I can’t remember the last time I looked at a game and thought, "That’s super creepy." And then I came across Nightmare Realm: In the End, and it clearly had a high creepy factor going on.
I knew that this was a sequel to a previous game, but I decided to give it a go in hopes that the backstory was properly covered, and I wouldn’t be left wandering around with a huge question mark over my head the entire time.
I was completely impressed with how well the backstory was covered; I can honestly say I never felt the lack of having not played the original game. In Nightmare Realm: In the End, you play a woman whose husband was killed under mysterious circumstances some years earlier.
Now, though, you and your daughter, Emily, have finally begun to move on; in fact Emily is going off to college soon. However, all of a sudden, your daughter is attacked by the Nightmare Realm, which is going to steal all of her life force unless you can find a way to stop it. That in mind, you cross through the portal to save Emily, and, along the way, you realize you never really knew the truth behind what happened to your husband.
I adored the plot of Nightmare Realm: In the End; it was nicely detailed and with enough suspense to keep you wanting to play. I was also really impressed with the world itself, which ranged from the “real world” to the Nightmare Realm and even into beautiful fantasy worlds in paintings. No matter the world you found yourself playing in there was always something beautiful to see.
Another part of Nightmare Realm: In the End that really impressed me was the hidden object areas. While there aren’t many of them, I was blown away by the interaction levels. This isn’t just a click-and-collect kind of hidden object area; there were objects you had to put together, some you had to manipulate to make correct, and some hidden away in mini-areas. I’m not usually a fan of hidden object areas, but I loved these highly detailed ones.
One thing that didn’t thrill me was some of the nit-picky details. For example, there’s a paperclip in the daughter’s journal that was very difficult, at least for me, to find in all that clutter.
Some of the things you have to interact with are very sensitive, and I occasionally had a difficult time figuring out where I was supposed to be heading next.
All of these woes, however, can easily be solved when you have our Nightmare Realm: In the End Walkthrough along for the ride. With our walkthrough guru’s helpful step-by-step instructions and custom detailed screenshots, I’m betting you’ll get that paperclip on the first try. If you want to take Nightmare Realm: In the End and amp it up from a 4/5 to a 5/5, I suggest you keep our guru with you. We can’t do anything about some of that sloppy, melty animation, but we’ve got you on every other little detail. Enjoy!