Mystery Case Files: Escape from Ravenhearst
Game Review

In the previous Ravenhearst games, you learned the tragic story of Emma Ravenhearst and helped free her soul and those of the other ghosts trapped in Ravenhearst Manor. In Escape from Ravenhearst, you are called in to investigate recent disappearances in the vicinity of the manor's burnt ruins. In so doing, you will discover the history of Emma's tormentor and revisit the key events from his past, and view the haunting Ravenhearst saga through his eyes.

All the elements that make a great MCF game are present in Escape from Ravenhearst. You have the unique hidden object scenes and devilishly difficult puzzles, and you have a crime investigation that turns into a haunting and thrilling adventure. The game begins as you arrive at Ravenhearst Manor to investigate some disappearances, and park outside its locked gate. (Yes, for once there is a hidden object game that doesn't start with a car crash or breakdown!) You quickly find a locket belonging to Emma Ravenhearst, and are confronted with her ghost telling you that it's not safe and to leave immediately. Naturally, you ignore her advice and continue searching the grounds.

However, in gratitude for saving her in the previous game, Emma has offered to help you. Whenever there are morphing objects in the immediate vicinity and you find all of them, Emma's locket will shoot lightning at a point of interest, revealing a crucial item. These morphing objects are from previous MCF games such as Madame Fate, and are nondescript objects that morph into something else at unpredictable intervals. Examples include a cane that morphs into a fishing rod, and a faucet handle that morphs between the up and down positions.

These morphing objects play a large part in the game. Rather than having traditional hidden object scenes where you need to find a list of items, Escape from Ravenhearst contains scenes that require you to spot a dozen of these morphing objects. This is a considerably different challenge, and may put off some hidden object fans. Instead of trying to spot specific shapes or silhouettes, you must now keep your eyes open and be able to notice sudden changes in the scene. This is made even more difficult with all the ambient effects such as flashes of lightning, rain drops and things blowing in the wind.

The puzzle minigames that the MCF series is famous for also feature prominently in this game. All of them are unique imaginings of your favorite types of puzzles, and some of them also pay homage to the unnecessarily complex Rube Goldberg style puzzles that featured in the previous Ravenhearst games. These puzzle minigames are all of a higher difficulty level as well, and make a worthy challenge for a master detective!

Following on from the last 2 MCF games, Escape from Ravenhearst also features beautiful life-like art, with lots of animation and cutscenes thrown in to give that epic cinematic feel. It also features plenty of live action sequences, with real people acting out the various characters in the game. This makes the game feel more "relatable". These live actors are also great for their shock value, when they suddenly pop out to scare the lights out of you.

These sequences aren't the only things that are scary in the game. The overall tone of the game is pretty intense as we visit the disturbing past of Emma's murderer. The game even earned a prominent note on its description page, warning that it may not be suitable for children or the faint of heart.

Escape from Ravenhearst is a solid sequel in the well-established MCF game series, and a great follow-up of the previous Ravenhearst games. It features graphics and cinematography that really push the envelop in the hidden object game genre. It also brings back nostalgia and that feeling of haven't-I-been-here-before as you revisit the burned-down remnants of the once-proud manor. You can even spot the remains of some of the puzzles from the previous games.

You will like the game if you enjoyed the previous Mystery Case Files games or similar detective-style games such as the Mystery Trackers series. You can get the standard version of the game, or you can get the Collector's Edition which includes exclusive extras such as bonus gameplay, additional game scenes, strategy guides and more.

Check out the other games in this series!

Related PC Games at Big Fish Games:

Mystery Case Files: Escape from Ravenhearst Collector's Edition

Mystery Case Files: 13th Skull

Mystery Trackers: Raincliff

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