Detectives United II: The Darkest Shrine > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

5 / 5

46 of 57 found this review helpful

I THINK AGENT BROWN FORGOT HIS SIDEKICK! HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

PostedMay 24, 2019

biscuitsmama

fromElf is probably at home pining for me. I sure hope someone remembers to feed him - lol

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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

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

The Darkest Shrine is game number two in the Detectives United series and, at least for me, it is far better than the original. I found the first game rather tedious while The Darkest Shrine is a fast-paced game that is not bogged down in minute details. At least I found the progress quite good and far more interesting because it moved along while switching between characters.

Because I don’t ...Show more

Because I don’t expect every detail in a HOPA game to be logical, I tend to focus more on the gameplay rather than spending my time thinking about the minutiae. The Darkest Night is entertaining with a good storyline, great puzzles, and interesting HOPS; which are primarily what I look for in the games I choose to play.

There is some variety in the HOPS and some require a bit of interaction to find the items. As is the case in recent games there seems to be an emphasis on the mini-HOPS that I have come to think of as “quick fixes” because the developers don’t want to spend time creating decent, more involved scenes. I don’t particularly like mini-HOPS but looks like they are here to stay. The puzzles are decent, if not overly difficult, and many are ones that I particularly enjoy solving. At least it seems like there is more of a balance between HOPS and puzzles that I think should be the norm in HOPA games.

The characters in the game are familiar with James from Haunted Hotel, Agent Brown from Mystery Trackers, and Anna Gray from Grim Tales who have now combined their unique abilities to solve cases in the new Detectives United series. In the Darkest Shrine each detective is dispatched to a different location to see what information they can find as they solve the case. I have to agree with Pennmom who thinks that if Anna Gray can tote her dad’s skull with her, then Agent Brown should have had Elf tag along with him as well. Yes, devs a big mistake that maybe you should fix in the next Detectives United game.

All in all I think this is a decent CE game that includes most of the bells and whistles that I look forward to finding in a CE so it is definitely one that I will add to my collection. Although Detectives United II The Darkest Shrine is the perfect game for me and the way that I enjoy playing, please try the demo to see if it is a game that you will enjoy as well. Happy gaming! Show less

+35points

46of 57voted this as helpful.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

12 of 12 found this review helpful

Elephant Raises The Gaming Bar....Again.!!!

PostedMarch 3, 2020

pcpat923

fromUSA

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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, Large File

Current Favorite:

Portal of Evil: Stolen Runes Collector's Edition

(95)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Haven't left a review for a long while, however this game deserves the highest reviews and I wanted to leave a supportive comment. A lot of detailed work went into this labor of love. The music and sound effects were superior. Game flowed smoothly and the 90 minute demo flew by.!!!

Detectives United II presents excellent challenge switching between Detectives investigating three separate ...Show more

Detectives United II presents excellent challenge switching between Detectives investigating three separate locations. James is my favorite and pleased Elephant has brought three all-time greats together in these series! Keep them coming as I have purchased all in the series thus far--and I choose carefully. Enjoy! Show less

I recommend this game!

+12points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

13 of 15 found this review helpful

2 is Company 3s a Crowd

PostedMay 25, 2019

Ladyklee

fromFloral Park, New York

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

3 / 5

after trying the game, I found that I was totally lost in all three stories which was a little confusing to me .... what was needed here was One storyline Only, a nice juicy tale and btw (thank Goodness elf was not in it, as cute as the doggie is? elf is not needed in spy-mystery! this game looks like 3 games Shoved into one .... I give thumbs up for all the beautiful scenes but could have been more of an in depth kind of game with more Brain-Functioning power, let kids-older folks mind "Work", not act cute-sie her father handed her inventory, which we should have seeked ...he should have provided the instructions of where to go to retrieve them etc. so I give this a Good-ok ........ Show less

I recommend this game!

