Wanderlust: Shadow of the Monolith > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

5 / 5

36 of 45 found this review helpful

GETS MY VOTE FOR BEST GAME OF THE YEAR!

PostedOctober 20, 2019

biscuitsmama

fromI love anything sci-fi and wish more developers would jump in and create wonderful sci-fi HOPA games

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Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Wanderlust Shadow of the Monolith is the third game in the series and, IMHO, it is the best. What a terrific and creative game that made me feel like I was truly a part of the adventure. There were surprises at every turn, so fasten your seat belts and prepare to blast off into a sci-fi game that will have you globe-trotting and racing through different time periods. I love Shadow of the Monolith, ...Show more

Wanderlust Shadow of the Monolith is the third game in the series and, IMHO, it is the best. What a terrific and creative game that made me feel like I was truly a part of the adventure. There were surprises at every turn, so fasten your seat belts and prepare to blast off into a sci-fi game that will have you globe-trotting and racing through different time periods. I love Shadow of the Monolith, mostly because of the excitement I felt while playing this ultra-creative offering from a favorite developer.

Many of the HOP scenes are puzzle-like in design and I wasn’t sure if I was actually playing a puzzle or a HOP. Although there is a gimmicky book to use where we must translate various symbols, I actually enjoyed using it. The other HOPS are lists or silhouettes of objects to find, and some storybook scenes. I loved the HOPS but they are rather overshadowed by the puzzles, many of which I skipped because I disliked them and didn’t want to waste my time. That being said there were a lot of puzzles that I did enjoy – those that involved using the old gray-matter to solve.

The storyline is excellent and I couldn’t stop playing as I wanted to see how it ended as I played through this terrific game. It has been a long time since I played a game that was as exciting as Shadow of the Monolith. The feeling of actually being present in the game is something I don’t believe I’ve felt before and I’ve played close to 2,000 of them. There were a few jump-scares in the game and one involved a snake but unless you have ophidiophobia, it won’t be too overwhelming. This is certainly a unique game that showcases the talent of this amazing development team. Wanderlust: Shadow of the Monolith is a game that can replayed and will most likely become a classic favorite with gamers. Although I love the game and purchased the CE immediately when it was available, please try the demo to see if Wanderlust Shadow of the Monolith is a game you will enjoy as well. Happy gaming! Show less

I recommend this game!

+27points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

13 of 16 found this review helpful

Adventure At It's Finest

PostedOctober 20, 2019

2020moonlanding

fromOuter Hebrides

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

Current Favorite:

Mystery Tales: Art and Souls Collector's Edition

(16)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

This outstanding game was an edge of your seat fast moving, and engaging adventure. From the get-go your brother is kidnapped and you must follow him and these thuggish mercenaries all over the world using unworldly clues to reach him. You'll encounter unusual allies, sometimes from different time periods, to discover the meaning behind a deadly monolith that will become the center of your ...Show more

This outstanding game was an edge of your seat fast moving, and engaging adventure. From the get-go your brother is kidnapped and you must follow him and these thuggish mercenaries all over the world using unworldly clues to reach him. You'll encounter unusual allies, sometimes from different time periods, to discover the meaning behind a deadly monolith that will become the center of your quest.

If you love puzzles this game is for you, there are a ton of them and they range from easy to hard so most players will enjoy a good deal of them. The HOs were wonderful as well with a good variety and my fave a morphing object to find. The graphics were stunning and the storyline was sound with great effects and voice acting. There are also customizable settings.

This developer has redeemed themselves from one of their other games recently released as it lacked the quality of this one! So well done! Cheers! Show less

I recommend this game!

+10points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

6 of 7 found this review helpful

Rescue Your Brother

PostedOctober 29, 2019

deddu

fromCalifornia USA

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Skill Level:Expert

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

Current Favorite:

Dreamland Solitaire: Dragon's Fury

(19)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

I really enjoyed this adventure that takes you to different times and places. It is puzzle heavy, but the hidden objects are used to move the story along. Great graphics.

I recommend this game!

+5points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

1 of 1 found this review helpful

Very entertaining. Great value

PostedSeptember 10, 2020

Vandykat18

fromNashville, TN

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy

Current Favorite:

Adera

(120)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Wanderlust has become one of my favorite series. Pretty long game. Full of things to do. Interesting puzzles and HOP variety which are designed to match the story. They do a good job of balancing interactions between a handful of scenes so it's not so straight forward that it's boring, but you're not navigating between too many scenes to complete a chapter, either.

