Arizona Rosa and the Pirates' Riddles is a hidden object puzzle game where you join Arizona Rose in pursuit of lost treasure. During an antiquing expedition, Arizona Rose acquires coded maps that once belonged to famed pirate Blackbeard, the marauder of the sea. With your help, she is eager to solve the encoded riddles and puzzles and uncover the legendary missing treasure.
[[Picture-1-Title-Screen-Arizona-Rose.jpg]]
When I first opened this game and saw the introduction, I was excited to see what was to come. Little did I know that the excitement that I felt would vanish as quickly as it came. I have become quite fond of the hidden object genre of gaming and couldn’t wait to sharpen my skills. Unfortunately, this game did not provide the skill sharpening that I had hoped for.
Let me just say when I opened Arizona Rose, I thought it was going to be a hidden object game. In actuality, it is more of a puzzle game with a hidden object element; so much so that many times during play I forgot the hidden object part. The block puzzles varied in size format as you moved through the 10 levels of play. Those little brown blocks dominated the gaming landscape and the hidden object components were so quickly resolved that they were almost unnecessary and soon forgotten.
Honestly, I found this to be really disappointing.
[[Picture-2-10-x-10-Puzzle.jpg]]
Initially, I was slightly confused when I started the block puzzles, but there are clams that give helpful assistance if you are unsure of what your next move should be and periodically there is a refilling hint button to guide you along. Oh and did I mention there is a timer to keep you aware of how long it takes you to solve each puzzle? (Ugh, the dreaded timer, my arch nemesis constantly was reminding me of my lack of puzzle prowess.)
Luckily for me, there is also a restart option if you fail to solve the puzzles without penalty. This is great for inexperienced players such as me. The timer resets to give you a clean slate with each restart. Throughout the game there are different achievements to be made and coins to be collected with each solved puzzle. My favorite feature is the collections you discover like an amulet and sword that are also refillable assistance when you just cannot seem to crack the puzzles without multiple tries. When all else fails, the rule book is also there to lend a hand.
[[Picture-3-Map.jpg]]
There is also a map feature that pops up once you have completed different levels of game play. This lets you know exactly where you are located. It also gives you a reference point as to what level you are on and where you will be heading.
[[Picture-4-Blackbeard.jpg]]
The opening sequence when you are introduced to the story had me anticipating beautifully depicted graphics and oceanic scenery throughout the game. Unfortunately, the nice looking graphics ended with the opening dialogue. Soon after that, those brown blocks dominated the visual landscape. The musical score went for haunting and eerie, typical of sea and ocean based games, but proved to be annoying and in need of muting.
[[Picture-5-Mini-Game.jpg]]
Thankfully, to break the boredom of the never ending brown block puzzles, there are mini-games. The ones that I enjoyed the most are the inlayed types. These mini games are like the ancestors of Tetris. These were welcomed when they popped up and were longed for during the lengthy puzzle play.
I can’t knock this game completely, on a positive note, I did find out I do like puzzles; however, I need a more visually pleasing backdrop to solve them than what Arizona Rose and the Pirates' Riddles provided. I would recommend this game to someone who is just starting out gaming and loves puzzle solving, but this would probably be somewhat boring for expert gamers.
