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Secrets of the Dark: Mystery of the Ancestral Estate Collector's Edition 
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$ 13.99 USD or 2 credits
You will have to challenge yourself as a professional who specializes in most tangled cases and defeat the darkness to rescue an innocent soul. Earlier you’ve already had a chance to investigate strange cases in ancient Thai and Mexico. Now it’s time visit the Mediterranean coast and reveal the secret of an ancient family estate which was inherited by a young woman who is now begging you for help. Her life hangs in the balance and her fate is up to your strength and courage.
This is a special Collector's Edition release full of exclusive extras you won’t find in the standard version. As a bonus, Collector's Edition purchases count toward three stamps on your Monthly Game Club Punch Card!
The Collector’s Edition includes:
- An integrated strategy guide
- Replayable mini-games and puzzles
- Bonus gameplay
Click images to enlarge
Game System Requirements:
- OS: Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7/Windows 8
- CPU: 1.0 GHz
- RAM: 1024 MB
- DirectX: 9.0
- Hard Drive: 681 MB
Game Manager System Requirements:
- Browser: Internet Explorer 7 or later
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Secrets of the Dark: Mystery of the Ancestral Estate Collector's Edition
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Customer Reviews
Secrets of the Dark: Mystery of the Ancestral Estate Collector's Edition
69
69
Thrilling investigations in the past and the presence!!! :)
After investigating in ancient Thai and Mexico (in the first 2 ?Secrets of the Dark?), we are now summoned to Greece to defeat the darkness and rescue the soul of a young woman. For those who played the previous "Secret of the Dark" games, the gameplay of this one is the same...
Graphics/ cutscenes are superb: Very clear and welldone!! And, as in the first 2 games of this series, I like the fact, that we are able to ?jump? between past and presence through changing the lighting in some of the rooms. Things we change/ collect in the past affects the presence and the other way around?
3 modes to choose from. You may adjust music, sound, fullscreen, aspect ratio and custom cursor in the options. Hint is very useful, also outside the HOS. That?s very useful, as we don?t have a map. We have a detailed journal. The strategy guide doesn?t follow your progress?
Lots of different HOS!! Personally I love those reverse HOS, where you put things back in the scene. And all kinds of minigames/ puzzles, some new, but most of them quite challenging (or frustrating?) with instructions and the option to skip? And as there are no achievements to earn, I used the skip/ hint button several times?. :) - No beyond objects? :(
It is a great game, with a lot to do and to explore, but I?ll wait for the SE release.
March 21, 2013
Boy oh Boy What a Game
This game is fun from the get go. You start out by releasing an evil spirit and off you go into a storyline that takes place in the present time and you go into the past (depending of what is needed at the time by pressing certain items) and to all different types of places. The mini-games are a lot of fun and very different from the usual. You not only put things back where they belong, you solve a mini-puzzle inside the mini-puzzle. The standard hidden object games are not too hard but will takes some work. It is well drawn and sound is good (I played with it off.) I don't think I will buy the CE but will certainly purchase the SE version of this game. The hint button is very helpful. I found this game to be different from the norm and loads of fun. I look forward to when it comes out in SE. Enjoy!
March 21, 2013
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
The demo of this game will not go far in pulling people in to buy. It is short, sample only not 60 min trial and because it is short it does not give enough indication of what an amazing game it is. Also - no collectibles, achievements, wide screen or map. The aspect ratio in the options has no effect. I really did not think this very smart of Ornean. It will limit their sales. They should know by now what CE lovers demand for twice the price of a SE. I myself am not one of those. For me it is graphics, story, navigation, fun, entertainment and surprising and interesting features and last but not least, length.
The three main draws of this game are the graphics, which are outstanding, the perfect navigation and that nifty little feature of changing the lighting in the rooms to completely transform the decors to those of the distant past. I have only ever seen this in one other game. It is very well done and really cool. They even included the Trojan Horse.
Collectibles and achievements I can do without, but the lack of any kind of map dismayed me. I need not have worried. The game is compact in that there are no gratuitous locations. All are connected with tasks, puzzles and iHOS and because the hint button brings up a picture of the room or location you need to go to, all that is required is just to familiarize oneself with where each is located. Then it's a snap. Because of the perfect navigation you are there in a jiffy. The game is not linear either.
It took me a while to warm to the game but once I got really into it I became totally absorbed. The puzzles are medium to hard and beautifully done, although I did have a cursor that went into float mode in a few. Cannot explain that but in the Tech Thread no-one else has mentioned that so maybe just my computer. I had to skip those or they would have taken me hours. Like ERS, Ornean know just how many iHOS are not enough and too many, so I was not bombarded with them at every turn. There are 3 varieties - list, replace, and what I can only describe as the domino effect. Although there were only two of the latter, they were wonderful. The music is not remarkable but certainly did not irritate me.
The SG is just like all SGs, but, for those with poor eyesight, I think the print should have been larger. The story centres around a sibling who has systematically murdered most of the family and now has designs on the last remaining heir, the young girl. She summons you, the Detective with psychic powers to defeat this villain and save her life. The ghost of the brothers and sister help you throughout the game.
Because of their being no map I played in easy mode. Sorry, I forgot to test out the others so cannot comment on sparkles. The main game took me 5 hrs after the demo and ended well. However, the BC is awesome. It hurtles you onto the banks of the river Styx, where you must repair the ferryman who will row you to the distant shore. where the souls of the murdered children are trapped and you must free them. Wonderful locations and tasks and puzzles. I got to ride Pegasus to the high mountain top and what a splendid fellow he is. This Chapter took me 90 mins.