This is definitely one I will ...Show more

Wanderlust has become one of my favorite series. Pretty long game. Full of things to do. Interesting puzzles and HOP variety which are designed to match the story. They do a good job of balancing interactions between a handful of scenes so it's not so straight forward that it's boring, but you're not navigating between too many scenes to complete a chapter, either.

This is definitely one I will replay. Show less

I recommend this game!

+1point

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Overall rating

5 / 5

1 of 1 found this review helpful

Love it

PostedSeptember 6, 2020

Mistaken

fromOntario, Canada

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

Really liked this game, but in the video pic it says Collector's Edition. Finished game & no collector's edition.

I recommend this game!

+1point

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Overall rating

4 / 5

39 of 47 found this review helpful

AN AMAZING JUNGLE ADVENTURE

PostedOctober 20, 2019

pennmom36

fromIt's a Mad Jungle World

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Skill Level:Expert

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

Completed Game approximately 8 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
*29 Scene Locations* (22 main + 7bc)

Jane thought she and her brother Victor were simply invited as guest speakers at the Archaeology Lecture on Ancient Mechanisms. After a series of unfortunate events, this speaking engagement turns into an epic adventure that will forever change their lives as ...Show more

Completed Game approximately 8 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
*29 Scene Locations* (22 main + 7bc)

Jane thought she and her brother Victor were simply invited as guest speakers at the Archaeology Lecture on Ancient Mechanisms. After a series of unfortunate events, this speaking engagement turns into an epic adventure that will forever change their lives as they become unwitting pawns of a deadly conspiracy that threatens the existence of humanity itself!

There is a TRANSLATION BOOK GADGET that is used 13 times +2 in the CE Bonus Chapter. It is a book that has an attached repetitive mini-game requiring you to use a magnifying glass to find a few symbols in the book as shown on a clue to translate. The symbols are not made larger nor does the magnifying glass reveal hidden symbols so I'm not sure why the included its use. I didn't mind this HO variation but it would have been less annoying if the symbols were more complex or less orderly to make it somewhat challenging.

There are 14 HIDDEN OBJECT SCENES +4 in the CE Bonus Chapter. In this Collector's Edition version, each scene has a Morphing Object, most of which are well blended and challenging to find. Most of the scenes are Listed Item Finds but there are also Silhouetted Shape Finds, Find & Replace Items, Matching Pair Finds, Pictured Item Finds and Symbols to find.

There are a whopping 56 MINI-GAMES +13 in the CE Bonus Chapter which includes the repetitious Translation Book Gadget games. The games are mostly mechanical-related puzzles that are easily solved on the first attempt. Below are brief descriptions of some of my favorite puzzles throughout the game:

❂-Place symbol tiles on 4 sides of a cube that logically fit according to adjacent symbols.
❂-Select gear at the correct time to interlock with the main gear.
❂-Click to reveal images and match pairs (several variations throughout the game)
❂-Choose movement and rotation speeds to interlock gears at the correct moment.
❂-Place various sized gears to create continuous movement.
❂-Rotate semi-circle to bounce red & blue balls into the correct chutes.
❂-Defeat the giant spider by selection directional arrows to dodge its attacks or shields to deflect poisonous gas.
❂-Arrange the books on the shelves until they all have the same amount.
❂-Select the run button at the correct times to avoid all guards.
❂-Fill the entire grid by placing colored tiles with specific coverage amounts.
❂-Exchange liquid between 3 columns until the middle column has the exact amount of liquid.

The journey continues across 7 new scene locations in this lengthy CE BONUS CHAPTER when a suspicious-looking government agent comes knocking on Jane's door claiming to have found another ancient Monolith. It's been 3-years since Neev's disappearance but Jane is confident that the Monolith investigation will churn up new clues to his whereabouts or at least confirm that he has moved on to the afterlife. There are 4 Hidden Object Scenes +4 HO Morphs (All HO's can be replayed in the CE extra's section to earn gold, silver, or bronze awards, improve accuracy percentages, or pickup missed HO Morphs) There are 13 additional Mini-Games, two of which are associated with the Translation Book Gadget. After finding the final 7 Collectible Symbol Signs, it will unlock the Ultimate Hidden Object Scene (listed items) and finding the remaining 7 Morphing Objects the Ultimate Puzzle becomes available as well. I didn't miss any of the Scene Morphs so I'm not sure if you are given an opportunity to revisit the scenes to search for them but I suspect they would.

