game!

+184points

195of 206voted this as helpful.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

118 of 133 found this review helpful

The Art Of Deception

PostedFebruary 8, 2015

pennmom36

fromWhy do the bad guys record their dastardly deeds and leave the tapes all over town?

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Skill Level:Expert

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

Current Favorite:

Phantasmat Collector's Edition

(100)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Leda's Blight, a stunning masterpiece, was thought to have been lost forever; however, it has incredibly resurfaced! Art collectors are chomping at the bit to place a bid on this beautiful painting at the upcoming auction, but first the painting must undergo a serious restoration. Lisa Steiner agrees to return to this quaint little town in Austria, to masterfully restore this original painting, ...Show more

Leda's Blight, a stunning masterpiece, was thought to have been lost forever; however, it has incredibly resurfaced! Art collectors are chomping at the bit to place a bid on this beautiful painting at the upcoming auction, but first the painting must undergo a serious restoration. Lisa Steiner agrees to return to this quaint little town in Austria, to masterfully restore this original painting, but is it truly the original? Felicity Adams is the only journalist who has been able to interview Lisa, a known recluse. Your journalistic instincts are telling you that Ms. Steiner is being deceptive, or perhaps manipulated...this is clearly the art of deception!

Sure is a nice change of pace from the fairy tale, someone kidnapped the princess games, not that they're bad, just an overabundance lately. I will admit that this game starts out too slow and cheesy, but it really does improve. There are lot's of Achievements available to earn, and 17 hidden letters to find which unlock special features. Some of the inventory items have plus signs indicating further action is required before using that item, including some very intriguing puzzles! There are icons next to the inventory bar which keep track of the important features such as the achievements you have earned, your goals or how many collectibles you have acquired.

The Hidden Object Scenes are varied, some your typical (and my all time favorite) interactive list finds, and even scenes that scroll one scene to the left or one scene to the right as you are tasked with finding 12 flowers, 6 birds and 3 cats, but I found this HOP too easy and scrolling left and right constantly became a tad bit annoying. The Mini Games were pretty decent, although some were mind bending puzzles where you had to use directional arrows to slide half sections of different sizes to the middle, stacking the sections from the smallest to the largest.

This Collectors Edition has Movies, Music, Behind the Scenes, replayable HOP and Mini Games, Pictures, a Souvenir Room, a Painters Den, Achievements, Morphs, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy! Show less

I recommend this game!

+103points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

79 of 87 found this review helpful

No nightmares tonight

PostedFebruary 7, 2015

Shirleygames

fromOntario, Canada

Favorite Genre(s):Word, Hidden Object, Card & Board

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I won't rehash the plot as it has been described by other reviewers.
Finally we have another game that is free of witches, monsters, all things occult and creepy. Just a good old detective game. Characters are actual people and voice overs appropriate to the locale.
Good variety of HOS and puzzles range from fairly easy, to I'll admit, I did hit the skip button.
It is not the most challenging game ...Show more

I won't rehash the plot as it has been described by other reviewers.
Finally we have another game that is free of witches, monsters, all things occult and creepy. Just a good old detective game. Characters are actual people and voice overs appropriate to the locale.
Good variety of HOS and puzzles range from fairly easy, to I'll admit, I did hit the skip button.
It is not the most challenging game I have played by was a wonderful way to spend a snowy Saturday afternoon. A worthy addition to the "Off the Record" franchise. Show less

I recommend this game!

+71points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

75 of 90 found this review helpful

Another good sequel

PostedFebruary 7, 2015

gryhndlvr

fromColorado

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

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

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

This is another great sequel of , Off the record . I like the clean crisp graphics from one of my favorite devs Eipix..
Story is captivating so far, minigames are somewhat challenging but fun, collectables include paint tubes and letters. You also have morphs in the HOGs.
It all plays in Austria, which reminds me of my home Germany. Beautiful scenery. So far it is very well played and the story is ...Show more

This is another great sequel of , Off the record . I like the clean crisp graphics from one of my favorite devs Eipix..
Story is captivating so far, minigames are somewhat challenging but fun, collectables include paint tubes and letters. You also have morphs in the HOGs.
It all plays in Austria, which reminds me of my home Germany. Beautiful scenery. So far it is very well played and the story is still interesting enough for me to not get bored.
Give it a try, it is a very similar style to the other ones.
I'm not one to describe the story in detail since it is given by BFG already.
I am getting tired of fairytales, dragons and saving someone under an evil spell. Bring back more realistic stories please.
So go ahead and enjoy. It's good Show less

I recommend this game!

