Making progress in The Hand of Fate, managed to get thru the Drunken Dragon and taking a break before the Octopus PUzzle shell game.
nice solid classical Adventure gaming. Nothing better to clear the air and relax the spirits.
Chris
nice solid classical Adventure gaming. Nothing better to clear the air and relax the spirits.
Chris
Admin and Owner
3D Worlds and Game Developers Group LInkedin
"We Build Worlds"
I just finished Between Horizons in the context of a community playthrough.
Unfortunately I didn't have as much time for the game as I would have wanted, since I am working on a personal project that grabs most of my focus. But it was nice to play an adventure again, although this won't become one of my favorites. The setting & story idea and art style were interesting.
Unfortunately I didn't have as much time for the game as I would have wanted, since I am working on a personal project that grabs most of my focus. But it was nice to play an adventure again, although this won't become one of my favorites. The setting & story idea and art style were interesting.
I’m going back and playing the Police Quest games. I’ll probably try out Crimson Desert (not an adventure) soon.
AGH Co-founder, Owner, Business Management, Pop Tart lover
Finished Life is Strange: Reunion.
Took about 10 hours
If you played one of these games before then the gameplay loop will be well established. Mostly investigate every scene, talk to people and make choices that influence the story. Find collectibles (photos as max, Sketches as Chloe) and as Max you can use your powers to solve puzzles. In this game Max has her Timey Wimey powers from the OG game back so puzzle solving most revolves around rewinding time with objects can travel with you and dialogue info used to steer the narrative. Pretty safe as gameplay goes, even with all the warning selectors in the menu.
Graphically it won't win awards, and there were glitches and obvious texture load-ins, but it does have some beautiful vistas and sunsets. Voice work and soundtrack are of high quality if you like the soft indie melancholic usual for these games. While it's not the OG Chloe voice it is the same actress who did Before the Storm and True Colors DLC.
This time around a huge fire happens and Max goes back in time to stop it before her friends and a bunch of others die. It's set in the same location as Double Exposure so uses the characters and locations from that game, but retro-fits the ending of DE to bring back Chloe a fan favourite from the OG.
I think they mostly get away with explaining how that happens with the dual ending choice of the 1st game. You have to select 5 relationship statuses at the beginning of the game on where you were with major decisions on the main characters. You do switch between Max and Chloe at times, but the obvious hook of this game is them being back together (as what you can influence during the game) I thought the story line felt like a decent heartfelt nostalgia trip and was well told. For the most part the side characters are servicable, but pushed into the background.
Overall I enjoyed it well enough
Took about 10 hours
If you played one of these games before then the gameplay loop will be well established. Mostly investigate every scene, talk to people and make choices that influence the story. Find collectibles (photos as max, Sketches as Chloe) and as Max you can use your powers to solve puzzles. In this game Max has her Timey Wimey powers from the OG game back so puzzle solving most revolves around rewinding time with objects can travel with you and dialogue info used to steer the narrative. Pretty safe as gameplay goes, even with all the warning selectors in the menu.
Graphically it won't win awards, and there were glitches and obvious texture load-ins, but it does have some beautiful vistas and sunsets. Voice work and soundtrack are of high quality if you like the soft indie melancholic usual for these games. While it's not the OG Chloe voice it is the same actress who did Before the Storm and True Colors DLC.
This time around a huge fire happens and Max goes back in time to stop it before her friends and a bunch of others die. It's set in the same location as Double Exposure so uses the characters and locations from that game, but retro-fits the ending of DE to bring back Chloe a fan favourite from the OG.
I think they mostly get away with explaining how that happens with the dual ending choice of the 1st game. You have to select 5 relationship statuses at the beginning of the game on where you were with major decisions on the main characters. You do switch between Max and Chloe at times, but the obvious hook of this game is them being back together (as what you can influence during the game) I thought the story line felt like a decent heartfelt nostalgia trip and was well told. For the most part the side characters are servicable, but pushed into the background.
Overall I enjoyed it well enough
An adventure game is nothing more than a good story set with engaging puzzles that fit seamlessly in with the story and the characters, and looks and sounds beautiful.
I was hoping LIS would evolve a bit. The loop is pretty stale IMO.
AGH Co-founder, Owner, Business Management, Pop Tart lover
I'm continuing my plan of finishing one of the top 25 adventure games from the last 25 years list on the Hotspot website each month, or at least the ones I own and haven't finished. In March that was the only game I finished.
Loco Motive (2024): Of the three games I've finished this year on the list, this is the first that I didn't feel belonged. Obviously the polish and production values are extremely high which is why it gets so much praise. I remember it being the GOTY on the Hotspot and the Adventure Games Podcast. But when you look past the polish and amazing animations and streamlined interface, the plot, characters and puzzles are only good, but not great. I didn't like having to run back and forth through the train all the time and I had a hard time caring about the overall mystery. I'm probably being too hash on the game, because it is really well made and is definitely worth playing, but I finished it feeling a little disappointed I didn't love it as much as every one else. Recommended
April's game is Outer Wilds. This is my third attempt at playing it because I had to quit the previous two times after getting so frustrated with all the dying. We'll see if the third time's the charm, because so far I really don't understand why it is so beloved.