The COLLECTOR'S EDITION version has 8 Wallpapers, not 4 (and they don't have characters slapped on the beautiful scenery!) 6 Concept Art Pictures (with a before/after slider bar) 10 Music Soundtracks, 11 Achievements (6 available in 3 category star levels) 18 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, an Ultimate Listed Items Hidden Object Scene (unlocked when all Collectible Signs are found) an Ultimate Puzzle (replay of main game puzzle variation, unlocked after completing the Bonus Chapter) 29 Scene Morphing Objects, 18 HO Morphing Objects (you can replay the HOP's in the CE replay section to pick up missing HO morphs) 29 Hidden Symbols Collection, 3 Main Chapters (very long) +Bonus Chapter (long chapter) and a Built-In Strategy Guide.

WANDERLUST SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating

1-What Lies Beneath (March 30-2018) 3.9
2-City of Mists (April 7-2019) 3.8
3-Shadow of the Monolith (October 20-2019) n/a

by: Mad Head Games Show less

I recommend this game!

+31points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

2 of 2 found this review helpful

another great Wanderlust

PostedNovember 18, 2021

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:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

as with all the other games in this series i really liked this game.

the puzzles were good - majority easy enough to do and if you have done the other wanderlust you will know the puzzles. The hidden objects were just lists but that was OK.

i don't really care about the storyline as long as there is a start, middle and ending. So covered all my needs.

the game was very long (well it felt ...Show more

as with all the other games in this series i really liked this game.

the puzzles were good - majority easy enough to do and if you have done the other wanderlust you will know the puzzles. The hidden objects were just lists but that was OK.

i don't really care about the storyline as long as there is a start, middle and ending. So covered all my needs.

the game was very long (well it felt like that to me).

try before you buy -happy gaming :) Show less

I recommend this game!

+2points

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Overall rating

3 / 5

5 of 6 found this review helpful

It's OK, but not quite market ready.

PostedDecember 2, 2019

Alenee

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Fun Factor

3 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

3 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

3 / 5

I'm almost finished the demo and while the concept is good and the action is constant, the quality is just too rough for my tastes. It's more like an unfinished beta than a new release, with sluggish transitions, constant delays after one clicks on anything, and unnecessarily drawn out, semi literate dialogue that should have been translated and edited by an English native instead of merely being ...Show more

I'm almost finished the demo and while the concept is good and the action is constant, the quality is just too rough for my tastes. It's more like an unfinished beta than a new release, with sluggish transitions, constant delays after one clicks on anything, and unnecessarily drawn out, semi literate dialogue that should have been translated and edited by an English native instead of merely being spell checked by one, which is what seems to have happened here.

I'm thinking it might be worth a free ticket if you are a very patient person and/or a slow reader. For me though, the gameplay and mechanics are just too slow! They drag down the action considerably, which doesn't make sense considering the adventure style game. I imagine the slowness was added intentionally to stop people from getting past the demo, which makes me fear the worst for the rest of the game.

Buy at your own risk! Show less

I don't recommend this game.

+4points

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Overall rating

3 / 5

10 of 15 found this review helpful

Great Concept, but...

PostedOctober 23, 2019

Meem5

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management

Storyline is pretty good. I found the constant pop-up dialog distracting and extremely annoying. I could not even finish the demo.

I don't recommend this game.

+5points

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Overall rating

2 / 5

7 of 10 found this review helpful

Not Much Logic

PostedOctober 29, 2019

Yanie1020

fromIowa, 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, Marble Popper, Puzzle, Strategy

Fun Factor

2 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

3 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

2 / 5

This game was so illogical. Many steps/items just didn't make sense. Had to skip some of the mini-games because after I solved them nothing happened. The game never moved forward to the next screen. Lots of typos, which I never understand because it's not that difficult to proofread these before they're released. Voiceovers were so-so with not much emotion from some of them. I was ready for this ...Show more

This game was so illogical. Many steps/items just didn't make sense. Had to skip some of the mini-games because after I solved them nothing happened. The game never moved forward to the next screen. Lots of typos, which I never understand because it's not that difficult to proofread these before they're released. Voiceovers were so-so with not much emotion from some of them. I was ready for this one to be over. Really don't understand some of the rave reviews. Show less

I don't recommend this game.

+4points

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