+60points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

105 of 134 found this review helpful

EIPIX Discovers a Masterpiece with Lots of Intrique

PostedFebruary 7, 2015

biscuitsmama

fromCalifornia, USA

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Skill Level:Expert

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Ahh, the art world is in a frenzy. A once lost valuable piece of art has been found, restored, and will soon be sold at auction. Lisa Steiner, the artist who restored the painting, has denied all previous requests for an interview but intrepid reporter that you are, you won’t take no for an answer and are off in pursuit of the reclusive artist for that once in a lifetime interview.

The game is by ...Show more

Ahh, the art world is in a frenzy. A once lost valuable piece of art has been found, restored, and will soon be sold at auction. Lisa Steiner, the artist who restored the painting, has denied all previous requests for an interview but intrepid reporter that you are, you won’t take no for an answer and are off in pursuit of the reclusive artist for that once in a lifetime interview.

The game is by EIPIX, my favorite developer, and that means top-notch quality in graphics, sound and technical aspects. There is not much left to say because this developer definitely knows how to put a game together so that we have the complete package.

In The Art of Deception you will find the usual tools needed to navigate through the game. Most helpful is the interactive, transporter type map that shows where you have things to do but, as is the case in most EIPIX games, there is no diary or journal to contain important information that you might discover. You will find your objectives by clicking on the exclamation point that is on the upper left of your inventory bar. Throughout the game you will find cassette tapes that provide helpful information when they are played.

There are various types of interactive and multi-level HOPs that EIPIX is known for. We have a great mix that keeps things interesting. However, and I don’t know if it is just me but it seems like after all the complaints of games becoming too easy, some developers are now reverting to junk pile HOS and making it very difficult to find some items. I love HOPA games but, honestly, I am becoming very tired of silhouettes and pictures to find items. That being said, I love that some of the puzzles in this game are different and require thought. I am not going to say they are really hard but they don’t seem as mind-numbingly easy as some puzzles in games have become. Since I look forward to encountering puzzles in my HOPA games, it is great to see that the developers are now attempting to give us a bit more challenge. I know that not everyone is a member of MENSA so many gamers do like easier puzzles, but I am happy to see a bit more challenge in some games.

There are different types of collectibles to be found and many of them I found by accident from clicking around the screen and I still have no idea what many of them actually look like. There are also morphing objects to be found and those of you who play a lot of EIPIX games will know where to look for them. If you like hunting for collectibles, morphing objects and earning achievements then the CE is right for you but others might decide to wait for the SE.

All in all, I really liked this game. Yes, it does start off a bit slow and you need some patience to get through the tedium in the beginning of the game. I generally like a game to grab me from the beginning and this one didn’t but for some reason I kept plodding along. Then suddenly the story came together and then the game became very interesting because before I knew it, I was sucked into the story and just had to keep going. There is intrigue, mystery, and a bad guy who isn’t an evil wizard. The game is very well put together and the gameplay is entertaining. For me the game is an instant purchase since I like all the little extras with a CE but, as always, I recommend that you at least try the demo to see if this is a game you will like. Show less

I recommend this game!

+76points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

28 of 34 found this review helpful

Another Adventurous Masterpiece of Eipix

PostedFebruary 8, 2015

GordanaG

fromNovi Sad, Serbia

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

Current Favorite:

Myths of the World: Black Rose Collector's Edition

(57)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I finished free trial in just one blink of an eye!
Once again, in a role of a reporter I was falling into the artistic adventure of finding a famous painter, who is supposed to do the interview with me. She has denied my previous requests many times but I won't take no for an answer, because this is such an exclusive opportunity for me as a reporter.
She was given a task to restore a very famous ...Show more

I finished free trial in just one blink of an eye!
Once again, in a role of a reporter I was falling into the artistic adventure of finding a famous painter, who is supposed to do the interview with me. She has denied my previous requests many times but I won't take no for an answer, because this is such an exclusive opportunity for me as a reporter.
She was given a task to restore a very famous painting which will be sold on the auction.
As the time of this great and very important interview has come, we were interrupted on the very beginning by her boyfriend and that is where the fun begins...

I really enjoyed through the entire story!
Scenes are beautifully done and so colourful.
Solving all mini games was more than fun, especially HOPA's, because they are my favourite type of mini games.
There were few funny tasks, like that one with black sheep, but I won't be spoiling that for you.
All in all, excellent game! If I could give you 10 stars for this, I surely would! Show less

I recommend this game!

+22points

28of 34voted this as helpful.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

20 of 23 found this review helpful

Please KEEP this amazingly great game ON the Record!

PostedFebruary 11, 2015

FORTUNATUS

fromThis side of the moon (USA) :)

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

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Adventure lovers, those seeking the unique, immersive, exciting, and just plain FUN, I urge you to at least check out this game via the Demo.

This developer is so talented and they managed to create an adrenaline boosting game without the typical and recent 'as-per-usual' additions of supernatural, gloom and doom. This game provides excitement without the headache inducing graphics, sound, vo and ...Show more

Adventure lovers, those seeking the unique, immersive, exciting, and just plain FUN, I urge you to at least check out this game via the Demo.

