Faces of Illusion: The Twin Phantoms > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

5 / 5

57 of 63 found this review helpful

BEAUTIFUL, WARM-HEARTED, MAGICAL

PostedJune 5, 2018

kandinsky

fromNew York. Hudson Valley.

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Skill Level:Expert

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

Current Favorite:

Adam Wolfe: Flames of Time

(162)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

As often I find myself reading the reviews and nodding to almost every point and thinking yes this or that game can indeed be accorded almost any number of stars and the more so if the mood of the player is allowed to enter in.
But I think it is time for this one to have a five star notice.
I would rest the case for these full marks for one thing on the exceptional beauty of the graphics,perhaps ...Show more

As often I find myself reading the reviews and nodding to almost every point and thinking yes this or that game can indeed be accorded almost any number of stars and the more so if the mood of the player is allowed to enter in.
But I think it is time for this one to have a five star notice.
I would rest the case for these full marks for one thing on the exceptional beauty of the graphics,perhaps a high point being the journey through the Paris sewers become such a fairyland (compare that darker world of Javert and Valjean in Les Miserables) that, while the journey is rather satisfyingly long one almost wishes it went on through an entire game. Secondly while the romantic story is not new it has a deeply warm-hearted quality allowed to play out in an ending far more unhurried and resolved than that of most games, Beauty and warmth add up to a kind of magic more real than that of any grimoire or illusionist or of by far the most of these games.
There are the tedious tasks as usual lacking much logic and there is the ludicrous tendency of one character to fall into any available hole in the floor and so on but...
for me this is a five star wonderful game and thanks to Big Fish for bringing it to us! Try it and see if it is for you! Show less

I recommend this game!

+51points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

31 of 36 found this review helpful

~ARTIFEX MUNDI AND MOONRISE INTERACTIVE CREATE A GREAT SE~

PostedJune 7, 2018

skullfun

fromArtifex Mundi did a great job collaborating with Moonrise Interactive!

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Skill Level:Expert

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

Current Favorite:

Fall of the New Age

(56)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Welcome to the mysterious Parisian Underworld of Paris. You have just arrived to see Madame Beatrice La Brun perform with illusionist Charles the great, but things go south rather swiftly when Beatrice is kidnapped and fire breaks out in the theater. The assailant who grabs Beatrice appears to be an imposter who looks exactly like Sir Charles...could there be more than one illusionist? Does ...Show more

Welcome to the mysterious Parisian Underworld of Paris. You have just arrived to see Madame Beatrice La Brun perform with illusionist Charles the great, but things go south rather swiftly when Beatrice is kidnapped and fire breaks out in the theater. The assailant who grabs Beatrice appears to be an imposter who looks exactly like Sir Charles...could there be more than one illusionist? Does Charles really have a twin brother? Join forces with Beatrice's little brother Arthur and embark on an investigative journey that leads you beneath the grand Parisian theater into the seedy underground passages of 1895 Paris and find out!
I was surprised by how intricate this story was and also by the underlying plot even though I have played numerous games with a similar storyline. This release is different though because of it's connection to the Grimoire. The Grimoire is a textbook of magic, typically including instructions on how to create magical objects like talisman and amulets, how to perform magical spells or charms, and how to summon supernatural entities. It's no secret that Artifex Mundi's Grimoire theme is what captivates their fans and has been a huge factor in making them popular in the HOPA industry. This release could have easily been a great CE if developers had increased the budget for better graphics, production, and CE bling. However, for a SE game it really does raise the bar compared to other similar releases. I really loved this adventure and the 5 casual hours I spent playing. I also love these developers and if your looking for lengthy mystery adventure it's worth using a free game coupon too. Cheers! Show less

I recommend this game!

+26points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

8 of 11 found this review helpful

great theatre

PostedAugust 4, 2018

boxer306

fromColumbia, SC

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Bought this a while ago and just got around to playing it. I loved it! A great SE, and imho a lot better that some CE's of late. A fun and interesting game.

I recommend this game!

+5points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

82 of 101 found this review helpful

THE STORY HAS BEEN TOLD A HUNDRED TIMES BUT IT'S WORTHY OF A SE

PostedJune 4, 2018

pennmom36

fromDavid Copperfield founded Project Magic to teach people with disabilities how to use sleight of hand magic to enhance their motor skills and gain self-cofidence!

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Skill Level:Expert

Current Favorite:

Paranormal Files: Fellow Traveler Collector's Edition

(62)

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

Beatrice Le Brun's much-anticipated concert is abruptly ended during the opening act when an unknown illusionist whisks her away in a cloud of smoke. Her young brother Arthur assures you that this is not part of her act, and she is in grave danger. Looks like you won't be getting that behind-the-scenes interview with the famous Parisian Theater star unless you team up with baby brother Arthur to ...Show more

Beatrice Le Brun's much-anticipated concert is abruptly ended during the opening act when an unknown illusionist whisks her away in a cloud of smoke. Her young brother Arthur assures you that this is not part of her act, and she is in grave danger. Looks like you won't be getting that behind-the-scenes interview with the famous Parisian Theater star unless you team up with baby brother Arthur to thwart the magician's evil agenda.