The usual extras are not present either. Couldn't give a hoot. Never had any use for them, but you can play the puzzles again. For a game that plays for almost 7 hrs and is full to bursting with interest and entertainment, all beautifully depicted in terrific artwork, it is definitely worthy of its' CE status.
Well done to these Devs for a thoroughly marvellous game.
March 22, 2013
Finally......A Must Buy!!!
Your evil, inventor grandfather has left you his estate when his ghost escapes from the crypt in the basement and will permanently return when the upcoming eclipse occurs. You have to fix an energy gathering lamp to capture him and save the world!
-3 Modes (I played the demo in advanced...2nd of 3 modes)
-No map (not needed...at least, not yet)
-Diary with pictures and you can zoom in to read letters & other things you may find.
-Strategy guide was helpful when I got stuck on a chess game
-Hints are helpful, even outside HO scenes (it will show you a "vision" of where you need to go with area highlighted)
-No click penalty in HO scenes.
-Lots of puzzles and they are nice, challenging variations. Not the typical, but not too frustrating either....very enjoyable.
-I am NOT a big HO scene fan but I found myself looking forward to them (there were 3 in the demo). ....
---1st was a scene where you needed to replace items into the scene (rather than find them)
---2nd was a scene were you needed to replace a few items and then a list would come up to find other items and when scene was complete, a little "scene" played out to give you the item you needed (very original!).
---3rd was a straight, list HO scene, but not cluttered nor tiny items to find.
Even though it's the typical, evil ghost...save the world kind of game, there is alot of originality and I am certain to buy this game!!
March 21, 2013
Fantastic
It isn't often that I rate a game as highly as this one.
The scenes are sharp and clear, and the music is unobtrusive.
What really makes this game stand out for me are the varied hidden object scenes. I'm not too far into the game, only 30 minutes, but one particular HOS assured me that this is a great buy.
Bravo developers, for a truly interesting and innovative game!
March 21, 2013
Evil brother strikes....
Played 40 minutes, regular
- 3 modes, regular, advanced, hardcore
- Integrated SG which only shows one chapter in the sample
- Voice overs
- Note book
- No map
- H0, 2 sorts, you put items back or play regular H0
- Very good mini games, quite inventive for some, not over difficult
- Hint very useful outside H0
- Gorgeous graphics
You arrive to investigate in a house where it seems evil tries to reign. As in all Secrets of the Dark, by clicking on a certain place, you move from past to present. Very interesting story, beautiful game, this is an instant buy for me (crush) , thanks devs....
March 21, 2013
"Are You Afraid of Things that go Bump in the Dark?"
Well happy days aren't quite here for me yet. We have another inherited estate with issues game. Of course there's a bit of a twist, but still the same when I saw a new Hidden Object CE, I got excited, but as has been with all the ones#FOR THE MOST PART# IN THE PAST MONTH OR SO, THERE HASN'T BEEN $14.00 WORTH OF BANG!
The game starts out with you being an expert about dealing with things in the dark. A woman has inherited an estate on a remote island in Greece and requests your assistance because she is hearing strange things coming from her basement/crypt at night when it is dark. When you arrive, she takes you down to the crypt to show you and there's a coffin that's moving around like something's trying to get out! While trying to open the coffin, you accidently break a lamp and something bad escapes from the coffin, mumbles something about the eclipse and disappears. POOF! Hostess and all!!
You are given your usual three gameplays- Regular, Advanced and Hardcore. I do want to say that the music is orchestrated wonderfully to suit the ambience of the "dark": You are provided with a journal to record all special game actions and events. Also an integrated strategy guide. No map or bells and whistles# morphing objects, achievements, or collections#
Right off the bat you are given a very basic mini game to play and you know, this really is just a very graphically beautiful and realistic SE HOPA.
There is a nice special with the purchase of this game, where you can get the other two games in this series for only $2.99. However, I already own both, so I guess I will be saving my dimes and nickels for the SE. Because this game is nice, just too much $ for what you get.
March 21, 2013
good game and different than others
This is a good fun game. I could not get it to play full screen. It has voice over and the graphics are good. Music is not bad. There is lots to do in this game. You have to look all over the place to find items to use in other areas. The room scenes can change also for finding and using items to advance. The HOS are not the same. Nice change. Some you have to place items and some are the standard. Some are small puzzles. The puzzles can be hard. Not a bad game just lots to do and keep up with. Hope you get full screen.
March 21, 2013
Love this Series of Secrets of the Dark
Played 34 minutes of the demo and had to have this game. It offers three options of play level - I am playing in hardcore. In the same fashion as previous games you have the ability to change a scene this time from light to dark via a fireplace, each scene having mysteries of its own and different pieces that will help you in other scenes. The graphics are good, the music adventure appropriate. So far I've played a couple of HOS - both find the object and place the object and a couple of mini games which I enjoyed because they were a little different than the norm. For me this is a keeper!
March 21, 2013
A Real Winner !
Ok, that's it ! I've played half of the demo, and I am buying this game. I'm just taking enough time to send in a review to let you know that this game is a real winner. The only slightly irritating thing is the background music -- even though it is completely appropriate to the theme of the game. I personally do not enjoy it droning on. Mix it up a bit for added ambiance.
Puzzles are just challenging enough to keep your interest. There are also some interesting differences from the same old formula. Enough said. Check out the other reviews for more details. I gotta get playing.
March 21, 2013
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