+11points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

2 of 2 found this review helpful

I'm on the fence about this one

PostedAugust 1, 2020

tophatmcgee

fromKC, MO

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object

Current Favorite:

Dark Parables: The Match Girl's Lost Paradise

(9)

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Overall, I enjoy the series. I like that they refer back to other games, I either have played them and know the background or am intrigued enough to download them and find out, haha. But the part that puts me on the fence is the length. I have played part one and now part two, and they both seem really short. I would think that with three characters to follow, we would get something juicy to sink our teeth into, but it just seems to fall a little short. And the ending was really abrupt and in your face. Now, maybe with the bonus chapter in the CE questions would have been answered.....um Richard? but I am left unsatisfied really. Well, I have part three waiting in the wings, maybe that will wind some of it up.
I had fun, just seeing that there are some places it could be shored up. Show less

I recommend this game!

+2points

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Overall rating

3 / 5

52 of 66 found this review helpful

WITHOUT ELF THE GAME IS INCOMPLETE

PostedMay 24, 2019

pennmom36

fromOh where, oh where has my little Elf gone, oh where, oh where can he be? ⚘

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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

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

3 / 5

Completed CE Game 4.5 hours
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all mini-games)

The famous paranormal Detectives have joined forces once again to investigate "Operation Darkest Night" Anna Gray from Grim Tales uses her unique Time-Traveling, Time-Freezing abilities to investigate and often change life-altering events. James Blackthorne from Haunted Hotel brings his unique Paranormal investigative skills to the table, and Agent Brown from Mystery Trackers brings all the gadgets and gizmo's needed to solve this paranormal case. Elf has NOT joined this dynamic trio, therefore, an automatic star reduction!...a really big mistake...Anna brought Richard's Skull because that's what Grim Tales is about, so why would not include the 1 feature that's always a part of Mystery Trackers games?...huge mistake!

I played the entire game, I read every note, but the storyline is as vague as it can be. Portals appear out of nowhere but all of the agents seem to be privy to them even though they just arrived. I have no fear as I eagerly step into the mirror world. Once inside the mirror world, I turn "Dark" why did I turn Dark? How did I turn Dark? All three of the agents are on the same page even though James heads to St. Mary's Orphanage (Grim Tales: Bloody Mary) Agent Brown heads to the Alps to investigate Schneider's Hotel And Spa (Haunted Hotel) and Anna Gray heads to the Blackhill mansion (Mystery Trackers) Wouldn't it make more sense to send the agents to their original investigation locations that they know everything about rather than sending them to an unfamiliar case? I completed the game, yet I have no idea what S.H.R.I.N.E stands for? Why did John create an entire organization just to suck the life force from an innocent person to revive the dead?

Just a few days ago, Elephant Games turned a new leaf and offered a game that avoided all the cliche tasks, and Emblem-placing scenarios, only to borrow them for this game! I tried to keep track of how many times I was burdened with placing an emblem(s) but I lost track after placing 20 sets of Emblems within the first 3 chapters. (actually, my pen ran out of ink, which was another burden)

If you think about an often used HOPA cliche task, I guarantee you, it's used in this game, Bee's swarming a much-needed inventory item (there's no hive, no pollen, thus no reason for the bee's to swarm a horn?) A well that's missing a bucket (and filled with random junk to taint the only water supply?) Locks encrusted with 30+ years of decayed Rust requiring a fresh squeezed lemon or anti-rust spray (works instantly and restores the item to factory specs instantly) Crows, Cats, and various animals viciously protecting a much-needed item that requires a dramatic fright (probably from the horn that's being guarded by a swarm of killer bees) Tweezers to tweeze all of those above-mentioned Emblems out of floorboards and every crack, crevice, nook and/or cranny imaginable. Something thin to open a door latch (how does a shed get locked with a latch from the inside...unless someone is still inside?)