Loco Motive (2024): Of the three games I've finished this year on the list, this is the first that I didn't feel belonged. Obviously the polish and production values are extremely high which is why it gets so much praise. I remember it being the GOTY on the Hotspot and the Adventure Games Podcast. But when you look past the polish and amazing animations and streamlined interface, the plot, characters and puzzles are only good, but not great. I didn't like having to run back and forth through the train all the time and I had a hard time caring about the overall mystery. I'm probably being too hash on the game, because it is really well made and is definitely worth playing, but I finished it feeling a little disappointed I didn't love it as much as every one else. Recommended
April's game is Outer Wilds. This is my third attempt at playing it because I had to quit the previous two times after getting so frustrated with all the dying. We'll see if the third time's the charm, because so far I really don't understand why it is so beloved.
Replayed Fahrenheit : Indigo Prophecy Remastered
9ish hours to finish.
Been a long time since I played this and it shows. I think I liked it a lot better when it came out, due to it's unique control system and gameplay. Today it has been improved and beaten in so many other games, but as a peak at nostalgia and the time frame in which it was made, it wasn't too bad.
It starts off so well as an interesting crime drama where you play as both the killer and the detectives. So it fudges some of the things like where you hid the knife at the beginning so that the detective bit is not too easy.
Most of the puzzles come from dialogue options where you have limited time to pick a dialogue option or it defaults to the least useful option. Occasionally you have to perform a QTE to get extra insight or you miss out on info. I especially liked the split screen bit where you are under time pressure to do things while seeing the cops close in on you.
The QTE's mostly consist of alternating L and R buttons to breath and the Simon Says QTE where colours mapped to the controller joysticks that you must copy with stick movements.
My issues with the game in 2026
The QTE's take eye focus from what is happening on screen. Esp in the big flashy Matrix like fights. Can't say I remember what was happening most of the time as I was trying to red, green, blue, blue, green.,
There are about 3 naked shower or sex scenes which are a bit cheesy (esp the last one),
The plot just goes bonkers towards the end with Mayan Cults and secret societies bringing the end of the world,
Some of the QTE's go on for ages and running out of lives means starting again from the beginning. The level where you literally have to dodge every item in your apartment FFS.,
Why does Tyler as the African American sidekick of the main detective hip swing around to a "Shaft" soundtrack and has no real meaningful impact on the game.,
Overall It is certainly a product of it's time
9ish hours to finish.
Been a long time since I played this and it shows. I think I liked it a lot better when it came out, due to it's unique control system and gameplay. Today it has been improved and beaten in so many other games, but as a peak at nostalgia and the time frame in which it was made, it wasn't too bad.
It starts off so well as an interesting crime drama where you play as both the killer and the detectives. So it fudges some of the things like where you hid the knife at the beginning so that the detective bit is not too easy.
Most of the puzzles come from dialogue options where you have limited time to pick a dialogue option or it defaults to the least useful option. Occasionally you have to perform a QTE to get extra insight or you miss out on info. I especially liked the split screen bit where you are under time pressure to do things while seeing the cops close in on you.
The QTE's mostly consist of alternating L and R buttons to breath and the Simon Says QTE where colours mapped to the controller joysticks that you must copy with stick movements.
My issues with the game in 2026
The QTE's take eye focus from what is happening on screen. Esp in the big flashy Matrix like fights. Can't say I remember what was happening most of the time as I was trying to red, green, blue, blue, green.,
There are about 3 naked shower or sex scenes which are a bit cheesy (esp the last one),
The plot just goes bonkers towards the end with Mayan Cults and secret societies bringing the end of the world,
Some of the QTE's go on for ages and running out of lives means starting again from the beginning. The level where you literally have to dodge every item in your apartment FFS.,
Why does Tyler as the African American sidekick of the main detective hip swing around to a "Shaft" soundtrack and has no real meaningful impact on the game.,
Overall It is certainly a product of it's time
An adventure game is nothing more than a good story set with engaging puzzles that fit seamlessly in with the story and the characters, and looks and sounds beautiful.
I 100% agree with all of this and I have the biggest soft spot for it. Modern QTEs are way better, but I was so happy to be able to play action scenes without having the dexterity to play real action games.
Also, that soundtrack. Teddy Pendergrass and Nina Simone? Fire.
Also, that soundtrack. Teddy Pendergrass and Nina Simone? Fire.
This post was last modified: 04-05-2026, 02:33 PM by Beau.