This developer is so talented and they managed to create an adrenaline boosting game without the typical and recent 'as-per-usual' additions of supernatural, gloom and doom. This game provides excitement without the headache inducing graphics, sound, vo and music.... all of those features are incredibly well done yet all with the theme of intrigue and mystery.

I have not been inspired to purchase many games as of late due to so many clones and look a-likes [whereas prior to this trend I owned almost every game BF offered] so I was SO particularly happy to FINALLY demo a game that I enjoyed from the beginning to end as well as one I'm eager to purchase!

So as you can tell already, I am very, very impressed with this Collector's Edition [CE] by Eipix; there is so much creativity and sheer talent that went into this game.... it definitively deserves more than the 5 stars I allowed to give it.

Please give it a whirl; [and to think I almost passed this one by]!.... BRAVO developers, thank you and thank you, BF.... PLEASE more like this!?! Show less

I recommend this game!

+17points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

38 of 53 found this review helpful

Looks like Art Fraud to me!

PostedFebruary 7, 2015

MSBAM100

fromSkiing in the Austrian Alps

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Skill Level:Expert

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

Current Favorite:

Lost Lands: The Four Horsemen Collector's Edition

(144)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

This is the 3rd in this series and seems like the best. There is so much going on - and the opening cut scene of an artist painting, ending with "Is it done?" leads you to believe there is something sinister going on in the art restoration world!

You are intrepid reporter Felicity Adams who has managed to secure an interview with Lisa Steiner, the reclusive artist who was chosen to restore a long ...Show more

This is the 3rd in this series and seems like the best. There is so much going on - and the opening cut scene of an artist painting, ending with "Is it done?" leads you to believe there is something sinister going on in the art restoration world!

You are intrepid reporter Felicity Adams who has managed to secure an interview with Lisa Steiner, the reclusive artist who was chosen to restore a long lost painting found in the Austrian Alps. When you visit Lisa, you meet Felix, her boyfriend, who seems like a big bully. Turns out he IS a big bully, and isn't her boyfriend but a villain who pushes you off a cliff, kidnaps Lisa, and the demo ends!

The HOS and mini-games are so cool and unique. You have to find Lisa's house from a list of things she likes. You have to herd the sheep Lara, Clara, and Julia by giving them what they want. You have to find the code to her briefcase by first finding her early drawings, putting them in order, then selecting the correct item in each drawing. I can't remember when I so thoroughly enjoyed playing the HOS/mini-games within a game!

The CE bling goes on forever, with a Painter's Den, the Souvenir Room, a Behind the Scenes, and even a Photo Session. Plus there are 17 letters to find, 42 paint tubes, and 14 morphing objects within a HOS. The paint tubes and the HOS objects have an icon on the screen to tell you if you've found it or not.

This is a must buy for me, because the demo was so much fun. Try it and see! Show less

I recommend this game!

+23points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

20 of 28 found this review helpful

Excellent edition to Off the Record Series!!!

PostedFebruary 8, 2015

skullfun

fromTennessee

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Skill Level:Expert

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

Current Favorite:

Hidden Expedition: Smithsonian™ Castle Collector's Edition

(80)

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

Felicity Adams [you] travel to Austria, where the famous artist Lisa Steiner is in charge of restoring a historical painting “Leda’s Swan” in Off The Record 3: The Art of Deception. When you arrived to Steiner’s hometown, you see Lisa running away, and then find out, that she's being threatened by someone! Looks like an art thief criminal or a gang was threatening her for some reason… but why? ...Show more

Felicity Adams [you] travel to Austria, where the famous artist Lisa Steiner is in charge of restoring a historical painting “Leda’s Swan” in Off The Record 3: The Art of Deception. When you arrived to Steiner’s hometown, you see Lisa running away, and then find out, that she's being threatened by someone! Looks like an art thief criminal or a gang was threatening her for some reason… but why? Follow the trails of the scared artist you witness her kidnapping and now Lisa’s destiny depends on YOU! Discover where Lisa Steiner is held hostage and free HER. It's an adult theme adventure with a good story, I really enjoyed this one and recommend the other games in this series. The German accent's of the voice overs are superb as well as the graphics. Ever notice the hexagon shapes that float in sun-filled room by these developers? Subtle but there. Eipix is one of my favorite developers, so thank you BigFish for releasing 2 Eipix adventures within one week. xox's Show less

I recommend this game!

+12points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

5 of 6 found this review helpful

Gorgeous Scenery

PostedFebruary 23, 2015

CaitlinB22

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

Fun story with great visuals, interesting mini-games

I recommend this game!

+4points

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	, share your thoughts about this game! Off The Record: The Art of Deception Collector's Edition Deception is a deadly art! 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.