Well, this story has been told a hundred times before in a hundred different ways, but I've always been a fan of AM games, even though they are only the producers this go-round, and it was released over a year ago! The character voices, especially young Arthur's voice-over is almost unbearable at times, doesn't Lani Minella have any kids that followed in her footsteps to do real kids voiceovers?

The artwork is beautifully illustrated and hand-drawn, but I must say, some of the tasks to get from point A to point B were utterly ridiculous! You use a coin as a screwdriver (of course) yet you had to find a coin medallion to complete the next task when you still had coins in your possession? You discover a Fire-extinguisher that's missing several parts, you also find a somewhat lengthy note which complains about someone who once again didn't fix it. I'm sure it took longer to write the note than it would have been to just fix it, but then again, the parts were located in some unusual locations? At one point I found several fragmented pieces during a Zoom Zone HOP, these fragments were located on a small shelf within a platter. The next thing I know, this completed project became a huge object used for a really impossible task!? Did I miss something? An Illusion perhaps? HOPA world right?

The Hidden Object Scenes were okay, but because they were hand-drawn, some of the objects were blurry and you couldn't tell where one item ended and the other started. There are Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Progressive Interactive Silhouetted Shape Finds and several smaller Zoom Zone Finds with Fragment Finds or Multiples.

The Mini Games are mostly Puzzle-types, rotating pieces, rotation rings etc, therefore most were fairly easy and uncomplicated. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:

1) Rotate 3 disc rings to align the image.
2) Win a game of "Find the ball under the shuffling cups" x3
3) Place various sized gears correctly.
4) Rotate hexagonal puzzle pieces to form a continuous line.
5) Place tiles in progressive order x 4
6) Toggle symbols until both ends have the same symbol.
7) Set the clock hands according to the clue.
8) Swap and rotate puzzle pieces.
9) Swap elements to complete the picture.

Although this game has the same ole same ole storyline that we've seen several times before, I totally think this is a must buy game. It's rare that we are offered a decent stand alone SE game. There aren't any bells and whistles with Faces of Illusion, but at least we don't have any stupid Gadgets with repetitive mini-games! Show less

I recommend this game!

+63points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

30 of 37 found this review helpful

Now You See Her, Now You Don't

PostedJune 4, 2018

cathybobcat

fromChicago, IL

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Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

This was originally released in August 2017 as a SE with Extras....replay of Hos and Puzzles, Achievements and Concept Art...(no SG or BC). It is by Moonrise Interactive (I believe to be Polish) and published by Artifex Mundi. Although this version does not include the Extras, I think it would suffice wonderfully and be quite enjoyable without them.

The setting is 19th Century Paris. You are a ...Show more

This was originally released in August 2017 as a SE with Extras....replay of Hos and Puzzles, Achievements and Concept Art...(no SG or BC). It is by Moonrise Interactive (I believe to be Polish) and published by Artifex Mundi. Although this version does not include the Extras, I think it would suffice wonderfully and be quite enjoyable without them.

The setting is 19th Century Paris. You are a reporter investigating the kidnapping (yeah, another one of those) of a star named Beatrice LeBrun by the famous illusionist Charles Delacroix. You are accompanied and assisted by her younger brother, Arthur, who I was annoyed at not having a French accent. I ended up muting him.

There are 4 levels of play you can choose to be found under Settings...then Difficulty....otherwise, I think the setting is on Casual, which happened when I first did this upon its release. I didn't realize there were 4 options of play until I just did the demo here...duh. This does come across as an older game, so I thought there were only 3 options.

The graphics are excellent...the game play is another matter. There are tasks that can be confusing as to what to do, as well as some of the puzzles that needed better instructions. You have to figure it out for yourself what you need to do or find and where... or just Skip the puzzles, which I did for some of them. There are others I was just guessing at. There is a transportable map and the hint is very helpful, also.

I found it ridiculous in the theater that there was a fire burning and it remained contained for however long it takes you to find the hose as well as parts for it to be fixed. It was a wonder and quite miraculous that the place didn't burn down.

The puzzles far outweigh the hos, which is no surprise these days. Some of the hos were minis which I hate...very small items to find and not much to them whatsoever. The others were full screen and quite interactive...you need an item to be used on another as to progress...and some lists. Most of the puzzles were doable for me, but I did detest the one where you have to rotate triangular pieces to restore a picture....not my idea of a good time, so I skipped that one.

For the most part I do like the game and find the story interesting. It is slow moving and not hyperactive with too much going back and forth which is a plus. You also don't have tons of inventory to deal with. It would have been a luxury to have a walkthrough for this.