We are blessed with another Device, <sigh> a Mystery Trackers Paranormal Activity Detector, which also downloads paper maps and slips of paper with coordinates written in charcoal by simply placing the papers behind the device, yes, it downloads a map that has been neatly folded (and we all know how much of a pain those maps are to fold) no unfolding necessary...no QR code necessary, no scan or barcode required...the only thing required here is a lot of imagination? Even better, if a part breaks, and always does, it has interchangeable parts, buttons...perfect fit!...battery...perfect fit! Not only can you use parts from any other electrical component, but they work magically without actually being connected electronically! There is a slightly repetitive mini-game to complete using the device to "catch" 8 Paranormal Whisps" but it was only used 3 times and the third mini-game required you to connect the dots without back-tracking. A Mystery Trackers anti-Back-Tracker game lol.

Actually, there are two Devices because Anna Gray has lugged daddy Richard's Skull to work again, but at least we don't have to complete a repetitive mini-game to summon him! There's one scene where they actually show Anna, James, and Agent Brown standing together and Anna has Richard's Skull neatly tucked into the crook of her arm. I don't recall ever seeing Anna actually carry Richard, he just appears in front of us.

There are 10 Hidden Object Scenes and 8 smaller Zoom Zone Hidden Object Scenes requiring you to find 6 objects shown one at a time as a Silhouetted Shape (+7 CE BC) The scenes tend to be a little dark and some of the Silhouetted Shapes are pretty vague but for the most part, the items are well blended. There are only 2 types of Hidden Object Scenes offered, Interactive List Finds, and Silhouetted Shape Finds, and no alternate game offered for non-HOP fans.

There are only 19 Mini-Games (+7 in CE BC) but they are really creative puzzles. The only game I wasn't crazy about was the repetitive "whisp collection" via the Mystery Trackers Paranormal Device, but it was only used a few times. Below are brief descriptions of some of my personal favorites:

1~Move tokens to their color-coded slots using directional arrows to rotate the central path hub.
2~Rotate groups of tokens to place symbols according to the clue shown. ღ
3~Select numbered buttons to move the token in the indicated direction to avoid landing on obstacles.ღღ
4~Find and place track sections & use switches to guide the token through each section. (#1/3 part puzzle) ღ
5~Rotate 4 knobs and select arrows to swap symbols to the correct knobs. (#2/3 part puzzle) ღ
6~Rotate each token to align all color-coded wires. (#3/3 part puzzle) ღღ
7~Connect all dots without retracing paths. ღ
8~Direct tiles correctly from left to right moving vertically or horizontally.

The Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter takes place shortly after the main game's timeframe when Nathaniel Prior contacts Agent Shade asking for help after the S.H.R.I.N.E organization is attacked. Anna Gray is unavailable so James and Agent Brown are assigned to the case. In some ways, the BC has a better storyline than the main game, and the length is decent. There are a lot of plot twists that take place over 8 scenes, but to elaborate further would ruin the plot, which someone else has already done, again. There are 7 Mini-Games and 7 Hidden Object Scenes, and you will pick up the remaining 8 Morphing Objects, 3 Morphing Character Statues, and 5 Zoom Zone Picture Fragments which unlocks the 4th and final Screensaver.

The Collector's Edition version has 12 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art Pictures, 4 Screensavers (unlocks with Picture Puzzle Fragments collected) 4 Music Soundtracks, 18 Achievements (some in 3 categories) 12 Replayable Mini-Games, 15 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, a Secret Room (search for Morphing Objects) 14 Morphing Character Figurines, 30 Morphing Objects, 20 Zoom Zone Picture Puzzle Fragments (unlocks 4 Screensavers) 4 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-in Strategy Guide.

DETECTIVES UNITED SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating

1-Origins (September 7-2018) 4.4
2-The Darkest Shrine (May 24-2019) n/a

by: Elephant Games Show less

I recommend this game!

+38points

52of 66voted this as helpful.

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Overall rating

3 / 5

4 of 6 found this review helpful

Ok game!

PostedFebruary 13, 2020

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.
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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Puzzle, Strategy

Fun Factor

3 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

3 / 5

Not one of my favorites. Scenes are too junky!!
Did not care for the abrupt ending.
Puzzles are pretty good once the instructions are figured out!

I recommend this game!

+2points

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	, share your thoughts about this game! Detectives United II: The Darkest Shrine Familiar places become deadly traps. 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.