I will probably use a pcc on it, as I feel it would be well worth it....or even at a sale price. I am curious to see how the story turns out. Show less

+23points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

15 of 17 found this review helpful

Familiar Story With Not the Usual Play

PostedJune 6, 2018

LikeAGoodStory

fromFlorida

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Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object

Current Favorite:

Modern Tales: Age of Invention

(13)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

As other reviewers have noted, this SE game first appeared last year. It is interactive in the HOPS as well as the story line. To me, the puzzles relate to the story. And although the story line is a familiar one, there are some twists on it, and I think the scenes involving illusions are quite well-done. But then, I am quite willing to suspend my disbelief, perhaps more than others.

Artifex ...Show more

As other reviewers have noted, this SE game first appeared last year. It is interactive in the HOPS as well as the story line. To me, the puzzles relate to the story. And although the story line is a familiar one, there are some twists on it, and I think the scenes involving illusions are quite well-done. But then, I am quite willing to suspend my disbelief, perhaps more than others.

Artifex Mundi games are always a bit different from other developers, even when the storylines is well known. The graphics are very well done, for the most part, although there are a few scenes that are more sketch-like but not cartoonish to me. I'm not bothered by them.

As with any game, try the demo first but if you are looking for a different take on hidden object/adventure games, I recommend Artifex Mundi's work. Enjoy!

This review is based upon completed play. Show less

I recommend this game!

+13points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

9 of 10 found this review helpful

I LIKED IT A LOT !

PostedFebruary 11, 2019

yowzasma

fromCOWTOWN (Ft. Worth),TX

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

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

When I bought this I did not expect to enjoy playing it so much as I rarely play theatrical style games with the comedy-tragedy masks ( I have no idea why ether ).
Imho the developers put a lot into this game with a good storyline, graphics and it was colorful. The jump map worked good as well as the hints.
What keeps me from giving a 5* is the lack of instructions for some of the minis and ...Show more

When I bought this I did not expect to enjoy playing it so much as I rarely play theatrical style games with the comedy-tragedy masks ( I have no idea why ether ).
Imho the developers put a lot into this game with a good storyline, graphics and it was colorful. The jump map worked good as well as the hints.
What keeps me from giving a 5* is the lack of instructions for some of the minis and since there is no walk-through it left me scratching my head till I figured out what was expected ; ) {not really used to games that forces me to use a little grey-matter ;) }
I think this was a well spent PCC and am glad I choose it. I generally use my PCC for games from new (for me) Developers and land up many times following them hoping for more :) Show less

I recommend this game!

+8points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

16 of 22 found this review helpful

Fun game

PostedJune 4, 2018

Novella2

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Skill Level:Expert

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

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

This is based on the demo. Graphics are good, there are voice overs and people's lips move. The plot appears to be interesting. You have 4 (I believe) modes of play.

I was surprised, as it seems BF is having more SE games that are good. It used to be rarely that I could use my free game codes.

I recommend this game!

+10points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

51 of 79 found this review helpful

A Pleasant Surprise

PostedJune 4, 2018

JustTheFacts

fromRural Western Australia

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Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

3 / 5

BASED ON DEMO ONLY

Well, okay, this game doesn’t have the glamorous special effects and just over the top gorgeous graphics that I am addicted to. The artists do good things, though, with the video scenes, very realistic motion, even if the glitz is not there.

It also has an old-fashioned feel to it, with HOs more like the classic HO games than the extravaganzas we have now. Although there ...Show more

BASED ON DEMO ONLY

Well, okay, this game doesn’t have the glamorous special effects and just over the top gorgeous graphics that I am addicted to. The artists do good things, though, with the video scenes, very realistic motion, even if the glitz is not there.

It also has an old-fashioned feel to it, with HOs more like the classic HO games than the extravaganzas we have now. Although there were a couple of different kinds of scenes, they are the most common ones we encounter.

But that is all surface stuff. What makes this game such a wonderful surprise is the mindset. The puzzles heavily outweigh the HOPs, and every move you make will require at least some figuring out. Problems are not solved in the usual predictable fashion, where we know immediately what we’ll need to open that door or know exactly what situation will require the tool we just picked up. I was surprised how often I got that dead wrong.

The puzzles, though nothing new, often had a different presentation to them. And while they took some doing, were all doable. I didn’t skip any in the demo. I can almost never say that about puzzles, because I am hopeless at them. These were not excessively easy, but they didn’t mess with my head either.

Also fun was the helper. No, he is not excessively cute. And he is human, able to talk and walk (very well), and have his own responses to things. He is simply more agile than you.

If you are a player who enjoys something a bit different, or are a fan of the early classics, you might want to check this one out. It is clearly not for everyone, but look behind the visuals, it may just be ‘you’. Show less

+23points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

5 of 6 found this review helpful

I. LOVED. THIS. GAME

PostedJune 20, 2018

MzWort

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management

Current Favorite:

Royal Envoy 3

(26)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

I have always liked the Artiflex Mundi games. This is no exception. The game progresses logically - no bouncing around. No back-and-forthing on the map. It didn't get 5 stars because some tasks are left for you to figure out - especially true when trying to find + pieces.

I recommend this game!

+4points

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	, share your thoughts about this game! Faces of Illusion: The Twin Phantoms Investigate the secrets of the Parisian underground 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.